How to talk about British colonialism in the middle of a culture war

Abstract

In this ‘Historical Geography at Large’ review I recount my participation in an August 2023 summer school led by Professor Alan Lester at the University of Sussex, entitled ‘How to talk about British colonialism in the middle of a culture war’. The workshop encouraged the participation of non-academics who desired greater knowledge of the British empire and its legacies, to help them negotiate contemporary debates over race, slavery, colonialism, and national identity. I recount the two days of lectures and debate led by Lester, as well as a day-long walking tour of London, where we discussed contentious statues and the even more contentious interior of the government's Commonwealth, Foreign and Development Office building. These generative encounters present an activist and participatory form of historical geography at large.