Britain and the Caribbean: from slavery to Black Lives Matter
Imaobong Umoren argues that we need to take a longer view of British involvement in the Caribbean
Histories of British involvement in the Caribbean tend to focus mainly on the period of plantation slavery but, in her new book Empire Without End, Imaobong Umoren argues that we need to take a broader view. It's only by taking the story back to the 16th century and forward until the present, she contends, that we can fully understand the intertwining themes of colonialism and racism in the region – and see how they connect to events in Britain. In this episode, Imaobong explores these ideas in conversation with Rob Attar.
Imaobong Umoren is the author of Empire Without End: A New History of Britain and the Caribbean (Fern Press, 2025).
Authors
Rob Attar is editor of BBC History Magazine and also works across the HistoryExtra podcast and website, as well as hosting several BBC History Magazine events.