Stroud council to call for removal of Blackboy Statue
It follows a public consultation where 79% of respondents said they want the statue gone
Council leaders in Stroud, Gloucestershire, are considering calling for the removal of an 18th century clock and statue of a black slave boy from Blackboy House in Stroud.
It follows a public consultation that was held last summer, after the toppling of slave trader Edward Colston's statue, in Bristol, made international headlines.
More than 1,600 people responded to a public consultation led by Stroud District Council, to review of street or building names and monuments.
The key findings from the survey were that 79% of respondents felt the statue should be removed, 59% that the statue should be placed in a museum and 22% that it should stay where it is.
Recommendations formed following the survey include renaming Blackboy House, removing the statue and offering it to The Museum in the Park collection and reviewing the street name ‘Blackboys’ in Dursley.
The review panel also considered that, regardless of the origins, the street name of Blackboys in Dursley causes offence and other reviews have taken place for similar names across the country which have resulted in name changes.
The council says the recommendations could start a process leading to the removal of the Blackboy clock and statue from its current location in Stroud, following concerns raised by residents in the wake of the Black Lives Matters protests of 2020.
But while Conservative leader Stephen Davies, (C, Severn) said his group will be supporting the recommendations however he says he does not believe it will be straightforward as the council does not own the building. He also said it is a listed building consent will be needed.
Most Blackboy House residents supported removal of the statue, though some wanted to keep the clock. The review panel is consulting with a family member of the trustees of the Blackboy Clock Trust, who are unable to comment.
Other recommendations made following the consultation include the council progressing plans to restore the Anti-Slavery Arch, Paganhill, and a task force established to contextualise the statue and oversee the installation of an information plaque outside Blackboy House.
The recommendations also say the council’s culture strategy, which is currently in development, should empower communities and individuals to celebrate and share their history, heritage, culture and identity.
The council says the review panel carefully researched, analysed, and debated evidence on the origins of the Blackboy Clock and Statue.
Councillor Natalie Bennett (L, Nailsworth) , who chairs the Review Panel said: “Consulting with the public was a positive action for SDC to have taken and enabled a democratic, transparent and open process to be followed.
Review panel member Dan Guthrie said: “Being a part of this review panel over the last few months has been an interesting experience, and I hope people take the time to read through and think about the recommendations we have come up with.
"Hopefully, these recommendations will help us to continue conversations about how our district can become a more inclusive place for everybody living in it, and potentially start new ones off too.”
Council Leader Doina Cornell (L, Dursley) added: “This review was undertaken in response to the rightful challenge posed to us all by the Black Lives Matter movement and by local residents, to tackle systemic racism, and is part of a wider piece of work that the council has undertaken.
“I’m grateful to the panel for all the work they’ve put into this and how they have ensured that their recommendations reflect our community’s views as to what next steps are needed.”