The following was written by local student Amara Montford who approached Sunbury Matters, keen to raise the profile and knowledge of black history in Surrey. She researched and wrote the following herself:
The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked outrage around the world and triggered global protests which brought the Black Lives Matter movement to light.
Did you know that for many centuries, Surrey had a strong connection to the West Indies slave trade and several important figures in Black History lived here. One of them was Phillis Wheatley, born in 1753, who was the first published African-American female poet and is considered to be the mother of Black literature. She was sold into slavery at the age of seven and was purchased by the Wheatley family. When Wheatley was still a young child, she loved reading Greek and Latin classics like Homer and Virgil, as well as Bible passages. These works influenced her poetry. In 1773, Wheatley published a book of poetry, entitled ‘Poems on Various Subjects’. Shortly after this, the Wheatley family emancipated (formally freed) Phillis. Her accomplishments were a catalyst for the antislavery movement as she fought against the stereotypes of her time. Phillis Wheatley is just one of many slaves who lived in Surrey and left a great impact: Charlotte Howe, whose story was important in Britain’s slavery debate, lived in Thames Ditton, and Cesar Picton became a successful businessman with a coal trading business on Kingston High Street.
Despite their achievements, the Wheatley family was reprimanded for educating a slave, poverty- stricken Charlotte Howe was denied relief by the parish, and Cesar Picton came close to execution due to his race.
It is important to learn about Black History, as many significant contributions to the development of the UK were made by those of African and Caribbean descent. However, racism is still a major problem and we must act against it. To be anti-racist, one must actively oppose racism. For example, sign and donate to petitions, start conversations with people, educate yourself and others, and speak out when you see racism, even when it’s subtle.
Recognising racism and privilege is just the beginning – we now must do something about it.
surreycc.gov.uk and exploringsurreyspast.org.uk have many resources about Black history in Surrey.