Transatlantic slavery | The Guardian makes its mea culpa

On March 28, the venerable British daily The Guardian officially apologized for its founder’s ties to the slave trade. This story could have sequels. Explanations.

What is the origin of this story?

On July 17, 2020, the Scott Trust, the foundation that owns the Guardian, announces the launch of a search to verify if the founder of the newspaper (in 1821), John Edward Taylor, had links with the slave trade. “We have no evidence that Taylor was a slave owner or directly involved in the slave trade,” wrote Alex Graham, president of the trust. But if such evidence existed, we would like to be open about it. »

Where do the suspicions come from?

John Edward Taylor was not just a journalist. He was also a merchant of cotton and other textiles. He rubbed shoulders with businessmen from Manchester, the city where The Guardianengaged in this industry which, in the 19^e century, exploited black slaves.

What have we discovered?

The mandate was entrusted to independent researchers from the universities of Nottingham and Hull under the supervision of Sheryllynne Haggerty, an expert in the history of the transatlantic slave trade. In account books, they discovered that Taylor owned interests in businesses producing and importing raw cotton grown by American slaves in the Sea Islands archipelago, South Carolina and Georgia. They also found that 9 of the original 11 funders of the Manchester Guardian had direct links with these companies.

Besides an apology, what did The Guardian ?

The daily has pledged to invest more than 10 million pounds (16.8 million CAN) in a restorative justice fund for the benefit of the descendants of the communities concerned, in the United States, Jamaica and the United Kingdom. He also posted a serial report entitled The Cotton Capital¹ whose subtitle refers to the impact of slavery on this newspaper, the British Empire and the world.

Should the UK do the same?

Yes, and royalty too, insist UN leaders. On Thursday, Jamaican academic Verene A. Shepherd, head of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, demanded that the British state and royalty open investigations. She recalled that the British government has never offered an apology for its role in the African slave trade.

Should other media also review their past to see if they have committed any type of discrimination?

“As journalists, we have the right to do whatever we want in terms of research. And I think if people have any doubts about certain parts of our mainstream media history, let it be the New York TimesTHE washington post, Montreal Gazette, The Montreal Star Or The Press, why not ? », answers Alain Saulnier, media expert and author of the book The digital barbarians. “But you don’t have to have everyone hanging in there at the same time. Because we risk putting more than the customer wants and that will trivialize things a bit. We can go there gradually. Other states and independent companies could also dig into their past, he believes.

What about Canada’s past?

Slavery existed in Canada and was abolished in 1834. Blacks and First Nations people were enslaved. In addition, Canada also experiences episodes of discrimination. This was particularly the case with the creation of the 2^e Construction battalion (segregated) during the First World War to which the federal government issued its official apology on July 9, 2022.

And after the apologies?

The Canadian apology was presented following the work of a national committee which made eight recommendations. The federal government has respected each of these, the Canadian Armed Forces said in an unsigned email. Four of the eight recommendations were carried out through the ceremony of July 9, 2022. Four others remain, including “the creation and support of a long-term legacy fund” intended to raise awareness and perpetuate the memory of the 2^e Battalion.

And elsewhere in the country?

In New Brunswick, Acadian activist Jean-Marie Nadeau is calling for the name of the Université de Moncton to be changed. He recalls that the name of the largest city in the province comes from the colonial administrator Robert Monckton who “played an active role in the imprisonment and expulsion of thousands of Acadians”, recalls ICI New Brunswick. In Ontario, Ryerson University has changed its name to Toronto Metropolitan University. The man from whom his name was derived, Egerton Ryerson, is associated with residential schools.