Laurence Westgaph

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Laurence Westgaph (born 28 February 1975), is a political activist and television presenter, specialising in Black British history and slavery. [1]

Contents

Early years and education

Westgaph was born in Liverpool in 1975 to a mother of Nigerian descent and a Jamaican father. He grew up in the inner city area of Toxteth. His ancestors also hail from Barbados and he is a descendant of slave trader Robert Cox. [2] [3]

Westgaph left school at the age of 16. In 2008 he completed a master's degree in Atlantic History at Liverpool University. [4] [5]

Career

Westgaph began work as a model in Liverpool. He invested his earnings in property in the deprived Toxteth area of Liverpool. Westgaph became a vocal campaigner for regeneration of the area, helping to introduce new business and housing developments into the area.

Westgaph was given a Black Achievers Award for his work raising the profile of the history of Liverpool. He had produced a pamphlet titled "Read the signs" examining the history of Liverpool street names. [6]

Westgaph has appeared in a number of BBC TV and radio programmes. He worked on Inside Out and worked with Melvyn Bragg on the BBC Radio 4 programme The Routes of English , discussing slavery. He was part of a team who made a series for the History Channel in 2008 called 50 Things You Need To Know About British History. However it faced criticism for failing to include the likes of Winston Churchill and Queen Victoria. Westgaph also filmed a documentary for the History Channel titled Britain's Slavery Secrets, examining the history of the slave trade. Other figures he has worked with include John Peel and Trevor Phillips.

He is a founder member of the Liverpool Black Leadership Forum and is currently writing his first book and working on a PhD. [7] He produced a guide to Liverpool's involvement in the Atlantic slave trade for Historic England and gives walking tours [8] in Liverpool covering the topic. [9] [10] In 2020 he became the historian-in-residence at National Museums Liverpool, with the aim of supporting the group to become anti-racist. [11]

Lectures, presentations, talks, interviews and exhibitions

Westgaph has given a number of lectures, presentations and exhibitions on the subject of Liverpool history and slavery for institutions including (and not limited to):

Personal interests and activism

He is a member of the Liverpool Black Men's Group, established in May 2020 to provide a forum for discussion of issues pertaining to the Black experience in Liverpool, with the hope that it can inspire Black men to become politically and socially active within Liverpool and further afield. [47]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liverpool</span> City in England

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, northwest England. It had a population of 496,770 in 2022. The city is located on the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary, adjacent to the Irish Sea, and is approximately 178 miles (286 km) from London. Liverpool is the fifth largest city in the United Kingdom, the largest settlement in Merseyside and part of the Liverpool City Region, a combined authority with a population of over 1.5 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic slave trade</span> Slave trade – 16th to 19th centuries

The Atlantic slave trade or transatlantic slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of enslaved African people, mainly to the Americas. The outfitted European slave ships of the slave trade regularly used the triangular trade route and its Middle Passage, and existed from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The vast majority of those who were transported in the transatlantic slave trade were from Central and West Africa who had been sold by West African slave traders to European slave traders, while others had been captured directly by the slave traders in coastal raids; European slave traders gathered and imprisoned the enslaved at forts on the African coast and then brought them to the Americas. Except for the Portuguese, European slave traders generally did not participate in the raids because life expectancy for Europeans in sub-Saharan Africa was less than one year during the period of the slave trade. Portuguese coastal raiders found that slave raiding was too costly and often ineffective and opted for established commercial relations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merseyside</span> County of England

Merseyside is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in North West England. It borders Lancashire to the north, Greater Manchester to the east, Cheshire to the south, the Welsh county of Flintshire across the Dee Estuary to the southwest, and the Irish Sea to the west. The largest settlement is the city of Liverpool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Liverpool</span>

The history of Liverpool can be traced back to 1190 when the place was known as 'Liuerpul', possibly meaning a pool or creek with muddy water, though other origins of the name have been suggested. The borough was founded by royal charter in 1207 by King John, made up of only seven streets in the shape of the letter 'H'. Liverpool remained a small settlement until its trade with Ireland and coastal parts of England and Wales was overtaken by trade with Africa and the West Indies, which included the slave trade. The world's first commercial wet dock was opened in 1715 and Liverpool's expansion to become a major city continued over the next two centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Slavery Museum</span> Museum in Liverpool, England

The International Slavery Museum is a museum located in Liverpool, UK, that focuses on the history and legacy of the transatlantic slave trade. The museum, which forms part of the Merseyside Maritime Museum, consists of three main galleries which focus on the lives of people in West Africa, their eventual enslavement, and their continued fight for freedom. Additionally the museum discusses slavery in the modern day as well as topics on racism and discrimination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bristol slave trade</span> Bristols role in slavery

Bristol, a port city in the South West of England, on the banks of the River Avon, has been an important location for maritime trade for centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franklin and Armfield Office</span> Historic house in Virginia, United States

The Franklin and Armfield Office, which houses the Freedom House Museum, is a historic commercial building in Alexandria, Virginia. Built c. 1810–1820, it was first used as a private residence before being converted to the offices of the largest slave trading firm in the United States, started in 1828 by Isaac Franklin and John Armfield. Another source, using ship manifests in the National Archives, gives the number as "at least 5,000".

Slavery in Britain Slavery in Great Britain

Slavery in Britain existed before the Roman occupation and until the 11th century, when the Norman conquest of England resulted in the gradual merger of the pre-conquest institution of slavery into serfdom, and all slaves were no longer recognised separately in English law or custom. By the middle of the 12th century, the institution of slavery as it had existed prior to the Norman conquest had fully disappeared, but other forms of unfree servitude continued for some centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition</span> International observance

The International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is an international day celebrated August 23 of each year, the day designated by UNESCO to memorialize the transatlantic slave trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reparations for slavery</span> Political justice concept

Reparations for slavery is the application of the concept of reparations to victims of slavery and/or their descendants. There are concepts for reparations in legal philosophy and reparations in transitional justice. Reparations can take many forms, including practical and financial assistance to the descendants of enslaved people, acknowledgements or apologies to peoples or nations negatively affected by slavery, or honouring the memories of people who were enslaved by naming things after them.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Liverpool, England.

The African-American diaspora refers to communities of people of African descent who previously lived in the United States. These people were mainly descended from formerly enslaved African persons in the United States or its preceding European colonies in North America that had been brought to America via the Atlantic slave trade and had suffered in slavery until the American Civil War. The African-American diaspora was primarily caused by the intense racism and views of being inferior to white people that African Americans have suffered through driving them to find new homes free from discrimination and racism. This would become common throughout the history of the African-American presence in the United States and continues to this day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penny Lane, Liverpool</span> Street in Liverpool, England

Penny Lane is a street situated south off the A562 road in the Mossley Hill suburb of Liverpool, England. The name also applies to the area surrounding the thoroughfare. During the 20th century, it was the location for one of the main bus terminals in Liverpool, and gained international notability in 1967 when the Beatles released their song "Penny Lane" in tribute to their upbringing in Liverpool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kim Johnson (politician)</span> British Labour politician

Kim Marie Johnson is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Liverpool Riverside since 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Edward Colston</span> Statue in Bristol, England, toppled 2020

The statue of Edward Colston is a bronze statue of Bristol-born merchant and trans-Atlantic slave trader Edward Colston (1636–1721). It was created in 1895 by the Irish sculptor John Cassidy and was formerly situated on a plinth of Portland stone in a public space known as "The Centre" in Bristol, until it was toppled by anti-racism protestors in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorothy Kuya</span> British political and anti-racist activist (1932–2013)

Dorothy Kuya was a leading British communist and human rights activist from Liverpool, the co-founder of Teachers Against Racism, and the general secretary of the National Assembly of Women (NAW). She was a life-long member of the Communist Party of Great Britain (CPGB), and was most famous for being Liverpool's first community relations officer, and for leading a successful campaign to establish Liverpool's International Slavery Museum. During the mid-1980s, Kuya served as the chair of the London housing association Ujima, and built the organisation into the largest black-led social enterprise in Europe.

Sonia Bassey from Liverpool, UK, is a community artist, organiser and has been Director of Public Sector Transformation Cheshire and Warrington for Cheshire East Council from 2020. Bassey was appointed an MBE in 2017 for service to the community

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Earle (slave trader)</span> English slave trader (1721–1788)

William Earle (1721–1788) was an English slave trader. In a career lasting 40 years he was responsible for at least 117 slave voyages and by the number of slave voyages he was the sixth most active slave trader in the period 1740–1790 from the Port of Liverpool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liverpool slave trade</span> Involvement of Liverpool in the Transalantic Slave Trade

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References

  1. ↑ Young, Lola (15 March 2007). "Lola Young on myths and ignorance surrounding the slave trade". The Guardian– via www.theguardian.com.
  2. ↑ "BBC Inside Out -". www.bbc.co.uk.
  3. ↑ Wallace, Elizabeth Kowaleski (11 January 2006). The British Slave Trade and Public Memory. Columbia University Press. ISBN   9780231510318 – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ "Historian, PHD student" University of Liverpool
  5. ↑ Westgaph, Laurence; Richardson, David; Schwarz, Suzanne; Tibbles, Anthony (22 December 2008). "LIVERPOOL'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE SLAVE TRADE - Liverpool and the Transatlantic Slave Trade". Journal of African History. 49 (3): 481–482. doi:10.1017/S0021853708004040.
  6. ↑ "English Heritage". www.english-heritage.org.uk.
  7. ↑ "Diverse On Screen Talent Directory" (PDF). Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  8. ↑ "Discover Laurence Westgaph Events & Activities in Liverpool, United Kingdom". Eventbrite. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  9. ↑ Rossi, Alex (6 July 2020). "Black Lives Matter: The sinister history of slave trade behind Liverpool's magnificent monuments". Sky News. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  10. ↑ "Black Lives Matter: Liverpool 'not doing enough' over slavery links". BBC News. 8 June 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  11. ↑ "Laurence Westgaph to help National Museums Liverpool 'be anti-racist'". BBC News. 6 August 2020. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  12. ↑ The Bluecoat (25 November 2017). "Bluecoat 300: Charity, Philanthropy and the Black Atlantic" (PDF).
  13. ↑ "Picturing a state of mind, an idea, a culture - L8 Unseen". 14 December 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  14. ↑ "LSTM virtual seminar: Laurence Westgaph on 'Liverpool Philanthropy, Slavery and Empire'". LSTM. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  15. ↑ liverpoolparishchurchadmin (12 April 2022). "Black History Month". Liverpool Parish Church. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  16. ↑ Wilde, Clare (2 October 2020). "Liverpool commemorates the city's first black citizen - Culture Liverpool". www.cultureliverpool.co.uk. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  17. ↑ Liverpool's first black citizen , retrieved 20 February 2024
  18. ↑ "Watch: Liverpool Slavery Virtual Tour". Open Eye Gallery. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  19. ↑ Quintal, Anna (23 August 2021). "Mayor Joanne Anderson in conversation with Laurence Westgaph". Liverpool Express. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  20. ↑ In Conversation - Mayor Joanne Anderson and Laurence Westgaph (BSL) | SRD 2021 | NML , retrieved 20 February 2024
  21. ↑ McAllister, Naomi (22 February 2022). "Laurence Westgaph presents; 'Sculpture, Philanthropy and Liverpool's Slave Trade'". Palm House Sefton Park. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  22. ↑ Liverpool Men Speak out about Racism. You Talk We Listen , retrieved 20 February 2024
  23. ↑ Frontleft Podcast Episode #45: HIS-story FT Laurence Westgraph! (Liverpools History Within Slavery) , retrieved 20 February 2024
  24. ↑ Jordan Henderson & Trent Alexander-Arnold discuss Black History Month , retrieved 20 February 2024
  25. ↑ "Statues Redressed". Sky. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  26. ↑ Laurence Westgaph webinar on 'Cheshire and Merseyside Philanthropy, Slavery and Empire' , retrieved 20 February 2024
  27. ↑ Psychopathy, Truth and the Slave Trade: Liverpool, Caribbean and America W/Laurence Westgaph , retrieved 20 February 2024
  28. ↑ Psychopathy, Truth and the Slave Trade: Liverpool, Caribbean and America W/Laurence Westgaph , retrieved 20 February 2024
  29. ↑ Liverpool Black Men's Group Identity , retrieved 20 February 2024
  30. ↑ Liverpool Black Men's Group presents Black Presence , retrieved 20 February 2024
  31. ↑ Discovering season 3 laurence westgaph , retrieved 20 February 2024
  32. ↑ Liverpool Black mens Group on Activism , retrieved 20 February 2024
  33. ↑ Slavery Histories | Church of our Lady & St Nicholas | National Museums Liverpool , retrieved 20 February 2024
  34. ↑ Slavery Histories | St John's Gardens | National Museums Liverpool , retrieved 20 February 2024
  35. ↑ Slavery Histories | Colquitt Street | National Museums Liverpool , retrieved 20 February 2024
  36. ↑ Slavery Histories | Town Hall | National Museums Liverpool , retrieved 20 February 2024
  37. ↑ Slavery Histories | Allerton Towers | National Museums Liverpool , retrieved 20 February 2024
  38. ↑ Slavery Histories | High Street | National Museums Liverpool , retrieved 20 February 2024
  39. ↑ Slavery Histories | Water Street | National Museums Liverpool , retrieved 20 February 2024
  40. ↑ Slavery Histories | William Brown Street | National Museum Liverpool , retrieved 20 February 2024
  41. ↑ 19 - 23 Abercromby Square - A video by Laurence Westgaph for Liverpool University , retrieved 20 February 2024
  42. ↑ "Oyé World Pod | Africa Oye – Africa Oye". africaoye.com. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  43. ↑ "Uncovering African presence in Merseyside with Laurence Westgaph – Uncover Liverpool" . Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  44. ↑ "LIVERPOOL AGAINST RACISM - Culture Liverpool". www.cultureliverpool.co.uk. 16 March 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  45. ↑ "I rarely saw people who looked like me, says Liverpool photographer". 11 March 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  46. ↑ "SRD 2023: Dorothy Kuya Memorial Lecture - Professor Hakim Adi". National Museums Liverpool. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  47. ↑ "Home - Liverpool Black Men's Group". 27 November 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
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