I thank my hon. Friend for making that point. Brent is the most diverse constituency in the UK.
I want to end my speech by talking about the importance of women. They dominated the campaign to end slavery, which should come as no surprise as it was so well organised. Women had no vote, but they could make their voice heard through the campaign. It was one of the first ways in which they became involved in politics. The abolitionists were pioneers who helped to invent the political campaigning methods we use today. They collected mass petitions, organised hundreds of local societies, created a campaign logo and organised consumer boycotts. They calculated that if 38,000 families stopped using sugar, it would stop the slave trade altogether.
Nanny, a wonderful woman and a leader of the Maroons, was a symbol of unity and strength throughout the 18th century. As my hon. Friend the Member for Hackney, North and Stoke Newington said earlier, the Maroons were Africans who fled to the hills in Jamaica—where my parents are from—when the British invaded in 1655. Many were Rastafarians. They lived free and grew their own food, which we would now call organic, so we could say that they invented organic food—Ital food, as we like to say. They were skilled warriors, hunters and home makers. The British could not control or defeat the Maroons, however hard they tried.
The bicentenary is a major opportunity to consider both the legacy of the British slave trade and slavery in our modern society, and to explore the roots of the racism, prejudice and social stereotypes that continue to affect our local and global communities. Our aim should be to remember the slave trade and its cost to human life. We should remember the debt owed to African people and understand the importance of equal opportunity and respect for others. At every stage, we must challenge injustice and cruelty.
I have already mentioned Maya Angelou. I end with her words:"““You may write me down in history""With your bitter, twisted lies.""You may trod me in the very dirt""But still, like dust, I’ll rise.””"
Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade
Proceeding contribution from
Dawn Butler
(Labour)
in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 20 March 2007.
It occurred during Adjournment debate on Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade.
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Proceeding contribution
Reference
458 c723 
Session
2006-07
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
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Timestamp
2023-12-15 11:56:53 +0000
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