Jenna, you are the best history teacher ever. Thank you for sharing this story. A great reminder of how much good one person can do in the world, through paying attention and speaking out.
A great post! I was amazed to see so little about colonialisation in Antwerp. And that there was no official recognition on that statue of the old king about what his crimes were. We've had our own issues with statues in Britain, including in the city of Bristol, where the statue of slave trader Edward Colston was dumped into the harbour. The people who did it were charged with vandalism, etc, but when it went to jury trial, the good people of Bristol determined them "not guilty".
Among my favourite historians are Raphael Samuel, Linda Colley and Eduardo Galeano. The latter was not strictly a historian by training, I think, but his Memoria del Fuego (Memory of Fire) is one of the most powerful and exhilarating works of history I have ever read.
Jenna, you are the best history teacher ever. Thank you for sharing this story. A great reminder of how much good one person can do in the world, through paying attention and speaking out.
Thanks Mary :) The ability to pay attention (which is often a trait I lack, sadly), can indeed change the world
Very interesting and factually useful read
Thanks Gayathiri!
A great post! I was amazed to see so little about colonialisation in Antwerp. And that there was no official recognition on that statue of the old king about what his crimes were. We've had our own issues with statues in Britain, including in the city of Bristol, where the statue of slave trader Edward Colston was dumped into the harbour. The people who did it were charged with vandalism, etc, but when it went to jury trial, the good people of Bristol determined them "not guilty".
Among my favourite historians are Raphael Samuel, Linda Colley and Eduardo Galeano. The latter was not strictly a historian by training, I think, but his Memoria del Fuego (Memory of Fire) is one of the most powerful and exhilarating works of history I have ever read.
Galeano’s book has been sitting on my nightstand for months! Your comment is a sure sign that I must read it in December.
And yay for the good people of Bristol :)
Wow, that's quite the coincidence! And yes, about the people of Bristol!