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1/5 Apologists for the British Empire rely on the distance between Britain itself and the sites of Britons' most rapacious exploitation of people of colour overseas. This is what enables #DenialandDisavowal of racism and violence in #SewellReport.
2/5 Three outstanding projects by academic historians were bridging this distance - puncturing this disavowal - even before #BLM took root here last summer with the toppling of Colston's statue and the government backlash https://blogs.sussex.ac.uk/snapshotsofempire/2021/04/01/comments-on-the-report-of-the-commission-on-race-and-ethnic-disparities/
3/5 If you haven't already come across these invaluable history projects and are unaware of their impact in reshaping what we know of Britain, Empire and Race, do take a look at: 1. https://theconversation.com/academic-sleuthing-uncovered-british-torture-of-mau-mau-fighters-15010 which showed idea of peaceful retreat from Empire to be a myth;
4/5 2. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/ which continues to demonstrate that Britons at home benefitted from slave ownership and not just planters overseas. This incredible project, perhaps, has been the most unsettling for imperial apologists. It enabled https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2015/28/britains-forgotten-slave-owners/;
5/5 and 3. https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/eicah/,@EICatHome, which shows how Britons invested in the exploitative governance of India also multiplied wealth at home. If we're to stop the #DenialandDisavowal, these projects, among others, are key. @thehistoryguy @DavidOlusoga
