The English city facing up to its troubled past

Bristol, perhaps more than any other city in the UK, has proactively sought to reconcile its dark past and present rather than ignoring it.
"Erected by citizens of Bristol as a memorial of one of the most virtuous and wise sons of their city, AD 1895", said a dark plaque decorating an empty plinth in the centre of Bristol, the largest city in south-west England. That "most virtuous and wise son" was Edward Colston, a 17th-Century merchant who oversaw the enslavement of 84,000 Africans, 19,000 of whom are thought to have died en route to the Americas.

Colston's role in the slave trade was ignored by the Victorians, who revered his philanthropic work – Colston used his profits to found schools, churches and almshouses in his native Bristol – and erected a statue of him nearly two centuries after his death in 1721. But on 7 June 2020, the statue was torn down, daubed in red paint and blue graffiti and thrown into the harbour during an anti-racism protest that made worldwide headlines.

It was a divisive moment, but one that spoke of an increasing desire in Bristol to confront a darker past in a city that's known for its liberal and often rebellious outlook. Now, as Bristol re-evaluates its history, visitors can gain a diverse view of the city through tours that delve into the transatlantic slave trade and walks dedicated to Bristol's modern multicultural communities.