After pressure put on Brighton and Hove City Council with the announcement of an open letter earlier this week, a plaque commemorating a figure involved in slave trade has been removed.
The blue plaque to Admiral Sir Edward Codrington was removed after it was highlighted that honouring such a figure, considering his involvement with slavery through an estate inherited in Antigua, was incompatible with the council’s claims of supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and of being anti-imperialist.
Becca Bashford, Sussex student and co-author of the open letter, said: “I’m so glad this plaque has been removed so swiftly.
“It symbolises a part of British history which we should refuse to glorify, and doesn’t reflect the ethos of our amazing city.
“I look forward to seeing the council continue to listen to their community while they review other monuments, and make further efforts to be actively anti-racist and anti-imperialist.”
The letter is still taking signatures and will be delivered to the council on Monday June 15, in effort of getting the remaining identified plaque removed and finding out what the results were of the council’s review of all plaques, monuments, statues and street names, that was announced on June 10.
For more information on the letter, how to sign, and the council’s pledge follow:
Picture Credit: Tim Clapham