011// Countering Colston with Dr. Roger Ball (Bristol Radical History Group)

requires improvement

In this episode of Requires Improvement we react to the recent historic events in Bristol involving the Black Lives Matter protest which saw the removal of a statue of Edward Colston in June 2020. These events have been of international significance and should prompt a deeper discussion and investigation of the slave trade's historical roots in Bristol and the United Kingdom. We are pleased to welcome interview guest Dr. Roger Ball from the Bristol Radical History Group. We discuss the hidden history of Edward Colston and the Society of Merchant Venturers, the organisation which has sought to enshrine Colston's legacy in Bristol's public places and institutions, a group which still has an influential role in Bristol's governance today - in particular the education system. We ask questions of what should educators be doing to counter myths in History with the purpose of building an inclusive anti-racist curriculum. Hosted by Lee with co-hosts Lauren and Tom. Please visit the Bristol Radical History Group's website for more in depth articles on these topics: https://www.brh.org.uk/site/ The book Dr. Roger Ball has co-authored with Mark Steeds on the topic of Bristol's links to the slave trade is available here: https://www.brh.org.uk/site/pamphleteer/from-wulfstan-to-colston/ And an honourable mention to another book referenced in this episode "A Darker History of Bristol" by Derek Robinson: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9214074-a-darker-history-of-bristol Our guest for this episode is also a member of the Countering Colston campaign, which can be followed here https://counteringcolston.wordpress.com/ and on twitter: https://twitter.com/countercolston?lang=en