The newspaper The Scotsman has shared a front-page apology on October 9th for its historical role in promoting racial discrimination. The apology was published 156 years after the newspaper wrote editorials that opposed African American suffrage and called for the continuation of the Atlantic slave trade. The newspaper’s current editor, Euan McGrory, acknowledged the role played by The Scotsman in supporting the ‘racial injustice that still exists today’.
The apology was instigated by newspaper staff and followed a year of discussions and research into The Scotsman’s historical narrative. The publication will also share its archives with the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary History. This will enable more extensive studies of The Scotsman’s editorial coverage of historical events.
The apology is seen as part of a wider campaign of ‘truth-telling’ to acknowledge uncomfortable aspects of colonial history in Scotland, including the country’s role in the transatlantic slave trade. The move comes following similar apologies from the Bank of Scotland and Lloyd’s of London, who also issued apologies for their roles in perpetuating slavery in previous centuries.
The Scottish historian Sir Geoff Palmer emphasised the need for newspapers and other institutions to acknowledge and learn from the past. Palmer, who has advocated for reparations for slavery, has praised The Scotsman’s apology and is calling for other newspapers to do the same. While the apology has been welcomed by anti-racism campaigners, there has also been some criticism that it could be seen as a ‘tokenistic’ gesture without wider changes in society.
Overall, The Scotsman’s apology is a significant event in Scotland’s historical reckoning with racism and a step towards greater accountability for institutions and their past actions
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