After the statue of Edward Colston was pulled down in Bristol on 7 June 2020, social media was full of suggestions of abolitionists to replace him but none mentioned Black abolitionists. We at We Too Built Britain launched this petition that day.

Whilst many know of William Wilberforce, a hero who did so much to abolish slavery, do people also know the stories of the Black abolitionists ? 

Without the resilience, survival and resistance undertaken by Black people themselves, and their testimonies, autobiographies, legal cases, petitions and campaigning, the likes of Lord Wilberforce would not have been able to build the parliamentary case for abolition culminating in the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833.

We should seek statues to commemorate Black anti-slavery campaigners - not just one but many and include a prominent statue or artwork in Westminster. Times of great social advancement often require people from all backgrounds to come together to achieve a common good. History is important, and it needs to be inclusive. What better time than NOW?

We would like to prioritise the names of two Black abolitionists: Mary Prince and Ignatius Sancho:

• Mary Prince was the first woman to present an anti-slavery petition to Parliament and the first Black woman to write and publish an autobiography in England, "The History of Mary Prince" in 1831. This brought to life the experiences of slaves living and working in Bermuda and Antigua for readers in England;
• Ignatius Sancho was a composer, author and given his financially independent householder status, he was eligible to vote and in 1774 became the first Black person to vote in parliamentary elections in the UK. After his death in 1780, Sancho’s letters were published in a book that became a bestseller. Five editions of the book were published and his writing was used as evidence to support the movement to end slavery.

We currently have a proposal for a statue of the Black abolitionists in Parliament being reviewed by the Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art. Several MPs have already supported us! 

Biographies of these Black Britons can be found on http://100greatblackbritons.com.