David Olusoga

Celebrating Greater Manchester Histories and Heritage, Manchester Histories is a growing and dynamic charity (charity number:1151944).We work collaboratively with people, organisations and partners to reveal and celebrate the stories of the people and places that make up Greater Manchester. We connect people together to explore the past and shape the future through histories and heritage.

Manchester Histories

Professor David Olusoga will explore an inclusive approach to the hotly debated topic of the Statue Wars

Manchester Central Library

On Sunday 7th June 2020, sparked by the horrific murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, protestors marching to support the Black Lives Matter movement in Bristol tore down the statue of slave trader Edward Colston and threw it in the city’s harbour. This dramatic action thrust the city onto the global stage and put it at the forefront of an ongoing and bitter culture war. David Olusoga OBE is a historian, writer, broadcaster, presenter and film-maker from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, now based in Bristol. His recent work includes the multi-series A House Through Time, Our NHS: A Hidden History, and the BAFTA award-winning Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners. He is Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester and recently appeared as an expert witness for the defence in the trail of the ‘Colston four’, taken to court (and acquitted) for their role the removal of the Colson statue. In this talk he will explore how the commemoration of individuals from our historical past remains a matter of continued and highly contested importance. Why do statues matter? And what should we do with them today? This event is part of the ongoing Histories Stories &amp; Voices project that explores how the city’s historical and current day diversity is reflected in the city’s public realm.

Professor David OlusogaOne of the UK’s foremost and respected historians — ranked amongst the most influential Black Britons of our time — David Olusoga is Professor of Public History at Manchester University and a BAFTA award-winning documentary maker, broadcaster and writer.A regular contributor to the Guardian, Observer, New Statesman and BBC History Magazine, his books include Black and British, which won the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize and the Longman-History Today Trustees Award, The Kaiser’s Holocaust and The World’s War. He was also a contributor to The Oxford Companion to Black British History.One of the UK’s foremost and respected historians — ranked amongst the most influential Black Britons of our time — David Olusoga is Professor of Public History at Manchester University and a BAFTA award-winning documentary maker, broadcaster and writer.A regular contributor to the Guardian, Observer, New Statesman and BBC History Magazine, his books include Black and British, which won the PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize and the Longman-History Today Trustees Award, The Kaiser’s Holocaust and The World’s War. He was also a contributor to The Oxford Companion to Black British History.

AccessWe endeavour to ensure that Festival events are accessible to all and welcome you to contact us regarding any specific requirements you may have before the event: info@manchesterhistories.co.uk or 0161 306 1982.The venue is fully accessible and there will be a BSL (British Sign Language) signer present at the venue.

DonateAs a small charity we welcome your donations as your help will enable us to continue our work. Suggested donations from £3.00 - £10.00. All donations gratefully received.By donating to Manchester Histories you can help us fulfil our mission to shape our future by exploring our past. We’re looking towards the future, to our next fabulous festival in 2024, and to the new and creative projects that will make your stories heard.Thank you.

RecordingThis talk will be recorded and shared on Manchester Histories Youtube channel and potentially other media outlets.

Thanks to our funders.Enormous thanks go out to all our festival supporters, partners, and funders. Without their contributions, the festival would not take place. It is a  FREE festival, with only a few paid for events. Making it as accessible to as many people as possible. It costs in the region of 100K to put on the festival and the following partners and funders have all contributed to make this festival happen. Thank you.

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David Olusoga

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David Olusoga

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