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Colston’s Girls’ School to remove references to Edward Colston in annual ceremony
Colston’s Girls’ School will be breaking with tradition during this year’s Commemoration Day ceremony on Nov 3. Historically an opportunity pay respects to the man who their school is named after and what he did for the city of Bristol, the school has made the decision to use the platform to raise awareness of slavery instead.
Edward Colston, for whom the school, and many other Bristol streets and buildings, is named, was a slave-trader and merchant. Much of his money was earned at the expense of the slaves he traded and exploited.
Whether Bristol should cut ties with Colston is a hotly-debated conversation, recently fanned by the news that Colston Hall will be reopening with a new name in 2020, following major refurbishment. Colston Yard pub on Colston Street is also reopening soon and will be known simply as ‘The Yard’.
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The school has also said that students will stop wearing the chrysanthemum, a flower that was worn in respect to Colston.
In a statement, a representative from Colston’s Girls’ School (CGS) said: “Over the last year, the senior leadership and governors at CGS have worked to make the Commemoration service more inclusive and relevant to the students. After consultation with students from all year groups, we have decided to remove all reference to Edward Colston from the service and we will no longer be asking the students to wear a chrysanthemum in his memory.
“By choosing to focus on the victims of slavery for Commemoration 2017 we are reflecting the values and moral values of the wonderfully diverse body of the students currently at CGS.”
Katie Finnegan is an ex-pupil of the school, and also a member of Countering Colston, a group that protests public celebration of Edward Colston. “When it came to talking about Colston at school, the teachers would not mention what he was really like and the fact he was a big part of the slave industry. They’d paint him in a good light,” she says. “When I was at school, I didn’t know much of his past. When I did find out, I felt very awkward wearing the uniform.
“Dropping Colston from the Commemoration Day and instead focussing on slavery is a step in the right direction in the fight against racism, but there’s still a way to go. Staff at the school could teach about the real past of Colston, and discuss modern-day racism in class.
“I’d also like to see the school following the example of Colston Hall and changing their name – maybe to someone who is well-known for fighting for equal rights when it comes to race.”
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