Inverclyde Council up for COSLA award for slavery project

The council has been named as a finalist in the ‘Strengthening communities and local democracy’ category at the 2023 COSLA Excellence Awards.

Following the murder of George Floyd in America in 2020, the local authority gave a commitment to investigate the area’s history and address the legacy of slavery.

Since then, the council has been working with a range of partner organisations, community groups and individuals to examine Inverclyde’s historic links to the transatlantic slave trade and how they should be remembered.

A dedicated group was established to take the project forward, examine key themes in closer detail and investigate appropriate reparations.

To date, there have been various public consultations, including listening events, an extensive audit of places and buildings with features or links to slavery and greater focus on education about black history, culture and anti-racism messages in schools and the wider community.

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The council said the clear message coming back from the community was that the focus should be on education and ensuring that the community is fully informed about the issues that have influenced Inverclyde past and present.

The council-run Watt Institution, incorporating the McLean Museum & Art Gallery, Watt Library and Watt Hall, which has played a key role in the project, has also secured a £230,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support the de-colonisation of the museum collection.

Councillor Stephen McCabe, leader of Inverclyde Council, said: “This is welcome recognition for the hard work that has been done to date by council services alongside many partner organisations and individuals to explore the area’s historic links to slavery and ensure they are appropriately acknowledged in as inclusive and representative a way as possible.

“Inverclyde has a rich history and produced people who have changed the world so there is much cause for celebration but that heritage also includes parts that have, until recently, been too often hidden or not spoken about.

Cllr Stephen McCabe (Image: social media)

“That’s why the links to slavery project has been so important, it has shone a light on those parts of our history as part of our reparation and to ensure people are properly informed about that.

“Congratulations to everyone involve in the historic links to slavery project and good luck at the COSLA Excellence Awards final next month.”

The historic links to slavery project has also seen work done around the Gourock Coat of Arms, which is regarded as having racial imagery, to either remove the crest, where practicable, or provide information alongside it to inform people about its background.

Inverclyde Council is one of three local authorities shortlisted for the prize with the winner to be announced at the awards on September 28.