Learning Every Day
Michelle Lloyd, Director of Services, reflects on how much we have to learn about historical injustices and the legacy of racism - personally and institutionally.
On the evening of Friday 23rd August I had the privilege of attending a very special event to commemorate the Abolition of the Slave Trade. The event was a timely reminder of how much we personally and organisationally still have to learn about previous injustices and the legacy of racism that continues today.
On 23 August 1791, enslaved people on the island of Saint Domingue (modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic) revolted against French colonial rule and this uprising played a crucial role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. That's why, the 23rd August is UNESCO International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.
The evening was a mix of music, drama, poetry, storytelling and reconnecting with friends and former colleagues that I haven’t seen for years. It was also a time to reflect on the importance of Cyrenians’ ongoing journey towards inclusion and diversity.
In recent years we have made significant progress in this area by, for example, improving the collection of equalities data from our own staff, achieving the LGBT Charter Mark and becoming a Disability Confident Employer but we are not complacent and recognise there is so much more we need to do. Challenging the pernicious impact and effects of racism and xenophobia, in the workplace and wider society, is an integral part of our ambition to tackle the causes and consequences of homelessness. This includes extending our reach and connections with diverse communities across the areas we work in and being an ally with organisations whose primary purpose is to tackle racism and inequalities.
Recent events in England are a sad reminder of how quickly the actions of a minority can spiral out of control, creating fear and terror for so many with a long-lasting impact on our neighbours, colleagues, families and friends. Last Friday’s event was a moment to remember and reflect on our shared heritage, the value of diversity and the ubiquitous need to promote unity and inclusion.
It was also a time to learn.
This painting (artist unknown) shows Janet McLean, her two daughters and, in the background, Malvina Wells. Malvina Wells (1804-1887) was born into slavery in Grenada and brought to Edinburgh where she worked as a lady’s maid. Amongst other things, I learned that Malvina was also the only known person to be buried in Edinburgh who was born a slave. Her tombstone is in the graveyard of St John’s Episcopal Church at the west end of Princes Street. So many walk past it every day.
Little is known about Malvina, but this fascinating article attempts to fill in some of the gaps.
This commemorative evening, hosted by the Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Legacy Review Implementation Group and supported by the City of Edinburgh Council, was not only a time to remember but also to educate each other. Across our city, each day we walk past statues, monuments and street names associated with slavery and colonialism, reminders of the consequences of racist beliefs and unjust power structures. As several speakers noted, education is a tool, a powerful means of transferring knowledge and values from one generation to another, in the hope of creating a better society for all. To accomplish this, we have so much to learn, and sometimes unlearn, about our own memories and history.
When I was a child one of my favourite places to visit was the Museum of Childhood on the Royal Mile. It was free and a place where you could touch and play with toys and games from years gone by. Maybe that’s why I was particularly moved by a poem read out by Hannah Lavery (Edinburgh’s Makar) last Friday as part of Edinburgh’s Museums and Galleries Disrupting the Narrative project.
We all have a duty to question and challenge the past, to quote James Baldwin “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” (No Name in the Street).