University of Bristol Legacies of Slavery
The University of Bristol is launching a listening exercise today, seeking views from students, staff and the public on whether seven buildings whose names are linked in different ways to the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans should be renamed. This includes prominent buildings such as the Wills Memorial Building and Goldney Hall.
The online consultation will run until 27 January. The University is also planning some in-person events so it can get as many views as possible.
- The first of these events will be on Monday 5 December and it can be attended in-person or online.
- There is also a panel event being held on 25 January both online and in-person.
There are a range of views and the University is open to hearing all of them before taking any next steps.
Saranya Thambirajah, Equality, Liberation and Access Officer at Bristol Students’ Union, said:
“Bristol both as a city and a university is built largely on foundations linked to the slave trade and colonisation. In order to truly ‘decolonise’ our university and champion racial and restorative justice, we must address these historical legacies head on and renaming buildings associated with the slave trade does just this.
“The call to rename buildings is not about rewriting or covering up the past, rather it aims to ignite conversation around this history by taking an unequivocal stance against commemorating those involved in any way. Our university has become an incredibly diverse community and our spaces should reflect this. Students and staff of colour should not have to be confronted with the commemoration of the transatlantic slave trade in their everyday lives.
“As Equality, Liberation and Access Officer at the Students’ Union I welcome this consultation from the university. I look forward to engaging with relevant student groups, staff and the wider community on this issue to bring about constructive dialogue and find a way forward that makes us all proud to be part of this city. Our history does not mean we cannot be bold in the beliefs and values we take into the future and uniting to talk about important and sensitive topics such as this is what truly drives change.”
How can I learn more?
In January 2020, Professor Olivette Otele was appointed as the University’s first Professor of the History of Slavery, undertaking a two-year research project on the University of Bristol’s, and the wider city’s involvement, in the transatlantic slave trade.
The report, which includes detail from documents, financial papers and accounts dating back to the 1860s confirms that the University’s founding was financially supported and made possible by individuals whose families had directly or indirectly profited from the products of the slave trade.
The seven University buildings which are named after these families and organisations, and will form the basis of the consultation, are as follows:
• Wills Memorial Building
• Fry Building
• Merchant Venturers Building
• HH Wills Physics Laboratories
• Goldney Hall
• Wills Hall
• Dame Monica Wills Chapel
In addition to building names, the University has already made a commitment to reviewing its crest and logo which features the symbols of Colston, Wills and Fry.
You can read the full report on the University's webpages.
Have your say and complete the consultation by 27 January 2023.
