Slavery
[ The Tour 1 | The Tour 2 ]
Eric Lynch is a black scouser, an active trade unionist though now retired
from the council. He left school at the age of 14 and couldn't read and
write because in those days it was judged that blacks didn't need such
skills. Within a few years however, he had taught himself to read and
write, partly because of his fascination for the history of Liverpool
- he needed to know how things had come about. Such was his curiosity
that he travelled all over Liverpool, unafraid of the racial divisions
encompassed by the geography of North and South sides of the city. As
he freely admitted there were one or two occasions when he was chased
because of the colour of his skin. This wanderlust and need to know even
led him to unsuccessfully stow away on a ship bound for Barbados, but
discovered before the sailing he was unceremoniously thrown back to the
Liverpool shore. And so Eric learnt about Liverpool life and its history.
He worked on the docks and later in the council's direct building labour
organisation. Slavery, racism and Liverpool seem for many to ring together.
The past record does not shine favourably on the city. Racist practices
are still manifestly evident. The city's black population is largely confined
to a ghetto area in the South of the city, known by most as Toxteth. Centuries
of racial discrimination and prejudice are deeply ingrained. But it is
not all bad. Eric points to the way in which the system has sown discrimination,
using divisions between newly arrived Irish and native Liverpudlians and
then later, racism, to divide people in the city. So it is fitting that
someone who has moved around the city, explored it's history and worked
in bastions of white employment should now be our guide for the city and
its connections with slavery. In a way it shows that despite everything,
the barriers of racism were always there to be broken down and Eric, with
his imposing stature, confidently moving between the communities and explaining
their histories, seems to be a natural ambassador.
If you
don't know where you come from you can't know where you are going to.
This aphorism pertinent to individuals, is also relevant to cities. Without
knowing about the past we will not be able to shape the future and those
who are ignorant of their past remain in a fog of misunderstanding. How
many of us walk around our cities, towns, communities or localities and
never give a thought to how history has shaped our lives and destinies?
How many of us,
so busy with the every day trials and tribulations of living life in the
fast lane, are so preoccupied that we seldom raise our eyes from the
ground, both physically and metaphorically? If you take the time out to
visit Liverpool in the company of Eric Lynch you will have your sights
lifted, you see the world in an entirely new way. In his company you will
be taken on a journey of discovery, rivalling that of Dr Who's Tardis.
From the 17th century you will be carried along over three hundred years,
from Liverpool, a sleepy fishing village, to the coasts of Africa, the
Caribbean , South America and the United States of America. You will mix
with the lowest and the highest of classes. In their company you will
marvel at the disparities of wealth. You will rub shoulders with those who
are considered to be the great and good of this country. But above all you
will gain an insight into how the wealth of Liverpool and the great
empires was assembled. In short you will view history through the eyes of
the oppressed - the slaves.
Slavery: An Introduction to the African Holocaust
'An Introduction to the African Holocaust' has been produced by the Black History Resource Working Group - an association of individuals and organisations from the voluntary and statutory sectors. It has been designed to meet the aims, objectives and attainment targets of Study Unit 3 of the National Curriculum for History, Expansion of Trade and Industry (1750-1900). The book consists of two parts - Pt.1 contains ten sections and serves as background reading for teachers and educationalists. Topics in Pt.1 include:
- Slavery Through the Ages
- Africa and the Caribbean Prior to Slavery
- The Triangular Trade and the Middle Passage
- Black Rebellion and Resistance
- Slavery and Ideology - a Legacy of the Past
Pt.2 contains exercises, learning materials and activities for pupils and students, all of its sections parallel those in Pt.1. There are approximately 150 high quality images and a number of full colour pages in Pt.2, as well as charts, tables, maps and primary source materials.
'An Introduction to the African Holocaust' is essential reading for anyone who has an interest in the subject of slavery and the slave trade. It is suitable for students at all academic levels and for teachers and educationalists generally.
Copies available £25-00 + pp @ £1-50 each from:
The Race Equality Management Team,
Liverpool Education Directorate,
22, Sir Thomas Street, Liverpool, L1 6BJ.
Tel: 0151 225 2886/2765
