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Tony Warner Launches New Book on Slavery - Jul 2007
Schneider Ross consultant Tony Warner recently helped launched the new book Slavery Now and Then, edited by Danny Smith. The book is a compendium of articles by 15 notables on human rights such as Anita Roddick, Father Shay Cullen and Mike Kaye dealing with the ancient and modern realities of slavery. Roddick's chapter deals with sweatshops run by multinationals while Father Shay Cullen details his rescues of child sex slaves used to satisfy the lusts of western tourists in the Phillipines.
Tony's chapter deals with the presence of African people in the UK and their unreported role in the abolition movement. An extract follows:
"The black presence in England dates back at least 2000 years to the Roman invasion of Britain. Africans in Rome and subjects of the North African colonies were present at every level of society, as evidenced by the Libyan-born Emperor Septimus Severus who died in York in 211 AD
More than a thousand years later there was clearly a black presence in London as in 1601 Queen Elisabeth 1st made her famous proclamation that she was “ highly discontented to understand the great numbers of negars and Blackamores which are crept into this realm… who are fostered and relieved here to the great annoyance of her own liege people”. She called for their immediate deportation, which she had already asked for in 1596. This racist attitude toward black people living in Britain would echo down the centuries.
Her edict did not work however, as in 1731 the Lord Mayor of London banned black people from taking up any trade, a policy which forced people into poverty.
Ukawsaw Gronniosaw was a Prince from the borders of Chad/Nigeria. He was sold into bondage but later became a soldier who served in Cuba and Martinique. The British army had habit of ‘recruiting’ as well as buying slaves, such soldiers were then used to suppress the numerous plantation revolts and fight against other Africans and Indians in the wars, which expanded the Empire.
Ukawsaw lived in Petticoat Lane, London and published his slave narrative in 1772. It was the first of what would become a genre of literature, which would play a major part in informing the public of what life was like for enslaved people. This form of resistance was vital to counteract the pro-slavery propaganda"
The book is available from www.amazon.co.uk.
For further information on African history in the UK and guided walks on black history visit www.blackhistorywalks.co.uk .
Tony's chapter deals with the presence of African people in the UK and their unreported role in the abolition movement. An extract follows:
"The black presence in England dates back at least 2000 years to the Roman invasion of Britain. Africans in Rome and subjects of the North African colonies were present at every level of society, as evidenced by the Libyan-born Emperor Septimus Severus who died in York in 211 AD
More than a thousand years later there was clearly a black presence in London as in 1601 Queen Elisabeth 1st made her famous proclamation that she was “ highly discontented to understand the great numbers of negars and Blackamores which are crept into this realm… who are fostered and relieved here to the great annoyance of her own liege people”. She called for their immediate deportation, which she had already asked for in 1596. This racist attitude toward black people living in Britain would echo down the centuries.
Her edict did not work however, as in 1731 the Lord Mayor of London banned black people from taking up any trade, a policy which forced people into poverty.
Ukawsaw Gronniosaw was a Prince from the borders of Chad/Nigeria. He was sold into bondage but later became a soldier who served in Cuba and Martinique. The British army had habit of ‘recruiting’ as well as buying slaves, such soldiers were then used to suppress the numerous plantation revolts and fight against other Africans and Indians in the wars, which expanded the Empire.
Ukawsaw lived in Petticoat Lane, London and published his slave narrative in 1772. It was the first of what would become a genre of literature, which would play a major part in informing the public of what life was like for enslaved people. This form of resistance was vital to counteract the pro-slavery propaganda"
The book is available from www.amazon.co.uk.
For further information on African history in the UK and guided walks on black history visit www.blackhistorywalks.co.uk .