Letter to John Major from Seymour Mclean regarding reparations for looting of Ethiopian church

About this item

This document is a letter dated April 3, 1995, from Seymour Mclean to then UK Prime Minister John Major. It raises concerns about the historical looting of the Ethiopian Church by British forces in 1868 and requests urgent investigation and reparative acknowledgement. The letter also addresses a recent police raid on Mclean’s home, questioning its motives and connection to his enquiries about the looting.

Key points:
– The letter references the 1868 looting of the Ethiopian Church by Queen Victoria’s army.
– Seymour Mclean requests that Prime Minister John Major consult with President Clinton regarding reparations.
– The letter questions the armed police raid on Mclean’s home and asks for clarity about its purpose and any allegations against him.
– Mclean has referred the case to President Santer of the European Commission, seeking a clean investigation.
– The letter conveys respectful greetings and invokes religious and historical symbolism connected to Ethiopia’s legacy.

This letter is part of broader historical and political efforts within Black British and international communities to seek reparations for colonial-era injustices. It reflects ongoing activism linking historical events to contemporary struggles for justice, accountability, and anti-racism. Though not directly connected to Bernie Grant, such materials help contextualize the global reparations discourse in which Black British political figures and activists engaged.

Source note: The OCR transcription contains minor formatting inconsistencies and unclear characters, but the main content and intent of the letter are preserved and clearly understandable.