Prof Sir Geoff Palmer - Addressing Scotland’s links to slavery

Description

The University of Dundee hosted Prof Sir Geoff Palmer, who became the first black professor in Scotland in 1989. Sir Geoff was knighted in the 2014 New Year Honours and is the Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University.

Sir Geoff is a prominent human rights activist and is involved in a considerable amount of charity work in the community. He was a leading proponent of calls to reinterpret the Melville Monument, a large column in St Andrew Square, Edinburgh dedicated to Scottish statesman Henry Dundas, due to his support for "gradual abolition", which delayed the abolition of slave trade by fifteen years.

He recently chaired the Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Legacy Review, whose ten recommendations were accepted by Edinburgh City Council in August. The recommendations will lead to a public apology issued to those who suffered through the city’s involvement in slavery and colonialism, alongside other measures. In recognition of his ground-breaking contributions to academia, and his indefatigable defence of human rights in Edinburgh and beyond, Sir Geoff will be receive the 2022 Edinburgh Award.

In this talk, Sir Geoff discussed his human-rights work and how Scotland can face up to and address its historical links to slavery and colonialism.

This event was part of a wider cultural programme organised by the University in support of our Bronze Race Equality Chartermark.

Period	5 Oct 2022
Event title	Black History Month 2022
Event type	Other
Organiser
Location	Dundee, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	National