London to dismantle statues of people associated with slavery

The City of London on Thursday decided to remove two statues representing the financial role of the UK in slavery.

“The vision of (voting) members is that the removal and relocation of idols related to slavery is an important step in our journey towards a more inclusive and diverse city,” said Catherine, the city’s political leader. McKinnon, Reuters.

Following the Black Lives Matter struggles in 2020, an executive committee was set up to fight racism. He particularly recommended the removal of statues of William Beckford and John Coss from the city’s seat, the Guildhall.

William Beckford was mayor of London in the 18th century and the owner of thousands of slaves, exploited on his plantations in Jamaica. John Goss was a Member of Parliament and trader in the Atlantic slave trade in the early 1700s.

Last year’s protests prompted UK officials to come up with measures to promote diversity, especially in the white finance sector.

In this sense, Financial Services and Urban Development Minister John Glenn announced last Thursday that a charter (Race at Work) had been signed by 50 companies. Through this text, they engage themselves in the fight against obstacles.