News / Black Lives Matter
Radio 4 series explores personal history of Jen Reid
A new radio series by BBC 4 will explore the personal history of Jen Reid, the Black Lives Matter protester who briefly appeared on the plinth of the statue of slave trader Edward Colston.
Descendants, the new seven-part series, will be narrated by poet and writer Yrsa Daley-Ward and will look at how far back in our own histories we need to go to find a connection to Britain’s slave-trading past.
The first episode will start with a personal history of Jen Reid. Last summer, we saw the life-sized statue A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) 2020 by artist Marc Quinn erected but was taken down by Bristol City Council 24 hours later as it had not approved the installation.
Since a mural of Jen Reid has been painted overlooking the terrace of The Canteen on Stokes Croft.
United Souls United Goals Stokes Croft Jen Reid mural Mr Cenz photo Martin Booth
Kicking off the series with Bristol’s very own Jen Reid, the rest of the series also will cover the personal histories of fourteen other people, including Gayle Heron, the sister of poet and musician Gil Scott Heron.
About the new series, which will start later this month, Yrsa said: “As someone whose parents hail from Jamaica and Nigeria, the deep horror of enslavement was likely part of my family history. So much of the history of a people was lost and subsequently, so much of the truth doctored.”
“I was drawn to this project because as an author and performer I have come to understand the great resonance and deep importance of our stories, of finding future in history, of tracing bloodlines, ancestry and the paths of those who came before us.”
“Although I recognise how connected we are, the very extent to which these stories interlink and touch each other still caught me by surprise. The series is informative and hopeful, and I’m so happy to be a part of that, bringing these stories of everyday people together and to life.”
Descendants will be played on BBC Radio 4 on Fridays from 28 May – 9 July, 11-11.30am, where you can hear about Jen Reid and the personal histories of many others.
Main Image: Martin Booth
Read More: Magnificent mural of Jen Reid painted on Stokes Croft
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