The letter reads:

“We call on the people of Denbigh not to erect any statue to ‘honour’ the imperialist HM Stanley.

A statue would convey uncritical approval and celebration of all aspects of Stanley – something not possible for such a controversial figure today.

It is wrong to romanticise the African “adventures” of Victorian era imperialists. The racist ideas of the day led to hundreds of thousands of Africans being killed or mistreated – Europeans believing that their supremacy entitled them to confiscate land and exploit natives and resources.

It is impossible to disconnect Stanley, or any other imperialist of the period, from that suffering. Recent biographers may have concentrated on Stanley’s personality and exploits, however, Denbigh’s authorities must not ignore painful historical facts. If wishing to mark that he was born in the town would it not be better to opt for a permanent exhibition which could convey the story of the man whilst giving a fuller historical context?

We draw your attention to how Albert Dock Museum in Liverpool has succeeded in conveying both the city’s proud maritime history whilst also acknowledging the role in exploiting Africa and Caribbean peoples. We believe that such an approach would be more appropriate than a controversial statue.”

Co-signatories
(Note  – the following sign as individuals and not on behalf of organisations)

Dominic Bascombe, editor blackpolitics.co.uk

Mohamed Hanef Bhamjee, former secretary of Wales Anti-Aparthied Movement, now Action for South Africa

Tony Bianchi, Welsh language author

Prof. Jules Boykoff, Professor of Politics and Government at Pacific University, Oregon
(Speaker at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Nairobi, Kenya)

Dr. Bambi Ceuppens, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium,
(Researches the western representation of Africa and Africans, and Belgian / Congolese colonial history.

Dr. Carl Clowes, Founding Chairman of Dolen Cymru
(Dolen Cymru have been promoting links between Wales and the Lesotho in the fields of education, health, governance and civil society for over 25 years)

Dr. Ian Davidson, Lecturer in English, Bangor University

Dr. John Davies, History author and broadcaster
(Wales’ leading historian – works include: A History of Wales, Penguin)

Ignace Demaerel, pastor and teacher of religion. Also Member of delegation to Kinshasa with the Europe-Africa Reconciliation Process in 2008 to ask forgiveness for the abuses of colonialism.

Ruth Dineen, Principal Lecturer, UWIC

Anna Jane Evans, Wales

Marika Fusser
(member of Cymdeithas y Cymod – Fellowship of Reconciliation in Wales)

Prof. Paul Gilroy London School of Economics.
(Works include: Ain’t no Black in the Union Jack, The Black Atlantic, Between Camps/Against Race, After Empire / Postcolonial Melancholia)

Prof. David Theo Goldberg, University of California, Irvine
(Leading scholar of critical race theory, who has delivered invited lectures on this subject at universities across the world)

Pam Green
(north Wales resident in favour of diversity of representation)

Thomas Guthmann, University of Kassel, Research Fellow Hans-Böckler Foundation, Germany
(Researching young people’s attitudes to racism)

Dr. Robin Gwyndaf, Vice President, Cymdeithas y Cymod (the Fellowship of
Reconciliation in Wales).

Rev. Guto Prys ap Gwynfor, President Cymdeithas y Cymod, (the Fellowship of Reconciliation in Wales).

Adam Hochschild, University of California at Berkeley and a frequent lecturer at Harvard.
(Works include King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa a history of the conquest and colonization of the Congo)

Dr. Goronwy Alun Hughes, Anthropologist, translator and journalist. North Wales

Judith Humphreys, Wales

Dr. Jerry Hunter
(Award winning history writer and TV presenter. Works include study of anti-slavery campaigns)

Jim Jenkins, history teacher in Denbigh area for over 20 years

Nick Jewitt, former Uganda resident now living in N Wales

Petronelle Kapemb, member of the Congolese Association of Merseyside

Tukam Dixon Kyaba, USA. African Social Economist

Dr. Rhiannon E. Lloyd, works in the Democratic Republic of Congo, running
reconciliation workshops and involved with the Europe-Africa Reconciliation Process
initiative

Prof. Peter Linebaugh, University of Toledo, USA.
(Leading historian who appeared in the BBC TV documentary series “History of Racism” 2007)

Nouria Louicky, President Friends of the Congo UK

Leon Lokuli, from Democratic Republic of Congo, now living in Liverpool

Menna Machreth, Chair – Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (The Welsh Language Society)

Natasha Makengo, member of Save the Congo

Gail Martin, Liverpool

Gareth Miles, Welsh language author

Prof. Charles W. Mills. Professor of Moral and Intellectual Philosophy,
(Northwestern University, Chicago. His book The Racial Contract was nominated for a Politzer Prize and National Book Award and has been adopted widely in college courses across the US)

Dr. Maria Misra, Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of Keble College
(Specialising in the politics, culture, and economics of 19c & 20c imperialism and colonialism. Appeared in the 2003 BBC Storyville documentary “White King, Red Rubber, Black Death” about the brutal colonisation of the Congo)

Rabbi David Mitchell, Patron of Save the Congo

Jan Morris, Author of The Pax Britannica Trilogy

Kambale Musavuli, USA / Kinshasa. Friends of the Congo, Student Co-ordinator/National spokesperson. Washington, USA

Prof. John Newsinger, Senior Lecturer in History, Bath Spa University.
(Works inlcude The Blood Never Dried: A People’s History of the British Empire)

Branwen Niclas
(Communications and Media Manager for Christian Aid in Wales. She has travelled and worked in a number of countries in Africa)

Prof. Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja, Professor of African Studies. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. The Executive Director of Africa Governance Institute.

Lynn Nwagbara. Director African Enterprise Belgium.
(Member of delegation to Kinshasa with the Europe-Africa Reconciliation Process in 2008 to ask forgiveness for the abuses of colonialism).

Nia Rhosier, Hon. President Cymdeithas y Cymod (the Fellowship of Reconciliation in Wales).

Dr Zoe Skoulding, Lecturer Bangor University
(particular interest in Post Colonial studies)

Ben & Thando Stammers, (Zimbabwean living in N. Wales)

Phil Steele, Writer, rights campaigner

Angharad Tomos, Welsh language author, newspaper columnist

Vava Tampa, Director of Save the Congo

Philip Quarles van Ufford  teacher of religion. Active in the Belgium-Congo reconciliation process

Professor Charlotte Williams Professor of Social Justice, Head of School of
Public Policy and Professional Practice. Keele University.
(Works include ‘A Tolerant Nation? Exploring Ethnic Diversity in Wales’. Cardiff: University of Wales Press .’Sugar and Slate’ – Welsh Book of the Year 2004. EthnicMinorities in the North Wales: A Mapping Exercise. Best Partnership – National Assembly, AWEMA, BVSO, 2004)

Jeff Williams, Christian Aid – National Secretary for Wales

Prof. Tunde Zack-Williams, Professor of Sociology, University of Central Lancashire, past president African Studies Association.

Benjamin Zephaniah, writer and poet,
(Included in The Times list of Britain’s top 50 post-war writers in 2008)

KFC has pulled a controversial advert from down under after complaints that it was racist.The ad features a white Australian cricket fan looking exasperated as black supporters- supposedly West Indian- are loudly cheering. The white fan asks aloud how to get out of an “awkward situation.” He then whips out a bucket of KFC chicken, and the black fans greedily stuff their faces.

The white guy then says: “Too easy.”

The racist stereotype of black people and fried chicken is pretty well known.

Some people, outraged at the outrage, have defended the international corporation, arguing that if it was Australia playing England, the ad would have shown the Barmy Army stuffing their faces. Somehow I just don’t see that happening. The ad works because it plays to the stereotype of black people loving fried chicken. In order to work in a Barmy Army context, it would need to be promoting tea, or some other English stereotype.

At the end of 2009, it was predicted that Australia would see a 20% drop in the number of Indian students choosing to study there, following perceived racist attacks. The Australian economy is expeced to lose about $70m (44m) in revenue.

And if that wasn’t enough,who could forget Harry Connick Jr speaking out against racist stereotyping in October 2009 on a highly rated Australian TV show.

On the judging panel for Hey Hey It’s Saturday, he was forced to endure an act by the ‘Jackson Jive’—six dancing white men in blackface.

Connick was less than amused, giving them a zero out of ten.

Host Daryl Somers apologized later in the show, noting “I know that to your countrymen, that’s an insult to have a blackface routine like that on the show.” Connick responded, “I just wanted to say on behalf of my country, I know it was done humorously, but we’ve spent so much time trying to not make black people look like buffoons, that when we see something like that, we take it really to heart. I know it was in good fun, and the last thing I want to do is take this show to a down level—because you know how much I love this show and this country—but I feel like I’m at home here, and if I knew that was going to be part of the show, I probably—I definitely wouldn’t have done it.”

Looks like it’s all fun down in Oz.