Why Britain needs a slavery memorial

It would be a permanent sign of regret and a tangible tribute to those on whom much of our prosperity is based, writes Steve Barrass

Your editorial on Barbados again recognises the true horror of slavery (3 December). But Britain can only move on when the vast majority of its inhabitants share this recognition. In Berlin, the people of Germany are continually reminded of the horrors committed in their name by the Holocaust memorial, a truly heartbreaking experience for this Englishman. Britain needs a similar memorial to the victims of slavery. I don’t support the wholesale removal of images from the past, but I do support statues and the like being properly labelled in a balanced way. A slavery memorial would be a permanent sign of regret and a tangible tribute to those on whom much of our prosperity is based.
Steve Barrass
Ticehurst, East Sussex

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