Interview with Sir Geoff Palmer

Abstract

Kalfou: What is the meaningful work that acts of historical commemoration can perform in the present?

Palmer: The plaque to Frederick Douglass in Edinburgh and the slavery plaque at Glasgow University are important because they reflect the conclusion that although we cannot change the past, we can change cruel consequences, such as racism, for the better.  These plaques also tell us that truthful narratives on plaques inform the public of a history which says that although we are different, we have the same humanity. A diverse society requires diverse attention to be efficient and fair. A fairness which changes the evil of “go home” to the goodness of “come home.”