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 Masters 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, North West England. It had a population of 486,100 at the 2021 census. 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. The wider Liverpool built-up area is the third largest in England and Wales outside London. Liverpool itself is the largest settlement in the Liverpool City Region, which is the fourth largest combined authority in the UK with a population of 1,551,722 in 2021. The city also forms part of a larger urban region of over 2 million people which extends in to the neighbouring counties of northeast Wales, Cheshire and Lancashire. The region shares political boundaries and significant economic connections.

<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 mainly to Portuguese, British, Spanish, Dutch, and French 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.

<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">Edward Colston</span> English merchant, politician, philanthropist and slave trader (1636–1721)

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

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">James Penny</span> British slave trader

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<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

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Slavery in Britain Slavery in Great Britain

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

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City</span> Former World Heritage Site in Liverpool, England

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

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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.
  6. ↑ "English Heritage". www.english-heritage.org.uk.
  7. ↑ http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/commissioning/site/On_Screen_Talent_Directory.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  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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