The Scott Trust, owner of the Guardian, has revealed the next critical phase of its 10-year Legacies of Enslavement programme, outlining a comprehensive plan for restorative justice from 2026 to 2030. This initiative aims to address and atone for the Guardian's historical connections to transatlantic enslavement, building on commitments made since the programme's launch in 2023.
Addressing Historical Links
The programme acknowledges that John Edward Taylor, founder of the Manchester Guardian, and his financial backers profited from transatlantic enslavement through cotton and sugar businesses. Key figures include Sir George Philips, co-owner of the Success plantation in Hanover, Jamaica, and ties to plantations in the Gullah Geechee region of the US Sea Islands. The 2026-2030 plan, detailed in a new document, expands on initial efforts to pursue meaningful repair and truth-telling.
Investing in Descendant Communities
Over the next four years, the Scott Trust will invest in priorities identified by descendant communities in Jamaica and the US Sea Islands. These priorities include improving access to quality education and skills training, supporting community land and property rights, preserving cultural heritage, funding economic and climate justice initiatives, and convening community conversations on healing. For example, in Jamaica, the programme is already assisting Hanover parish with reconstruction after Hurricane Melissa.
Commitment to Global Reparatory Justice
This phase reinforces the programme's dedication to restorative justice globally, sharing new academic research, raising awareness of the UK's role in transatlantic enslavement, and increasing accountability through Guardian journalism, including the Cotton Capital series. In Manchester, a landmark exhibition on Manchester, Cotton, and Enslavement is set to launch in early 2027 in partnership with the Science and Industry Museum.
Programme Leadership and Progress
Ole Jacob Sunde, chair of the Scott Trust, expressed deep commitment to the programme, thanking contributors and descendant communities for their insights. Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief of Guardian News & Media, highlighted progress in confronting historical links, diversifying the team, and amplifying underrepresented stories. Ebony Riddell Bamber, programme director, emphasized partnership-building and resource provision for repair visions.
Ongoing engagement with descendant communities is central, with programme managers Ahmed Reid in Jamaica, Angel Parson in the US Sea Islands, and Keisha Thompson in Manchester leading the work. Significant progress over the past three years includes hiring new correspondents in Africa, the Caribbean, and South America, launching the Long Wave newsletter, and expanding bursary and traineeship schemes to improve media diversity.
Event and Newsletter Relaunch
The Guardian will host a free online event on Thursday, 2 July, at 7:30pm BST, featuring reparatory justice experts discussing media atonement. Additionally, the Cotton Capital newsletter is relaunching monthly to explore global legacies of enslavement and reparative justice, available for direct subscription.
For more information, visit the programme webpage or contact legacies@theguardian.com. Media inquiries can be directed to media.enquiries@theguardian.com.
