Peter Kent-Baguley

Stoke-on-Trent's Remembrance of the Slave Trade & Its Abolition

Stoke-on-Trent based charity, Midlands Jamaica Aid, organised the one-day conference on Saturday at the City campus of Staffordshire University. On the cover of the programme was the question: Why Stoke-on-Trent? "Stoke born famous potter and local hero, Josiah Wedgwood expressed ardent concern over the social welfare of individuals from different backgrounds in the 1700-1800. Josiah became involved in the Save Trade Act when in collaboraton with Clarkson and others, they formed the Lunar Society to highlight and eradicate this heinous crime against black human beings. This campaign was brought to the notice of Wilberforce the then member of Parliament from Liverpool. After long and arduous sittings, and with Josiah's designed broach-medallion with inscriptions of a male kneeling in chains with the motto AM I NOT A MAN AND A BROTHER? and on the reverse side of the token, clasped hands are shown with inscriptions MAY SLAVERY AND OPPRESSION CEASE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD under pressure, the Act was passed on the 25th March 1807."

Although delayed from last autumn, as the High Commissioner for Jamaica, His Excellency, the Honorable Burchell Whiteman said, the conference was a welcome reminder that although a significant issue can be an all-consuming focus for the media during a particular celebratory year, such as last year's bicentenary of the passing of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in 1807, the issue itself is of continuing importance.

Mike Dockery, founder of Midlands Jamaica Aid and his wife Sharon, chair of the chairty, deserve whole-hearted congratulations for the enormous amount of thought and work they put into making Saturday's conference such a great success. They clearly inspired many people to be involved in organising different aspects of the day to making presentations.

I gained some useful insights from the various contributions, not least from the Youth Presentation which I thought was very good. Martin Glenn and Chrissy Meleady raised a great many interesting and thought-provoking perceptions in their analyses; criminologist Martin through his intensive work with young Black men and Chrissy through her work with early years children. 

A fantastically vibrant entertainment was provided by Andrea Green on her guitar through song, some of it in a language beyond my recognition! Her exuberant personality filled the lecture theatre and enveloped us from the moment she began - what a talent for connecting with people! A splendid 20-minute breather from all the talking! And Lord Mayor, Cllr Derek Capey, demonstrated his patois, at the beginning of his speech with a little Potteries' dialect from the town Arnold Bennett neglected, Fenton.

Amidst such a range of talent, I was humbled to be asked to make a presentation about Fairtrade in relation to past and present day forms of slavery. I was told the wonderful news today that two people returned to London having been encouraged by my talk to become Fairtrade supporters!

Sadly, although Mike Dockery was too unwell in hospital to be physically present, nevertheless, his presence permeated the whole event, and because of his inspiration and ceaseless work in founding and developing Midlands Jamaica Aid, the Saturday conference was but one of the many worthwhile fruits of his labours.