Inclusive Histories: - Narrating our shared past in polarised times - Jake Puddle and Sunder Katwala

Our Black Atlantic exhibition this autumn, the first of a series, will explore the context of this bequest, and we’re learning from the process of staging the show: how to discuss inside our organisation the difficult choices as to what we feel able to display; how to ensure the participation of others outside the Museum. [...] The Trust commissioned me to produce an audit of published and peer- reviewed academic research and the result was a report called ‘The Connections Between Colonialism and the Properties now in the Care of the National Trust.’ However, publishing the report, in 2020, felt like a walk through the valley of the shadow of death. [...] These commemorated Windrush Day and the contribution of men and women from the Caribbean that served in the First and Second World War, recognising the wider African and Caribbean contribution to Britain, including to the NHS. [...] Before the anniversary, a majority – 61% of the public – felt that the 75th anniversary of the Windrush arriving in Britain was an important moment for the country, rising to 71% of ethnic minority Britons and 84% of Black Caribbeans.17 Just over half of the public (53%) – and two-thirds (64%) of people from an ethnic minority background – wanted to learn more about it. [...] This broad reach, from the grassroots to the mainstream, comes in part from the engagement of many partners, including some who might be thought of as ‘unusual allies’ – from the NHS and the Port of Tilbury to the FA and English cricket board.