Tuesday 28-11-2023 - 09:30

The conversation about renaming buildings at the University of Bristol which are named after families connected to the transatlantic slave trade, is one that has been going on for some time. Every few years, a new petition is launched, and sometimes a counter-petition, demonstrating how divisive this issue can be. Across Bristol there are countless connections to the transatlantic slave trade. The Colston statue was removed by Black Lives Matter protestors in 2020, which was a turning point in the city. Since then, Colston Hall has been renamed to the Bristol Beacon, and several schools have also changed their names.   

In November 2022 the University of Bristol opened a public consultation into the renaming of seven buildings at the University, following the publication of the ‘Legacies of Slavery’ report. We actively encouraged students to take part in the consultation and have their voice heard on this important issue. Saranya, your Equality, Liberation and Access Officer, has been part of the project team, involved in the consultation process and has continually advocated for minoritised voices to be heard through the process.  

After a lengthy consultation process, the Building Renaming Project Board took a proposal to the University Executive Board (UEB) for approval on a Reparative Futures Programme and a recommended approach to building naming which has been considered over a number of meetings. UEB have now announced the outcome and the University’s proposed next steps. In summary, the University has decided to:  

• Retain current building names, but commit to contextualising them and being transparent about the University’s history  
• Remove Colston’s dolphin emblem from the University logo  
• Commit to £10 million funding for the Reparative Futures Programme : A 10 year programme based on principles of reparative justice & anti-racism, to address our history, our current challenges, and ultimately aims to foster transformational change at the university.   

Saranya Thambirajah, Bristol SU’s Equality, Liberation and Access Officer said:  

“We aren’t where we need to be when it comes to the culture around anti-racism and liberation work and the institutional problem we have has resulted in a decision concerning marginalised people being made without a truly diverse range of voices in the room. Like me, I imagine some of you will be disappointed by the University’s decision not to rename any buildings. Current students generally supported the renaming of buildings in the consultation and students have been campaigning on this issue for years.” 

“However, the truth is that renaming or not renaming will never be enough, and this has always been about a much deeper problem. Whilst the University may not have taken the bold step to rename a building, inequalities and the struggles we face, can’t be addressed by looking just at names, or at any other single part of our university. Anti-racism and addressing the legacies of our past must run through our institution, and our communities, to inform all the work we do. We need actions which will make a critical difference to students’ lived experiences and put us on the necessary path to becoming an anti-racist institution.” 

“Looking forward, I do feel that Bristol is at a point where we have a real opportunity to learn from the past and make meaningful change as a university, internally and beyond. The Reparative Futures Programme is a great way to do this, setting us on a path to transformational change and action. I hope to see this fully embraced by the institution with student, staff and community involvement at its heart. If we get this right, it could have truly far-reaching potential. I really hope to engage students in this and create proper links between students and the Bristol community. Our city has a long complex history, many parts of which are shameful, but we also have a strong history of fighting for change - continuing to do so together, with real collaboration, makes us all the more stronger.”  

We know this decision will affect students in different ways and may resonate more depending on an individual's lived experience. We’re here to support you and we will be ensuring that students are actively involved in the development of the Reparative Futures Programme. We’ll be holding the university to account on their commitments and challenging them to ensure their actions are progressive. We will continue to push for a culture change at the university, where race is approached thoroughly and meaningfully.   

We’re planning to hold an event in TB2 where you can learn more and engage with the plans. Further information about this will be available on the Bristol SU website once details are confirmed. The University have also prepared responses to a number of FAQs which you can access here.