Slave row statue gets a new look after graffiti attack
A statue in Paisley which was vandalised twice with anti-racism graffiti has been restored.
The monument of John Witherspoon, which stands outside the town’s University of the West of Scotland (UWS) campus, has been rebuilt to remove the spray painted slogans linked to the Black Lives Matter movement.
The statue at the High Street campus was targeted twice in a matter of days by vandals last month, who daubed the monument with the words “slave owner” and “Black Lives Matter”.
Graffiti including the names of people who campaigners claim were either killed by the police or died in custody - including Sheku Bayoh and Mark Duggan - were also scrawled on the statue plinth.
Workers were spotted trying to remove the graffiti from the stone at the time, and the statue has now been completely renovated after being professionally cleaned.
At the time, bosses at the university said it “stood firmly against racism in all its forms” and that an “historical audit” would take place before decisions were made on the future of the statue of Witherspoon.
Witherspoon, who was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, is known to have supported slavery and voted against its abolition.
A spokeswoman added: “The university has already begun a process to examine this critical issue, including proposals to carry out a historical audit to inform appropriate future action.”
The university confirmed this week that studies were still being carried out to determine the future of the statue in the town.
A spokeswoman said: “As per our previous statement, a critical examination of this issue is underway and contextualisation of this artwork will be taken forward.”
The vandalism of the UWS statue highlighted issues of racism in relation to other monuments in Paisley, which also have links to the slave trade through their involvement in the cotton industry.
The Coats family is one of Paisley’s most celebrated legacies, with their cotton fortune responsible for Paisley’s prosperity.
The world- famous Paisley mills built by the family are responsible for one of the town’s largest economic boosts.
This also directly links the Coats family to the slave trade in the 1800s.
George Aitken Clark is also memorialised in the town for his £20,000 donation to build the town hall.
He earned his fortune through manufacturing spool cotton that became a recognised American brand.