Open Country

Bristol and the transatlantic slave trade


Listen Later

Jasmine Ketibuah-Foley examines how the transatlantic slave trade has shaped Bristol and meets some of the historians, artists and cultural figures who are redressing how the legacy of slavery is presented and how the city's story is told.

Jasmine speaks to Olivette Otele, the newly appointed Professor of the History of Slavery at the University of Bristol about why the University has decided to examine its past and what this might mean for the city's wider approach to its colonial history.

Jasmine meets Stacey Olika, Donnell Asare and Ade Sowemimo who are working on a project at Bristol Museum to tell the story behind how some of the objects on display which they hope will present a clearer and more honest narrative about the cultural significance of the objects and the legacy of Britain's colonial past.

Historian Madge Dresser has been talking about Bristol's relationship with the slave trade for some time and she tells Jasmine that after one of her talks in the late 1990's someone defaced the city's statue of Edward Colston.

Lynn Mareno talks about how when she was growing-up in Bristol in the 1960s she was regularly subjected to racism, and how Bristol needs to deal with its past in order to move forwards..

Edson Burton is an writer, performer and historian and he tells Jasmine that whilst this work has been going on for years there have been significant steps forward in recent years, but he cautions against presenting these issue as the opinion of one united voice.

Jasmine ends the programme in Henbury at the grave of Scipio Africanus, one of the few recorded enslaved people who lived in Bristol.

Presenter: Jasmine Ketibuah-Foley

Producer: Toby Field

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Open CountryBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

83 ratings


More shows like Open Country

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,601 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,054 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,455 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,798 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,745 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,039 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,091 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

1,975 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

478 Listeners

Saturday Live by BBC Radio 4

Saturday Live

39 Listeners

Farming Today by BBC Radio 4

Farming Today

66 Listeners

Gardeners' Question Time by BBC Radio 4

Gardeners' Question Time

281 Listeners

The Food Programme by BBC Radio 4

The Food Programme

265 Listeners

Scotland Outdoors by BBC Radio Scotland

Scotland Outdoors

250 Listeners

Ramblings by BBC Radio 4

Ramblings

158 Listeners

The Plodcast by Our Media

The Plodcast

105 Listeners

Gardening with the RHS by Royal Horticultural Society

Gardening with the RHS

253 Listeners

Wild Tales | Nature Podcast by National Trust

Wild Tales | Nature Podcast

101 Listeners

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle by BBC World Service

13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle

4,164 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,197 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

719 Listeners

As the Season Turns by Ffern

As the Season Turns

238 Listeners

Life Changing by BBC Radio 4

Life Changing

101 Listeners

A Life More Wild by Canopy & Stars

A Life More Wild

26 Listeners

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth by Gyles Brandreth / Plain Jaine Media

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

487 Listeners