Is it OK to name a school after a slave trader? A call for renaming Colston's School and Colston's Girls' School

[Pilar23]

Hello,

In the light of todays protests, I wanted to call out to say how unacceptable I find it that both Colston's School and Colston's Girls' School in Bristol have not renamed themselves.

How is it possible that a place were we educate our children is named after a slave trader?

No matter all the good things the man has done, do we not have other heroes that are a real sign of goodness in the world on all account that we can name our schools after.

If the foundations, wealth and endowment of these schools based on money from the slave trade, does that justify naming the school after the slave trader? By all means use that money to do some good. It could for example specifically use it to fund education on equality and extra support for minority groups, to reverse some of the damage done by the slave trade and repercussions of it. But let's celebrate the real heroes and name schools after the people we want our young to aspire to.

What foundation do we set if we as parents choose to send them to a school named after a slave trader? And what does that say about the head teacher of the school, the school governors and the teachers?

Is everyone too scared to speak up for what is right?

To scared to rock the boat?

Tides are turning.

I call out to all of you parents, teacher, head teacher, school governors and students to stand up and call for justice. Let's tell everyone that it is not OK to name a school after a slave trader.

We can speak up, and as more of us do, the name will have to be changed.

Are the heads of these schools really going to be able to turn round and say no to this request? I cannot imagine their pupil would be able to respect them if they did.

Stand up, speak up, write to the school.

Right now is a great opportunity.

What in your view can we do? Has anyone already taken action? How can we help these schools to do the right thing?

In the light of todays protests, I wanted to call out to say how unacceptable I find it that both Colston's School and Colston's Girls' School in Bristol have not renamed themselves.

Absolutely! On a Sunday. During a world wide pandemic when the schools are closed. Wtf has the headmaster not done so immediately!!!

Jesus. I'm a supporter of BLM but this is a bit over the top - in the light of today's protests... How fast do you think change happens?

The head of the schools will not actually have the power to change the school name, by the way. If it's an LEA school then by all means write to your Education Authority.

Why haven't you spoken up about this before OP? Like the many who did which caused the Colston hall to change its name?

Do you actually live in Bristol or have kids at these schools? Had you heard of them before today?

@Flutteryb - that's a pointless comment. People become aware of injustice when they become aware of it. What matters is that they then find ways to contribute to making a positive difference. Finger-wagging that they are being opportunist is counterproductive. We should encourage each other when we wake up to what's wrong in the world, not sneer at attempts to change it.

I agree OP and there have been protests around these issues for years. Similarly for the Wills hall/ Wills building in the Uni

@monkeyonthetable it's the tone of the post, as if OP is super enlightened and no one has ever thought of this before. Even though the debate about the statue and other places named after him has been rumbling on for years. A quick Google would have helped, or a post that wasn't so condescending.

I agree with @monkeyonthetable , it is always good to campaign when we can and we should unit in our pursuit. And it is good to be strategic about it too and seize the moment, so we have more impact.

@Flutteryb, what makes you think that I have not spoke up about this before?

Apologies if I didn't make this clearer. I am critical that this has not already been done a long time ago. We shouldn't need such a protest for this to happen, we have called for a name change for a long time, but since we haven't had one this is an opportunity.

Feels like there is a shift in the world right now globally which is fantastic. I think there is now a real opportunity for someone high up and for the grassroots to take a lead role to shift things, hence I would like to campaign on this again right now by writing some letters to the right people.

Hey, let's not attack each other here, but recognise that everyone is offering their best and listen to each other's opinions openly.

Great idea to write to the LEA @BlessYourCottonSocks. I'll have a go at this. Does anyone else think that is a good idea. Does anyone know why the key decision makers are and why has influence within the LEA?

Assume since Colston's School is private the head teacher and governors could be a good starting point for this school.

@Veterinari good suggestion to include the Wills Hall and Wills Building, too, especially as they are also educational buildings.

Thanks everyone. good to see others passionate about this.😊

p.s. @TheThingWithFeathers

I live in Montpelier hence not far from both of these schools and I looked at them when choosing schools for my children. I did ask the question about the name on the open day and I didn't not choose these schools because of their names, albeit it was one contributing factor for me. Do you know these schools well or any one of them? Do you know if they have actively considered changing their names recently? I am writing to them, hence it would be good to express respect and recognition for what they are already doing. So if you know anything please let me know. Many thanks.

The girls school is an academy school OP so therefore independent of the LEA.

I would write to the Head and Chair of Governors and ask if they've already thought about this.

They can't change uniform badges and logos overnight though. But they could canvas parents and pupils about making the change and when.

LEA schools in Bristol with Colston in their name have already changed - there was a primary back in 2018 I think.

An independent school can make its own decisions. I doubt they 'celebrate' the name these days, but would probably argue its an established brand for the school.

Unless you are a fee-paying parent at the school they won't care what you think.

So, Colston's Girls School took down their statute of Colston today and are " having "ongoing discussions" over its use of Colston's name." In a statement issued to Bristol Live today, June 8.

Not sure of that had anything to do with my letters I wrote yesterday (thanks for the tips of who to write to) or your (did anyone else write in?).

That is a big shift as last yr they said they would not change the name.

I don't think for a minute that Colston's School, the private school, only listens to fee paying students. New students and their parents and general reputation will be at least as important to them as fee paying parents. And I would assume that their staff and governors also have a sense for right and wrong, as we all do, and want to do the right thing.

It is a good time to ask ourselves the question what that is? Let me not be the judge, but any future parent looking to send their kid to Colston's School or Colston's Girl's School, who comes to mumsnet and searches for these schools, will hopefully see this post and ask themselves where they stand on the matter.

Who would you name a school after if you could?

George Washington kept slaves. Lots of things named after him including a whole state.

You might prefer a modern figure to rename schools after, and a successful modern descendent of one of those who came to Bristol in chains would be a wonderfully poetic choice.

There really should be a girls' school in Bristol named after Mary Carpenter, however, unless there's something objectionable about her I don't yet know.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Carpenter

Carpenter did groundbreaking work in girls' education in Bristol and beyond. She was also very likely involved, either actively or as an influence, in the work of her sister's husband's family fighting for women's education at Oxford. IIRC Carpenter's in-laws were involved with the founding of Somerville College in 1879 – a project with a substantial Welsh and Bristolian input that doesn't seem to be acknowledged today.

It's a disgrace and indefensible. Times are changing, now. Bristol is starting a new chapter in history.

Also in Bristol is the Dolphin School, an academy run primary, which was so named because the dolphin was Colston's symbol. There is a dolphin at each corner of the plinth that the infamous statue stood on until yesterday.

I find this even more shocking to be honest as the school only opened relatively recently - maybe about 5 years ago? It describes itself as a "Vibrant city centre school which sits firmly at the heart of its diverse community". Indeed it is on the edge of St Pauls which is home to much of Bristol's Caribbean community.

Rather than demolishing and deleting history I think it's more important to educate the younger generation about why the activities of our ancestors were unacceptable by today's standards.

If all buildings, schools, parks, monuments, all facilities named after racists have to be renamed or demolished, good luck. What criteria are being used to decide what qualifies as racist enough for this to happen? Where does this end?

I wouldn't suggest anyone name something after one now and I can see altering random things named after people if the people of the communities around those places want that, but at other times it does feel like erasing history.

To use an American example I'm much more familiar with, there have been moves to erase John C Calhoun's name from pretty much everything. He was very racist and pro"state rights" throughout his long political career, including as Vice President under two Presidents (back when VP was runner-up). I was 100% behind changing the name of a lake up in Minnesota - that was random for a South Carolina representative - and from elementary and high schools and similar that choose so, but the pushes to remove his name from the building that was his actual house and otherwise from Clemson University, which started and still sits largely on land that his family gave to become the University (and to a far lesser extent, removing it from Yale where he attended) feels like we're trying to ignore those institutions histories.

A random school named after a shitty person, that they didn't help build, change away if that's what the community want, but places where they're part of the fabric, we need to consider if we're just running away from the past and patting ourselves on the back for being better or really making a difference to what they helped make. Yes, there are arguable far better people, but we need to recognize those bad parts of our history too and that very successful, well-liked, eloquent people can be very horrible and wrong about many things.

I think that there are always grey areas. Nothing is ever black and white. Clearly everyone would agree that we would not what to call a school "Hitler School" even if Hitler had built it, right? Similarly clearly, the most inspiring people will also have done something wrong, and that does not mean that we can't celebrate all the good they have done. Yet, slave trading is not OK, even if it was normal at the time. And a school name says something to the young people in the school. By default it will be understood by some as a recommended role model. For me, I draw the line there: Naming a school after a main slave trader who made most of his wealth of trading slaves is not OK, no matter what.

Many people follow conventions, and there are always a few who say: "No, this is not OK". and fewer who still say "no, this is not OK" when it means significant sacrifices for them because society does not want to hear it. These are the people I celebrate with my children. These are the true heroes we should name our schools after in my view.

Just read up on Mary Carpenter. thanks for the link. I'd agree that it is a great idea for renaming Colston's Girls'. We need to consider what it meant for a woman at the time to achieve what she achieved. I didn't even know her and I'm sure I would have done had a school been named after her.

Here are some books I'd recommend my kids have been all over - that made me actually interested in reading good night stories. Have made great Christmas presents too....:

"Women in Science - 50 fearless pioneers who changed the world"

"Good night stories for rebel girls"

"Stories for boys who dare to be different".

What's the best next step? Have not heard back yet from the schools, but will let you know when I will. Maybe it could be good to make suggestions for alternative names, or to ask the pupils who they would like their school to be named after. What does everyone else think? What is everyone else doing? What have you found helpful?