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Slavery and colonialism in Edinburgh

Recommendations from the review

Background

At its 30 August 2022 meeting, the Council's Policy and Sustainability Committee endorsed the . The group was chaired by Sir Geoff Palmer between December 2020 and July 2022.

The report included ten recommendations to reframe the heritage and articulate ways in which

  • education
  • interpretation
  • cultural interventions

will be used as anti-racist tools to fight discrimination in Edinburgh, which is the legacy of Edinburgh's historic links to slavery and colonialism.

Recommendation 1: civic apology

Council to publicly acknowledge the city’s past role in sustaining slavery and colonialism. The Lord Provost issued an apology on behalf of the city to the places and people who suffered when he opened the Council meeting on 27 October 2022. .

Recommendation 3: Edinburgh observing the UNESCO international day for the remembrance of the slave trade and its abolition

An inaugural civic reception to recognise the UNESCO International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition was held at the City Chambers on 23 August 2023. The event was hosted by the Lord Provost Robert Aldridge and Council Leader Cammy Day. It was attended by around 90 representatives of

  • the arts
  • business
  • education sectors
  • diplomatic
  • heritage
  • community organisations.

It provided

  • a space to remember the victims of the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism
  • time to reflect on its legacy in Edinburgh
  • an opportunity to honour those figures who fought for its abolition.

The reception opened with speeches from distinguished guests before the screening of ‘Sugar for Your Tea’, a short film from Edinburgh’s own Kayus Bankole from the Mercury Prize winning group Young Fathers. This was followed by moments for reflection and group discussions on key issues.

Recommendation 10: establish an independent legacy stakeholder group

This independent group will make sure approved recommendations are

  • actioned
  • resourced
  • monitored
  • report on progress annually. 

The group will be supported by the Council.