Statutes in central London depicting a pair of historic figures with sordid hyperlinks to the transatlantic slave commerce are set to be eliminated, officers mentioned Thursday.
A committee voted to take away the statues of William Beckford and Sir John Cass from their perch within the stately medieval Guildhall constructing within the Metropolis of London.
Beckford, a slave proprietor and two-time Lord Mayor of London within the 18th century, fattened his pockets by means of plantations in Jamaica. Cass, a service provider and parliamentarian, additionally derived wealth from the slave commerce.
“The slave commerce is a stain on our historical past and placing those that profited from it actually on a pedestal is one thing that has no place in a contemporary, numerous Metropolis,” Caroline Addy, the co-chair of the racism activity power that advisable the transfer, mentioned in an announcement.
The Metropolis Company’s Tackling Racism Taskforce was shaped in June after Black Lives Matter protests.
The Metropolis of London, positioned north of the River Thames and never removed from Westminster, is the monetary hub of London.
Author: ” — news.yahoo.com ”