Jen Reid (born 2 November 1970) is a British Black Lives Matter activist from Bristol. After the statue of Edward Colston was pushed into Bristol Harbour, Reid stood on the empty plinth and made a Black Power salute. This pose was then recreated in the sculpture A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) 2020.

7 June 2020

On 7 June 2020, at a Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol following the murder of George Floyd, a statue of Edward Colston was toppled and pushed into the nearby Bristol Harbour.[1] Seventeenth-century merchant Edward Colston had become a figure of controversy in Bristol due to his involvement in the slave trade.[2][3] Reid stood upon the now empty plinth and raised her fist in a Black Power salute. Her husband took a photograph and posted it on Instagram, and it was quickly transmitted worldwide.[4][5] She later told ITV News "It was a spontaneous action".[4]

Frances Lincoln Publishers announced in 2021 that they would be releasing a picture book made by Reid and US author Angela Joy which is based upon the June 2020 events.[6] A BBC Radio 4 series called Descendants profiled Reid in its first episode in May 2021.[7] A mural featuring a portrait of Reid was painted by London artist Mr Cenz in Stokes Croft.[8]

A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) 2020

Main article: A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) 2020

Having seen the photograph of Jen Reid on social media, artist Marc Quinn contacted her and they agreed to make a sculpture of her recreating the raised fist pose to put upon the still empty plinth.[9] Following a 3D scan of Reid made at Quinn's London studio A Surge of Power (Jen Reid) 2020 was created in black resin and placed upon the plinth on the morning of 15 July 2020.[9][10] Reid told BBC News "This sculpture is about making a stand for my mother, for my daughter, for black people like me".[5] The statue was removed the following day by Bristol City Council.

Personal and professional life

Reid was born on 2 November 1970.[3] She claims that one of her grandmothers was an enslaved African.[7]

Reid launched a fashion brand called Big Stush in 2022.[11][12] Reid is one of the authors of A Hero Like Me, an illustrated children's book inspired by the events of 7 June 2020 which was published in 2023.[13]

References

  1. ^ Block, India (16 July 2020). "Marc Quinn replaces statue of slaver Edward Colston with Black Lives Matter protestor". Dezeen. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Colston Hall music venue renamed Bristol Beacon". BBC News. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b Mukena, Rema (10 November 2020). "'No regrets' – the Black woman whose statue replaced Colston's". Bristol Live. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  4. ^ a b "'My life has changed' – Jen Reid a year on from Colston toppling". ITV News. 7 June 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Jen Reid: Black Lives Matter statue to go from Colston plinth". BBC News. 15 July 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  6. ^ Bayley, Sian (7 June 2021). "Frances Lincoln signs picture book from Colston statue activist Reid". The Bookseller. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Bristol Black Lives Matter protester Jen Reid stars in Radio 4 series". BBC News. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  8. ^ "Jen Reid: Mural of Black Lives Matter Bristol protester". BBC News. 1 April 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  9. ^ a b Emelife, Aindrea (15 July 2020). "'Hope flows through her': artist Marc Quinn on replacing Colston with a Black Lives Matter statue". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Jen Reid: 'I felt a surge of power. Colston is gone. Now there's a new girl in town'". the Guardian. 6 December 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  11. ^ Streeting, Louisa (24 November 2022). "Jen Reid on Colston two years on and her new fashion brand". BristolLive. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  12. ^ "BIG STUSH LTD people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  13. ^ Reid, Jen; Joy, Angela (6 June 2023). A Hero Like Me. Frances Lincoln Children's Books. ISBN 978-0-7112-7041-1.


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