No longer hidden from history

THE truth can set Scotland free, says Dr Geoffrey Palmer, who first came to Scotland from the Caribbean in 1965, and is at the forefront of reclaiming the complex and sometimes painful history between his two peoples and backgrounds.

He was speaking in the second of two talks and discussions in the Persian Tent at St John's Church as part of the Festival of Spirituality and Peace. The talk delved into the long, damaging history of slavery and the tangible evidences of it in places like Edinburgh, but also the positive relationships that have been developed as people understand versions of the story that binds us together and commit us to commonality.

Dr Palmer has served on the Executive of Edinburgh and Lothian Racial Equality Councils for over twenty years and believes that better knowledge of the historical links between Britain and the Caribbean will improve community relations, increase harmony and - as he said in tongue-in-cheek mode - help Scots reconsider their sense of victimhood!