Bristol played a major role in the transatlantic slave trade in the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, many of Bristol’s buildings and some education and economic institutions are a tangible legacy of the wealth created by trade in slaves and slave produced commodities.
The migration from the Caribbean to Bristol has made the city’s population culturally diverse. There are many people of African- Caribbean descent living here today. It has been estimated that one in five Britons has a black ancestor from the 17th or 18th centuries. The contributions they make to the life of Bristol are wide and include many cultural ones, enjoyed by the black and white population alike.