History, Justice, and Amends: Britain’s Legacy of Slavery

Scholars are still uncovering information about Britain’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and its era of slavery, piecing together how the wealth generated from these atrocities shaped the nation’s history. For some descendants, this means just now learning about their families’ roles in and benefits from these horrors. In Britain, a few horrified heirs and private institutions are stepping forward to make amends, but there are few models for what meaningful reparations or restorative justice could look like. Where do we go from here, and what would truly make a difference? In this conversation from the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival, the three panelists bring personal and academic experience to this weighty conversation. Harvard historian Vincent Brown, British TV presenter and historian David Olusoga and former BBC journalist and reparations advocate Laura Trevelyan discuss the meaning and practical application of reparations and restorative justice. New York Times editor Dean Baquet moderates the talk and takes questions from the audience.

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