The Lancaster Black History Group is currently working on a research project with local communities to trace the history and links that seven prominent local families appear to have had with either the triangular transatlantic slave trade or bilateral trade with the plantations. Seven groups including schools, university students, voluntary organisations, community and faith groups will be producing community stories and learning relating to seven family trees in a way that allows local people to work together to face the past, and in doing so transform the future.
The idea is to co-produce and develop educational resources for use by the local community (e.g. local schools, councils, and further education institutions) and potentially regional and national groups and organisations. We hope that this process will enable us to do reparative history – a form of ‘repairing’ of history that uses digital resources and databases, old and new historical data and the local community to reimagine history, bring healing and positive change.