Black Lives Matter


Following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, on 25th May, and the huge worldwide showing of public anger and outrage, people are rightly demanding an end to racism, both societal and
institutional, because too many black and ethnic minority people face the scourge of racism on a daily basis. Whether it be at work, in their communities, at school etc., or not being able to get the same job opportunities in the first place, being targeted by the police, not being able to get a bank, loan and so, the BAME community have had enough. Just because of the colour of their skin, they are being treated as inferior to white people and that is why the black lives matter message is so important.

At the heart of this, is our own country’s murky colonial past and how we treated indigenous populations as we sought to expand our empire, in particular, how much of that expansion was built on the backs of slaves. As a result, questions are being asked about our own country’s involvement in the slave trade and how we look up to, and honour, those who profited from it.

Paisley and Renfrewshire should not be immune to such questions. It is right and proper that we look at how we prospered from slavery, directly of indirectly, due to our booming weaving industries in the late 18th century and all of the 19th century. We had an industry that relied on the importing of cheap cotton and we should reflect on how that impacted on the growth of Paisley and Renfrewshire.

The Labour Group are calling on Renfrewshire Council to undertake a review on what was Paisley’s, and the wider Renfrewshire’s, role in the slave trade and how did we benefit off the back of slaves in general. It is important that we recognise the sins of the past, in order to heal those wounds, in the hope that we can have a better future without the blight of racism, that ensures that there are no more incidents of death and hate, as we have seen with George Floyd, Stephen Lawrence and Belly Mujinga to name but a few.

Black lives do matter.

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