Liverpool Philanthropy, Slavery and Empire

Laurence Westgaph

Decolonisation of Global Health and inequalities in academia: A LSTM Lecture series organised by the DIPH BAME working group

In recognition of Black History Month 2020, LSTM, is launching of a theme within the LSTM seminar series on Decolonisation of Global Health and inequalities in academia.

The purpose of the theme is to stimulate reflection and discussion of how our history shapes inequalities today, what this means for existing structures in global health and what we can do to disrupt power and knowledge asymmetries to strive for a more equitable future.

This theme will continue throughout the academic year (2020-2021).

The first of these lectures was delivered by UOL Researcher Laurence Westgaph

Laurence Westgaph is an independent researcher, community historian, writer, broadcaster, and tour guide. He has a particular interest in Liverpool’s role in the slave trade and how its legacies have benefited the city and impacted its built environment, civic, cultural, and educational institutions. Laurence has written on these subjects for Historic England and the architecture journal, Context, and has also advised HE on their Liverpool listed buildings that have a connection to slavery. Royal Institute of British Architects have also benefited from Laurence’s research as he has provided training for their RIBA Liverpool tour guides. Laurence is currently leading on the Liverpool Enslaved Memorial Project, established to create a permanent monument in the city to commemorate the enslaved people who lived, died, and were buried here during the slave trade period. In addition, Laurence is also working on his PhD at the University of Liverpool where he completed his masters.