Despite the rain, several hundred people gathered in Haverfordwest yesterday to take a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. For a small town in West Wales it was an impressive turnout and testament to the strength of feeling that has grown internationally since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. As the global reaction has gathered pace, many people are starting to re-examine both their national and local histories and with the dramatic toppling of the Colston statue in Bristol, other towns and cities are looking to their own memorials and questioning their validity. Haverfordwest has its own questions to ask as the past deeds of Sir Thomas Picton are coming under scrutiny. Thomas Picton was born in Haverfordwest and went on to become governor of Trinidad, a role to which he brought a brutal approach. His career was almost derailed after he was tried for authorising the torture of a 14 year old girl but he wasn’t sentenced and resumed his military career before being the most senior officer killed at the battle of Waterloo. He was celebrated for his bravery and career. Yesterdays demonstration was quickly followed by the removal of the blue plaque that marked the house in the town where he was born. In Cardiff the future of the statue that stands in City Hall is being discussed and the Picton memorial in Carmarthen is also under review. A widespread re-examination of Britain’s colonial past is overdue and hopefully this is the time when less well known parts of our story begin to be taught in history lessons as these dark chapters are echoed in current attitudes and events.
A side note on the photography aspect of yesterday: Due to the continuing Covid situation, attendees were asked to respect social distancing and to wear face masks and I realised how important the face is when establishing a quick relationship with someone you’d like to make a portrait of. Not being able to use a friendly face when approaching someone made me feel slightly awkward and in the end, with the sombre mood and rain, I chickened out a bit and used my long lens to get this image.
