This morning I came across a cordoned statue in Holland Park one that usually I walk past in total oblivion yet was bought to my attention ringed with red tape. It is one of a man that owned over 400 slaves in a Jamaican Plantation. Holland Park is within the borough of Kensington and Chelsea a place which now long-standing the last weekend of august hosts Notting Hill Carnival. An event celebrating Caribbean culture and ever growing positivity yet situated by one of the directed tube stations for the event; sits a statue promoting a figure in our public realm of a slave owner. A man that also received compensation for the abolition of slavery in 1837. After researching further I found journalists as recently as yesterday had attempted to justify that this same man although married into slavery was infact against it... justifying his slave ownership in terms of right to property... Kensington and Chelsea long-standing claim they represent the view of diverse communities within the borough but leave a chilling juxtaposed reality whilst seeking to protect such a statue around Carnival. The fact that your time is prioritised protecting a public figure that boasts of British imperialism is far the more chilling when over the past few years your not even able to give the time to give any of the victims of Grenfell any answers or justice. This is merely something I wanted to share with the intention of even just a single individual understanding this juxtaposed parallel we live in and by no means can any amount of words do justice to any of the history mentioned. I’m here to learn and please correct me in any way that I am wrong 🤍