The Bristol Legacy Foundation (BLF) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation founded in 2019 committed to addressing the systemic marginalisation of African Heritage Communities (AHC) in cultural, creative, and public spaces.

our mission

• Educate, Empower & Mobilise African heritage communities to lead and participate in their own African reparatory initiatives 

• Raise Awareness about Bristol’s historical role and present day legacies as a result of the Transatlantic Trafficking of Enslaved Africans (TTEA).

• Develop the Storyhouse, a cultural space telling a dynamic and evolving narrative of African heritage lived experiences in Bristol and serve as a communal healing space for African Heritage Communities. 

• Launch a memorial to the TTEA in Bristol City Centre in collaboration with Bristol City Council.

• Support Afrikan Heritage Community efforts to build a tangible lasting intergenerational legacy as referenced in the Atonement and Reparations Motion passed by Full Council in 2021 and the recommendations of the Project TRUTH Report 2022.

Guided by the principles of equity, reparative justice, and the rights to self-determination, the Bristol Legacy Foundation collaborates with key institutional partners, including the University of Bristol, Bristol City Council, the Society of Merchant Venturers, and the Church of England – Diocese of Bristol, to align reparatory justice responses across Bristol. Our Memorandum of Understanding with Bristol City Council underscores their support for our three core workstreams: AHC Legacy Implementation, Memorialisation, and Storyhouse.

Through ambitious initiatives such as the Storyhouse and Reparatory Justice informed legacy building programmes, BLF amplifies the voices of African Heritage Communities. Our work strives to see Bristol positioned as a leading city in progressing African reparatory justice, creating inclusive spaces, legacy and sustainable opportunities for African heritage generations to come.

We aim to foster international connections with similar organisations around the world. In December 2024, we hosted an International Roundtable on Legacy and Memorialisation attended by organisations across Europe and the USA, including Association La Coque du Nomade Fraternité (France), the Slavery Legacy History Coalition (Boston, USA), Glasgow City Council (Scotland) and the International Slavery Museum (Liverpool, England).