Description
Narrated by Yrsa Daley-Ward, the poet and writer introduces us to a network of lives, each one connected in one way or another through the legacy of Britain's role in slavery.
In the final episode, the connections between histories bring us right back to the start - the 7th June 2020, and the day the Colston statue was toppled. Richard Pendlebury runs a charity for older people in Bristol, called The Anchor Society. In 1895 their member, J. Arrowsmith, paid for the Colston statue to be put up - 175 years after Colston's death. Alasdair was one of those who helped put it in the harbour, but he's also been looking into his own family history, and seen a very familiar name appear in his tree, back in the 17th Century.
Assistant Producer: Rema Mukena
Producer: Candace Wilson
Series Producer: Polly Weston
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Academic consultants: Matthew Smith and Rachel Lang of the Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery at UCL
Additional genealogical research by Laura Berry
Studio Manager: Michael Harrison
Narrated by Yrsa Daley-Ward, the poet and writer introduces us to a network of lives, each one connected in one way or another through the legacy of Britain's role in slavery.
Chidi grew up in London, and learnt at an early age that he was descended from a late 19th Century Nigerian slave...
Published 05/28/21
One year on from the toppling of the Colston Statue in Bristol, Descendants asks... how close is each of us to the legacy of Britain's role in slavery? And who does that mean our lives are connected to?
Yrsa Daley-Ward narrates seven episodes telling the stories of people whose lives today are...
Published 05/28/21