Bristol is the city that gave us Banksy, Massive Attack, Portishead, Tricky, JK Rowling, incredible street art, the smell of jerk chicken in the air everywhere you go, a DIY party scene and the legacy of slavery
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Yep Bristol, this richly historical city was built on the business of millions of enslaved Africans. In the same way that Stuttgart’s biggest export is Mercedes Benz, is the same way that trading my ancestors was big business for Bristol for centuries
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According to wiki out of the 20 million enslaved, Bristol was one of the leading slave ports, bringing over 3.4 million Africans into slavery via their grand Bristolian ships. We also mustn’t forget the millions who didn’t survive the horrific voyage, who were chucked in the sea and fed to the sharks
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So when a geezer dressed like a pirate came up to me and said in his strong west country accent “Arrrrrr, fancy partying on a ship tonight and going back in time?” You could imagine my horror! I was like, “No, I will not party like it’s 1806 thank you very much”. How inappropriate? I wouldn’t dare ask a Jewish person to join me for a dinner and dance on the grounds of Auschwitz but hey ho, sweep it under the table they say, put your lipstick on and DANCE 💃🏾
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There is a statue of a wealthy slave merchant ‘Edward Colston’ in the city centre who made most of his fortune from slavery and human suffering. People in Bristol have recently protested against honouring his name but his statue still stands because of all the charity work he did for the city
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I think that’s as gross as erecting statues of ‘Jimmy Saville’ around London and saying, “Oh come on, yes he was a raging kiddy fiddler and molested children but look at all the charity work he did guys, get over it.” Meh
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Bloodshed, rape and slavery aside, we had a great time. Bristol is a forward thinking, eco-friendly, culturally rich city and great for kids! We’ll be back in the Summer to visit friends and make use of all their outdoor playgrounds
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Btw, don’t forget to check my @wokemamas blog, “How not to be a racist mother”. Let’s dismantle racism from the womb up
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Cheerio! Arrrrrr