London unveils design for the city’s first monument to victims of the transatlantic slave trade

The long-awaited design of London’s first monument to the victims of the transatlantic slave trade has been unveiled. By 2026, the city will have a towering bronze cowrie shell, which will symbolize the fate of enslaved Africans.

Titled The Waking Upthe 23-foot-tall sculpture was designed by a Chicago-born artist Khaleb Brookswhose ancestors were enslaved in Mississippi. His idea was chosen from a shortlist of six proposed memorials to the individuals trafficked across the Atlantic in a trading system in which London “played a key role”, according to one researcher. statement from the mayor’s office.

British ships sailed between 1640 and 1807 3.4 million Africans across the Atlantic Ocean and port cities like London played a role central role in the expansion of the industry. The memorial will be located at West India Quay, where large quantities of goods manufactured by enslaved individuals, such as sugar, once entered the UK.

“When we talk about the transatlantic slave trade, we’re talking about the history of people, not just the history of black people,” Brooks says. Guardian‘s Lanre Bakare. “It is the history of everyone on this land, regardless of our involvement. … We are still very influenced by the history of commerce. So I hope so The Waking Up exists and serves as recognition that there is still much work to be done.”

Visitors from The Waking Up will be able to “enter and pause,” Brooks writes in a description of the memorial. The bronze installation will have two entry points decorated with sugar loaf sculptures, representing the enslaved labor behind the installation sugar industry.

The Waking UpThe interior walls of the organization will be inscribed with names of enslaved people, as well as blank spaces for the many who remain unidentified.

The swirling, conical shape of the statue is inspired by the cowrie shell. The small, durable shells were used as currency in Africa as early as the 14th century. Brooks chose the cowrie shell after learning that the tokens were used to purchase both people and goods Guardian. The abolitionist Olaudah Equianofor example, once said he was sold 172 cowrie shells in the 18th century.

If completed in 2026, The Waking Up will stand not far from the former location of a statue Robert Milliganan 18th century merchant and slave trader. Following racial justice protests, city officials removed the statue in 2020. Last spring, Mayor Sadiq Khan announced that he had allocated £500,000 (about $656,000) in funding for a monument to the victims of the industry that Milligan profited from.

“There are countless buildings and monuments in London that represent the wealth derived from the trade in enslaved people, but not enough to compensate for the tragic loss of life and the perseverance and strength of character of the slaves and the African diaspora. commemorate,” says Debbie Weekes. -Bernard, London’s Deputy Mayor for Communities and Social Justice, in the statement.

Weekes-Bernard announced the winning design on August 23. In her comments, she said she hoped the monument would be a “step” towards a wider conversation about Britain’s past, per Reuters‘ Catarina Demonie. The statue will be accompanied by educational programming, which will encourage Londoners to reflect on their city’s history.

“We are our history: it tells us where we have been, where we are now and what direction we might go,” says Brooks. “By honoring, grieving, healing, and learning about those who faced the horrors of slavery before us, we are making a conscious effort to deploy the liberatory ethic that sought to end the trade.”