Greene King continues to tackle historical links

A new partnership has been announced between the International Slavery Museum and Greene King to help raise awareness and educate about the historic transatlantic slave trade.

As part of the new partnership, Greene King employees will get the opportunity to take part in online workshops on Understanding Transatlantic Slavery and the museum will also work with Greene King on exploring the history of Benjamin Greene, one of the brewer’s founding members, who profited from slavery and argued against its abolition in the 1800s.

The partnership begins with financial support by Greene King for the National Museums Liverpool’s Black History Month programme this month and will be followed by initiatives over the coming months as part of Greene King’s wider inclusion and diversity programme.

“There is no place for racism or discrimination anywhere in society and I am proud to be at the beginning of this exciting partnership,” says Greene King chief executive Nick Mackenzie. “We’re working hard to build a more inclusive and diverse workforce with increased opportunities for people from minority ethnic backgrounds, but equally we don’t want to lose sight of the past.

“It is inexcusable that one of our founders profited from slavery and, while that was nearly 200 years ago, we can’t pretend it didn’t happen. We want to educate and work with the International Slavery Museum to learn more about the past and better inform our choices for the future.”

Greene King made a commitment in June, as part of wider discussions about British companies with historic links to slavery, to accelerate its diversity ambitions and significantly invest in initiatives to support more young people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds to begin a career in hospitality.

“The move by Greene King to support Black History Month and commit to working with the International Slavery Museum on educational and transformative initiatives is a positive step in the right direction,” adds Richard Benjamin, head of International Slavery Museum. “Reparative justice must acknowledge past abuses and respond to their continuing legacies. We hope that more institutions and businesses in the UK with the same historical links to slavery can be equally as transparent about their origins. We are therefore pleased to work with Greene King, to share our resources and knowledge, and to help them become a more diverse and inclusive employer, one that can be the model for best business practice.”