Welcome to our second newsletter.
Since we were last in touch, back in January, there has been real, tangible progress in the campaign for reparative justice for transatlantic enslavement. The announcement of the Church of England's Fund for Healing, Repair and Justice has made headline news. Meanwhile, as a group we have been busy forging connections across both the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. Also cheering has been the publication of the Repair Campaign's recent poll showing that a majority of Britons support a governmental apology for enslavement.
Welcome to our first newsletter.
In May 2023, just eight months ago, eight of us launched Heirs of Slavery. We hoped to encourage other people to come forward – people who, like us, had discovered that their families had benefited from the wealth created by transatlantic enslavement and the industries that thrived on that. Friends and allies descended from enslaved people had told us that Britain’s tendency to deny or play down the significance of the enslavement era was still doing harm. Acknowledging that great crime against millions of African people would help in addressing the consequences that affect our society today.