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But where does Rotary fit into this, and what part can it play? HE agonising death of George the harbour. Reflecting on the Black Lives Matter need of peacebuilding and education, two of Floyd last May, at the knee of a In Devon, opinion has been drawn protests, Geri, who is an art historian and Rotary International’s key areas of focus”. Minneapolis police officer and about the reputations of two key figures chairman of the Tavistock Heritage Trust, The group’s first move was to speak which was shockingly captured from the county’s maritime history. said: “In many places, these global protests to the two schools in Tavistock; Tavistock on video, was a game-changer Sir John Hawkins, and his cousin have led people to question the way in College and Mount Kelly, a private Tfor the anti-racism movement. Sir Francis Drake, were both involved in which statues tell the stories of, or celebrate independent boarding school which is also With parallels to the ‘#MeToo’ women’s slave trading and privateering during the the past, reigniting an ongoing debate as to a corporate member of Tavistock Rotary. marches of 2017 and 2018, the protests Elizabethan era in the 16th century. how we should remember and memorialise Tavistock College had already received against police brutality, and ultimately the This has sparked rival petitions by historical figures, particularly those with letters from former pupils asking for Drake’s growth of the global ‘Black Lives Matter’ residents in Plymouth and Tavistock, one ties to slavery.” name to be removed from one of the campaign, became bigger, fiercer and even calling for the removal of both statues of Sir So with Tavistock split on the fate of school’s houses. more sustained. Francis Drake from public display, the other its favourite son, the town council voted “We collaborated with the college to It was as if the conscience of the world pressing for their preservation. in June to keep the statue, but to create an set up a students’ questionnaire so we could had suddenly woken up. Tavistock is an ancient stannary interpretation panel to examine Drake’s discover their understanding of the issues Some have suggested that the timing of and market town in West Devon with a involvement in the slave trade. surrounding not only the history of Sir the incident, at the height of the COVID-19 richly diverse history. Alongside its role as The council reached out to the Francis Drake, but also that of black history, pandemic, helped to heighten the protests’ gateway to the Cornwall and West Devon Tavistock Heritage Trust to create the panel. racial discrimination and modern slavery,” momentum – more people at home, with Mining Landscape World Heritage Site, it is In turn, Geri contacted her Rotary said Geri. more time to consume news. also the birthplace of Drake. club, as well as fellow Rotarian, historian “The results of the survey were The concept of ‘vicarious Acknowledging his role as a one of and archaeologist Win Scutt from fascinating and made us realise that young traumatisation’ – being traumatised by the town’s most famous sons, in 1883 the Plympton Rotary, to discuss how best to people wanted a far deeper understanding seeing images of real violence which didn’t Austrian born sculptor, Sir Joseph Edgar tackle such a delicate situation. of history on their doorstep, even if it happen to you personally – also had a part Boehm, a member of the Royal Academy “We agreed to work together to initiate did expose a darker side to some of their to play, say experts. and sculptor to Queen Victoria, was a discussion around the whole history of traditional heroes’ lives. Suddenly, this was not merely a commissioned to create a 10ft high bronze Drake, the story of Devon’s involvement in “It also made us realise how important protest about police brutality and equal statue as a memorial to ‘the memory of its both the development of the slave trade and it was to spread a wider message about rights. Black Lives Matter has captured old citizen, patriot, warrior and navigator’. its ultimate abolition, the effects of racial racial discrimination and slavery, both the moment to become the catalyst to re- Although commissioned by the people discrimination and the reality of modern throughout history and in the 21st century. evaluate a complete historical dialogue. of Tavistock, the cost of the statue was day slavery,” explained Geri. "The horrifying truth is that slavery is A statue of Sir Winston Churchill borne by Hastings Russell, the 9th Duke “I must confess some Rotarians from still with us today. Sadly, we can’t change in Parliament Square, Westminster was of Bedford. A second statue cast from the other clubs felt the whole topic was too history, but we can do our best to ensure it defaced with the words ‘was a racist’. And a same mould was erected on Plymouth Hoe.