View all news

University appoints partners to oversee Reparative Futures Programme

Image from the community event 'confronting the past, shaping the future’ at the Malcolm X Centre in Bristol, bringing together community members and expert panellists. Pictured on the panel are Dr Marie-Annick Gournet, Professor Robert Beckford and Professor Gary Younge.University of Bristol

Press release issued: 23 January 2025

In November 2023, the University of Bristol announced funding for an ambitious programme which aims, through a series of targeted initiatives, to redress some of the systemic injustices arising from the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved African people.

Planning for Reparative Futures began in February 2024. Twenty five community Accountability Partners have been appointed to play a key role in the ten-year programme, which has a £10 million budget and aims to create a sustainable impact that will endure and expand beyond its formal completionThey each bring significant experience and expertise working with people of African heritage in areas of specific relevance to the programme including education, health and wellbeing and opportunities for youth, arts, culture and history.

The Accountability Partners have received bespoke training from experts in reparative justice from across the world and are helping to lay the foundations for the programme to ensure its actions and resources achieve maximum impact. They provide constructive challenge and guidance, serving as a crucial link between the University and wider communities of African descent, while holding the institution accountable for its commitment to driving meaningful change.  

Combined with the University’s institutional commitment to anti-racism and the work of the University's Anti-Racism Working Group, Reparative Futures forms the basis of the University’s ongoing efforts to dismantle all forms of racism wherever they exist. It will also focus on education and research initiatives to tackle education, health and economic inequalities in the local area and beyond

One of the Accountability Partners, Tracy O’Brien, has been teaching history since 2005 and recently completed a Masters in Black Humanities at the University. Throughout her career, she has developed lessons about Bristol’s unspoken history, created resources for schools and the public, and cowritten an educational textbook on Bristol’s role in the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved People.

She said: “My experience of being a teacher is that history should not be narrow or simplistic. We need to be interrogating the silences, looking for what’s missing and putting in new perspectives. There is a lack of knowledge and nervousness of delivering black history at school and at university level. It made complete sense to me to be involved in the Reparative Futures programme – the University is well positioned to challenge the narrowness of what we know about Black British history in this country.

“Bristol has an awesome history and there is foundation of excellent community work, especially in Black communities where a great deal of knowledge comes from the elders who have passed down generations of wealth and wisdom. Reparative Futures has to be a catalyst for the beginning of a much longer-term piece of work that is the start of the University of Bristol committing to a strategy that is informed by the Black community to push it forward. Being involved has been a joyful experience so far and is providing a positive opportunity for reflection.”

Vernon Samuels, another project partner, brings a world-class background in sports and extensive experience in the non-profit sector, with a strong passion for supporting the personal development of young people. As an Olympian and former international triple jumper who competed in the 1988 Olympic Games, Vernon has worked as a facilitator for school programmes, an athlete mentor, a motivational workshop leader, and a public speaker. In his current role, he focuses on bridging the gap between young people and their support systems, addressing critical issues around race equity, particularly concerning mental health.

Reflecting on his involvement in the project, Vernon said: "When you think about it, reparative justice is like opening a door to give space to voices and needs that are often overlooked. This is particularly important for descendants of enslaved Africans, who still face the lingering effects of the transatlantic slave trade. This project offers an incredible opportunity to collaborate with the University to create meaningful, long-lasting change. I believe their commitment goes beyond appearances—they're genuinely tackling deep-rooted issues, and I’m dedicated to ensuring this initiative isn’t reduced to box-ticking or empty promises. Along with my fellow partners, I’m here to hold the University accountable for delivering transformative outcomes. I also hope the University's actions will set an example, inspiring other institutions in Bristol to embrace similarly bold changes.

"I’ve always considered Bristol my hometown and have long felt a responsibility to make it a fairer place for everyone. My father holds a significant place in Bristol's history. During the activism of the Bristol Bus Boycott in the 1960s—a movement that successfully challenged racial discrimination—he became the first Black bus driver for the Bristol Omnibus Company. That moment marked a turning point for the city, and knowing my family played a role in such historic change fills me with immense pride. Through this project, I’m continuing that legacy, channelling my energy into creating further positive change.

“This project offers the University a chance to critically reflect on itself and envision new ways to drive meaningful change. The goal isn’t to erase history but to ensure a fuller narrative is told—one that considers the broader context and complexities of these issues. That’s where the Accountability Partners play a vital role, driving the project forward through meaningful consultation and engagement with local communities.”

Dr Marie-Annick Gournet, Academic Lead for the Programme and Associate Professor in Lifelong Learning and Inclusive Pedagogy from the Department of English, said: “Part of this mobilisation phase is about building solid pillars to ensure we have strong foundations for truly transformational work in reparatory justice. Working alongside our Accountability Partners, we’ve recognised that not everyone is fully versed in the complexities of reparatory justice. This has required a focus on building knowledge, competence, confidence, and trust to deliver not just another EDI initiative, but real interventions with sustainable, positive impacts on those with direct lived experience of the legacy of enslavement and other affected communities.

“We’re committed to co-creating this programme with directly impacted communities and we’re also keen to trial new initiatives to help shape the framework for the Programme when it launches later this year. The Bristol Caribbean Studies Studio is one example which is a direct response from community feedback about developing scholarship collaborations between the university, the Caribbean and the city. We’ve also commissioned local filmmaker Clive Smith to create a documentary about the life of Dr Guy Bailey OBE, a civil rights activist instrumental in the Bristol Bus Boycott, using private archival material. This documentary is being used by the Bristol Global Majority Teachers Network to co-produce teaching materials as part of a broader effort to decolonise the curriculum.”

Dr Leighan Renaud, from the University’s Department of English, leads the Bristol Caribbean Studies Studio alongside Dr Adom Philogene Heron from Anthropology and Archaeology and Dr Bethan Fisk from the Department of Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies.

Dr Renaud said: “Our collective research vision spans the varied landscapes, languages and cultures of the Greater Caribbean and her diasporas. Our mission is to build a transdisciplinary community of thought, collaboration, research and practice. Importantly, our Bristol-based membership crosscuts the University of Bristol, University of The West of England and Caribbean community scholars based in our city.”

The Studio brings together a diverse array of scholars across History, English, Anthropology, Education, Volcanology, Film and Visual Practice. Researchers include senior, early career and community scholars. There are live partnerships with communities and colleagues in Dominica, St Lucia, St Vincent, Grenada, Montserrat, Jamaica, Trinidad, Caribbean Colombia, Belize, Nicaragua, and colleagues from the University of Guyana and all University of the West Indies three campuses (Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad).

Dr Philogene Heron added: “With thanks to the Reparative Futures Programme’s commitment to fund the Studio, we have already started curating an exciting series of Caribbean Studies events aimed at Bristol’s academic and civic communities.  We are looking forward to welcoming a range of esteemed guests in the coming months, including Caryl Phillips and Merle Collins, and are supporting the Society for Caribbean Studies’ (SCS) 2025 annual conference by offering a limited number of bursaries for students based in the Caribbean to attend the conference.”

Professor Evelyn Welch, Vice-Chancellor and President, said: “To build a meaningful programme that has a real impact on communities impacted by the long-term effects of historic enslavement and racial injustice, we must listen, learn and understand. That is exactly what we have been doing this past year. I am particularly grateful to our Accountability Partners for their time and expertise to support us in this venture. They bring their unique perspectives and experiences to challenge the University to do better. I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years - their involvement will be absolutely critical to the programme’s success.” 

 

Further information

Detailed actions to realise the commitments of the Reparative Futures Project will be decided in consultation with internal and external partners, on a regular basis over the duration of the 10-year programme. Some of the areas identified following initial engagements include:

  • Further research into the University’s history in more recent times and its impact on persistent racism and race-related inequalities
  • Contextualising and explaining the names of buildings across the University
  • Expanding educational access and opportunities for individuals of Black heritage
  • Creating a community fund for equitable collaborative initiatives between local groups and the University
  • Creating reparative futures seed corn and micro-grants for community led initiatives.
  • Engaging with historical archives safeguarding, making them available and accessible to the widest possible public via both physical and digital means.

 

 

Edit this page