Statues and memorials and public history articles
George Bissell’s 1893 memorial in Old Calton, Edinburgh
After sending an article Making Public History: Statues and Memorials last year to the Public History Review it has finally been published and is free online. https://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php/phrjIt refers both to particular anti-racist and anti-slavery statues as well as progressive publications and action in schools. This includes the work of Martin Spafford, and others, who issued textbooks of Migration, Empire and the Historic Environment arising from changes agreed in the GCSE history curriculum from 2016 with the first exams in 2018.
As previously noted on this website, those interested in public history have recently pursued activities commemorating, say, a drowned black South African from a nearby southeastern channel (with remembrance in Hastings) or analysing the commemoration of African and Caribbean troops, also from the First World War, in London.
Currently out is North West Labour History Journal no 45, 2020-21, which contains former anti-slavery as well as contemporary articles. http://www.nwlh.org.uk/?q=Issue_45 Mine includes Public history and the past : slavery memorials in Lancaster, previously published there in journal no 32, 2007 and slightly amended, noting that re-readings of contested pasts have existed for many years…
Sambo’s Grave in Sunderland Point near Lancaster, as supported positively over many years.
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