UK: Bristol artist replaces trader statue with that of black protester

Statutes of slave traders and imperialists have been toppled across the world

black-lives-matter-statue-surge-of-power-reid-Marc-Quinn-Bristol-AP People gather near the black resin and steel statue named "A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) 2020 by British artist Marc Quinn erected early Wednesday, July 15, 2020 | AP

British artist Marc Quinn replaced the toppled statue of Edward Colston with that of a Black Lives Matter protestor. Quinn replaced it with the statue of Jen Reid, a Bristol resident who had climbed atop the empty plinth as she returned home from a Black Lives Matters demonstration in June.

An anti-racism movement broke out after an Africa-American man died in police custody on May 25. In the wake of the movement, statues of a lot of slave traders and imperialist leaders were toppled in various places across the world including the UK, US and New Zealand.

Last month, demonstrators in Bristol, UK, made headlines around the world when they toppled a statue of 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston and dumped it into the River Avon.

Now, the city has the statue of Reid, with her fist raised in a Black Power salute

"My friend...showed me a picture on Instagram of Jen standing on the plinth in Bristol with her fist in a Black Power salute," Quinn said. "My first, instant thought was how incredible it would be to make a sculpture of her, in that instant.”

"It is such a powerful image, of a moment I felt, had to be materialized, forever. I contacted Jen via social media to discuss the idea of the sculpture and she told me she wanted to collaborate."

The work, officially titled "A Surge of Power 2020," is intended to be temporary.

"This sculpture is about making a stand for my mother, for my daughter, for Black people like me," Reid said. "It's about Black children seeing it up there. It's something to feel proud of, to have a sense of belonging because we actually do belong here and we're not going anywhere."