Avellon Williams
EDINBURGH, UNITED KINGDOM, – The Scottish capital Edinburgh apologized on Thursday for its role in slavery and colonialism, the most recent municipality of the UK to acknowledge colonialism’s gruesome aspects.
In the City Chambers, Lord Provost Robert Aldridge apologized at the beginning of the full council meeting.
“As civic leader of the city and convener of the council, I apologise to all those who suffered profound physical and mental abuse from the city’s past involvement in colonialism and slavery,” Aldridge said.
“The effects of colonialism and slavery are deeply embedded in the fabric of our city, in the buildings, in the institutions, and even in the way that Edinburgh is laid out.
“We cannot deny the benefits that the city has accrued over the years from the exploitation of others and in particular the continent and peoples of Africa.”
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The civic apology is the result of an independent review panel studying the links between the capital and the slave trade and colonialism.
Among the recommendations of the Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Legacy Review Group was that the council publicly acknowledge the role played by the city in slavery and colonialism.
According to the report, an apology should be issued to the people and places that were affected. Geoff Palmer, a Jamaican-born academic who has campaigned on the issue, led the review.
In March, the City of Glasgow apologized for its role in the Atlantic slave trade, saying the ‘tentacles’ of money from the trade reached every corner of Scotland’s largest city.
40 out of 79 lord provosts or mayors from Glasgow between 1636 and 1834 were connected to the slave trade, according to a study.
There were some who held office while owning enslaved people.
Several UK cities have issued apologies in recent years, including Liverpool and London.
After the killing of George Floyd in the United States by a white police officer prompted protests around the globe, the Scottish reviews were set up in 2020.
