The owner of the Guardian newspaper has announced the next critical phase of its decade-long restorative justice plan, designed to address and atone for the news organization's historical connections to transatlantic enslavement. The Scott Trust, which oversees the Guardian, launched the Legacies of Enslavement program in 2023, acknowledging that the founder of the Manchester Guardian and his financial backers profited from the enslavement of African people in Jamaica and the United States Sea Islands.
Significant Progress and New Commitments
Three years after the program's inception, the Scott Trust reports significant progress through extensive community engagement, expanded coverage of the global Black diaspora, and initiatives to enhance media diversity. The newly released plan for 2026-2030 builds on these initial commitments, outlining a continued pursuit of restorative justice and meaningful repair.
Over the next four years, the trust will invest several million pounds in supporting priorities identified by descendant communities in Hanover, Jamaica, and the US Sea Islands. This funding will be allocated through partnerships with community-led organizations and institutions, focusing on key areas.
Key Investment Areas
- Improving access to quality education and skills training programs
- Supporting community land and property rights initiatives
- Funding economic and climate justice projects
- Convening community conversations centered on repair and healing
- Preserving cultural heritage and honoring memories of those enslaved
Program Leadership and Community Engagement
The Scott Trust has appointed Ahmed Reid and Angel Parson as program managers to advance the Guardian's work in Jamaica and the US Sea Islands, respectively. They join Keisha Thompson, the Manchester program manager appointed in September 2024. The team, led by Ebony Riddell Bamber, has conducted open town hall meetings in both regions and consulted with community members, reparations experts, civil society groups, and institutions.
In Jamaica, the program is assisting Hanover with reconstruction efforts following Hurricane Melissa. In Manchester, where the Guardian was founded, work is underway on a landmark exhibition exploring the city's relationship with cotton and enslavement, scheduled to launch in early 2027 in partnership with the Science and Industry Museum.
Journalistic Expansion and Educational Initiatives
The next phase includes sharing new academic research, raising awareness of the UK's role in transatlantic enslavement and its enduring impacts, and increasing accountability through Guardian journalism and the Cotton Capital series. This builds on progress from the past three years, which includes:
- Eight new correspondents covering Africa, the Caribbean, and South America
- Expansion of race, health, and community affairs teams in the UK and US
- Launch of The Long Wave, a weekly newsletter on Black life and culture worldwide
- Expanded bursary and traineeship schemes in the UK, US, and Australia to improve media diversity
Leadership Statements
Ole Jacob Sunde, chair of the Scott Trust, stated: The Scott Trust is deeply committed to this program of restorative justice. We are grateful to the descendant communities in Jamaica, the US, and UK who have shared how we can make a meaningful impact in this next phase.
Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief of Guardian News & Media, added: This work has widened the lens of the Guardian's journalism, diversified our team globally, and amplified stories from underrepresented communities. Our focus is on making changes that are meaningful, significant, and long-lasting.
The Guardian is also relaunching the Cotton Capital newsletter, which will explore legacies of enslavement and reparative justice worldwide each month. A special free live event on July 2 will feature insights from reparatory justice experts on how media organizations can atone for histories linked to transatlantic enslavement.
