The Eric Lynch Memorial Slavery Walking Tour, following in the footsteps of Eric Scott Lynch’s pioneering work, will continue to serve as an important educational tool to showcase the history of slavery in Liverpool.
This tour offers participants the opportunity to walk through the city and witness first-hand the historical sites and buildings that are tied to the slave trade. By retracing this painful history, it will help participants gain a deeper understanding of the city’s role in the transatlantic slave trade.
Eric Scott Lynch was a Liverpool-born historian and activist who spent decades educating people about the city’s links to the slave trade. He began conducting slavery tours in the 1980s, taking school children, adults, students, and visitors around the city to show them the many buildings and institutions that were paid for from the money made from the slave economy.
Eric passed away in 2021 at the age of 89. He leaves behind the legacy of a hugely admired and respected pioneering figure in the fight for the recognition of Black history and of the contribution of black people and black culture in Liverpool, and in all aspects of society in the UK and internationally.
The Walking Tour is also part of a series of events we having to launch The Eric Lynch Memorial Writing Prize for children and young people. Andrew Lynch, Eric’s son, is actively involved in this initiative, and the tour will serve as a poignant and meaningful way to kickstart this memorial competition during Black History Month in October 2023. We are also organising a walking tour with primary school children, where we will officially launch competition. The aim of the Memorial Writing Competition and prize is to ensure that young people are educated about the history of slavery and the slave trade, and how this shaped and formed Liverpool.
Eric Scott Lynch’s commitment to educating people about Liverpool’s historical ties to the slave trade through his slavery tours, which began in the 1980s, served as a powerful educational tool, allowing individuals of all ages and backgrounds to gain a first-hand understanding of the city’s history.
By taking school children, adults, students, and visitors on these tours, Eric provided a unique and immersive experience. Showing them the buildings and institutions that were funded by the profits from the slave economy helped to bring this dark chapter of history to life and make it tangible for those who participated. It allowed people to see how deeply ingrained the legacy of slavery was in the city’s architecture and institutions.
Event Date: Sunday 22nd October 2023
Categories: Black History Month | Community Event | Festival | Heritage | Liverpool | Liverpool Against Racism | Participate | Ticketed | Walking
