Quakers support exhibition on complex fight for abolition
A new exhibition about the contested history of the fight to end the transatlantic trade in enslaved people features items from Quakers in Britain collections.
On display at the Fitzwilliam Museum until 1 June 2025, Rise Up: Resistance, Revolution, Abolition draws together historic artworks and objects alongside contemporary works.
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Only by facing this history can we work for genuine equality and justice today
- Paul Parker
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The Cambridge exhibition traces abolitionist efforts between 1750 and 1850 and considers their lasting legacies.
Rise Up commemorates not only well-known abolitionists but also the often-overlooked contributions of Black Georgians and Victorians, and resistance leaders across the Caribbean, Europe, and the Americas.
Items from the Library of the Society of Friends (Quakers in Britain) collections, including an early 19th-century silk reticule used to carry abolitionist pamphlets, have been loaned for the exhibition.
Many Quakers played significant roles in advocating for the end of the trade in enslaved people and enslavement itself.
But recent research has revealed that others “owned" enslaved people and benefited from systems of enslavement.
In line with their commitment to truth, British Quakers said they are actively engaging with this fuller, more honest history.
Paul Parker, recording clerk for Quakers in Britain, said: “We are honoured to support Rise Up and to share part of our collection with visitors.
“We believe it is vital to tell the full story - one that celebrates acts of resistance and abolition but also acknowledges painful truths about how Quakers were involved in enslavement.
“Only by facing this history can we work for genuine equality and justice today."
Quakers continue to be committed to anti-racism and the ongoing work of dismantling injustice in all its forms.