A handwritten letter from a Virginia slave in 1723 has gone on display in London as part of efforts by the Anglican church to reckon with its historic complicity in slavery.
Three centuries ago, an enslaved person in Virginia wrote to a leader of the Church of England, begging to be released from “this cruel bondage.” There was no reply from the church, which at the time was accumulating a tidy profit from the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
The letter is included in an exhibition at the library exploring the church’s role in the 18th-cenury slave trade. It coincides with a new report setting out that role in hard facts and figures. The fund also received donations from individuals enriched by the slave trade, including Edward Colston, a British slave trader whose statue in his home city of Bristol wasThose ledgers recording the profits of human bondage are now on display, alongside documents showing how views of slavery within the church ranged from justification to opposition.
There is a speech to Parliament from 1789 by leading abolitionist William Wilberforce, who would campaign for 18 more years before Britain outlawed the slave trade. And there is a letter to John Newton, the captain of a slave ship, from a trader who says “I have sent you one boy slave on board.” Newton later repented, became an abolitionist and wrote the hymn “Amazing Grace.”
When the commissioners’ report was published Jan. 10, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby promised to “take action to address our shameful past.”
Argentina Últimas Noticias, Argentina Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
District reassigns principal of Virginia school where boy, 6, allegedly shot teacher, spokesperson says | CNNThe principal of Richneck Elementary School in Virginia has been reassigned within Newport News Public Schools, according to a spokesperson for the district.
Leer más »
Virginia school where 6-year-old shot his teacher set to reopenStepped-up security and a new school administrator will be present as students return to the Virginia elementary school where a 6-year-old boy shot his teacher weeks ago.
Leer más »
Virginia elementary school where 6-year-old shot his teacher set to reopenTwo metal detection systems have been installed and two security officers have been assigned to the school. The principal and assistant principal have both left their jobs.
Leer más »
Virginia school where 6-year-old shot his teacher reopens with increased securityThe Virginia elementary school where a 6-year-old boy shot his teacher reopened Monday with stepped-up security and a new administrator, as nervous parents and students expressed optimism about a return to the classroom.
Leer más »
Virginia school where 6-year-old shot his teacher set to reopenStepped-up security and a new school administrator will be present as students return to the Virginia elementary school where a 6-year-old boy shot his teacher weeks ago.
Leer más »
Virginia students return to school one month after teacher shot by 6-year-oldHeightened security measures and a new school administration will welcome Richneck Elementary School students back to the classroom Monday.
Leer más »