One fist raised defiantly in the air: A sculpture of a Black woman – a Black Lives Matter protester – has replaced the statue of a 17th century slave trader in England’s city of Bristol. Jen Reid is the woman the new sculpture is honoring. It’s because she was photographed on the pedestal of the monument, after the original slave trader statue was topped by protesters last month. “For me, getting on that plinth, you know, I raised my fist and raised my fist to give power back to the people, back to the slaves who died at the hands of Colston.” The statue of Edward Colston, who made a fortune from trading African slaves out of West Africa, was thrown into Bristol’s harbour during one of many protests around the world calling for racial equality in the wake of the death of George Floyd in the United States. The Jen Reid statue was put up in the early hours of Wednesday (July 15) by a team directed by artist Marc Quinn, according to the Guardian newspaper. However, the Mayor of Bristol said what replaces the Colston statue should be decided by the people of Bristol – and that no permission was given for the sculpture of Reid to be installed. Jen Reid: “I think that statue there, putting aside it being myself, is definitely Colston is no more. And it’s time for change. It’s time to move on. It’s time for people to keep talking and educating themselves. And I just think that’s really important.” Colston’s statue, meanwhile, has since been removed from the harbour. It’s being restored. The city plans to display it in a Bristol museum alongside Black Lives Matter placards from the recent protest. It’s so the 300-year story of slavery and fight for racial equality can be better understood.
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World News from Reuters
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Statue of BLM protester replaces slave trader
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