The British daily Guardian apologized on the 28th (local time) when it was revealed that the founders were involved in slavery in the 19th century, and announced the ‘Justice Fund’, a compensation program worth 10 million pounds (about 16 billion won) over 10 years.
In the wake of the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, the Guardian commissioned Nottingham University and others to investigate whether its founders had any connection to slavery for two years, and announced the results on the same day.
The study found that the journalist and cotton merchant John Edward Taylor, who founded the Guardian in 1821, and nine of the 11 Manchester businessmen who funded it had ties to slavery.
It was confirmed that they were brought from slave plantations in South Carolina and Georgia through founder Taylor’s company, Shuttleworth, Taylor & Co.
It was also revealed that George Phillip, an early investor in The Guardian, owned a sugar plantation and slaves in Hanover, Jamaica.
Scott Trust, the current owner and public benefit corporation of The Guardian, said, “We apologize to the descendants of slaves who were affected by the crimes against humanity of the founders of the Guardian identified through the investigation, and to support the cotton industry and contribute to the exploitation of enslaved people. I apologize for my initial tone.”
The ‘restorative justice fund’ set up by the Guardian, after consulting with relevant experts, will support projects related to Gullah Geechee and Jamaica over the next 10 years at a cost of more than £10 million.
He added that a person in charge of the reparation program is being formed, and that exact figures and funding allocation will be finalized within the next 12 months.
The Guardian also decided to develop an editorial format with a black audience in mind and expand its coverage to black communities in the UK, USA, the Caribbean, South America and Africa.
In addition, it runs programs to support black journalists and aspiring journalists.
All Jacob Sundy, chairman of the Scott Trust, said, “Apologizing and sharing these facts is only the first step in unraveling the historical link between the Guardians and slavery.”
Catherine Viner, Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian, said, “We face up to the fact that the founders built their wealth through crimes against humanity, and apologize.” It makes my resolve stronger.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.