Heirs of Slavery is a new group of activists who have banded together to advocate for steps to redress the legacies of transatlantic slavery in the UK. They’re also all descendants of the very people who profited from and supported that slave trade.
Together they’re advocating for an apology, reconciliation and reparative justice for slavery in Britain. Their work comes on the heels of fresh momentum in global efforts to seek reconciliation and reparations for the legacies of slavery. The Dutch government issued an apology for its historic role in slavery at the end of 2022, while Britain’s King Charles recently indicated support for an investigation into the British monarchy’s involvement in enslavement. While signs of progress inspire hope, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently declined calls for a government apology for Britain’s involvement in slavery and colonialism.
In this episode of The Stream we discuss the latest in efforts to seek reparatory justice for slavery in the UK.
In this episode of The Stream, we are joined:
Laura Trevelayan @LauraTrevelyan
Co-Founder, Heirs of Slavery
Bell Ribeiro-Addy @BellRibeiroAddy
Labour MP, Streatham
Chair, Afrikan Reparations APPG (All-Party Parliamentary Group)
Uju Anya @UjuAnya
Professor, Carnegie Mellon University