Although there
has been a positive move with the creation of the Bristol slave trade,
the matter of the Colston statue in the centre has still not been resolved.
Leaders of
the city's black community say the 18th Century merchant made much of his
fortune from the slave trade and it is an embarrassment. But teachers at
schools his money helped to found have spoken out to defend the statue
and his good name. The row blew up after the city centre statue in Colston
Avenue was daubed with the words "Slave Trader". The bronze statue, near
the Colston Hall, was unveiled in 1895 and commemorates the life of one
of Bristol's greatest benefactors. Colston made much of his wealth from
the slave trade but donated vast sums to education and charity. His money
helped found Colston's Girls' School in Cheltenham Road and Colston's Boys'
School, now Colston's Collegiate, in Stapleton.
Bristol city
councillor Ray Sefia said he could understand why the statue had been targeted
by vandals. It is like having a memorial to Hitler. We don't have a statue
to Hitler and we shouldn't have one to Colston, who was one of the worst
offenders in the slave trade that did so much destruction. "Hitler was
responsible for one of the greatest holocausts in history. We believe slavery
was the greatest holocaust. We have to be very clear about Colston's role
in history in the slave trade. "If we in this city want to glorify the
slave trade, then it should stay. "If not, the statue should be marked
with a plaque that he was a slave trader or taken down."
City council
contractors erased the graffiti as soon as it was discovered.
The head teacher
of Colston's Girls' School, Judith Franklin, said: I'm appalled at the
graffiti. It's very sad. To take a late 20th century view of it is wrong.
Colston did a lot of work for education in this city and set up almshouses
for old people. If we looked at all statues from this politically-correct
perspective we wouldn't have any left. There certainly wouldn't be any
of Queen Victoria because of the Empire. Others would go, too. This is
taking political correctness to the extreme.
Each November,
girls from the school place chrysanthemums at the statue to commemorate
his birth.
I personally
feel more inclined with Councillor Ray Sefias' argument.