Madge Dresser argues that statues of slave traders, such as Edward Colston, often served complex local and civic objectives, which were inextricable from historical processes which silenced the voices of enslaved Africans.
Tag: colonialism
When the Statues Went Up
The last fortnight has seen many statues associated with racism and colonialism torn down. When were they originally put up, and what can that tell about the history of whiteness and empire? Peter Hill explores.
Debating “Discoveries”: Colonialism & Public History in Portugal
With debates over the public history of empire and colonialism intensifying across Europe, Afonso Dias Ramos explores the controversy in Portugal over the use of the term “Discoveries” to encompass the country’s complex colonial past.
How Indian is Kashmir?
Andrew Whitehead writes on the long and troubled history of the Indian relationship with Kashmir and its future directions, amidst the current violence and legal and political changes.
A brief history of anti-Muslim violence in Sri Lanka
Delving into Sri Lanka’s colonial past, Shamara Wettimuny shows how the ‘Easter attacks’, or recent anti-Muslim violence has its roots in the ethno-nationalistic paradigm of the island.
‘Paradise’ in Missing Pictures: A Brief and Incomplete History of Sri Lankan Photography
What is a ‘photography of the East’? Taking the case of the ‘paradise island’ of Ceylon, Vindhya Buthpitiya explores how the island’s photographic past survives in fragments, glimpses, memories and fading archives.
The Racist History of Jamaica’s Obeah Laws
As debate about Obeah – spiritual and healing practices – erupts in Jamaica, Diana Paton argues that laws against obeah have historically worked to uphold colonial power and to harass poor people.
