What Is The Mission Of Culture?

There's lots of comments on here about Liverpool's role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Many are factual, but many are also just statements without foundation, could I open further these interesting discussions with the following'-

Cheikh Anta Diop one of the finest African thinkers of all time
when asked at a lecture he was giving "What is Culture?" replied.

"Surely the question should be...

What Is The Mission Of Culture?

Survival and Creativity, man (sic) must Create to Survive.
To Create he must ensure his Survival.

He went on to say..."Collective historical consciousness is one of our chief means of survival and a source of creation...Destroy or stifle it and the chances for the survival of a people becomes questionable."

(That obviously apply that to ALL cultures) furthermore he comments...

"Culture serves as a kind of glue that binds individuals into a group. Shared culture is the indispensable basis for group unity."

Therefore we need to re-inforce our role as participants and creators in the historical process of our City and not become mere spectators.

Below is a link to a lecture by Tony Tibbles.
It's long but full of researched and very readable information about Liverpool's historic role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade.


http://www.gresham.ac.uk/event.asp?P...45&EventId=478

I notice Tony Tibbles is something to do with the Merseyside Maritime museum, i'll read that piece in a minute but the MMM has been criticised, (not least by the friends of the museums that have just been 'sacked'), for not giving a balanced view or mention of the slave trade's abolishionists in liverpool. Now, i'll read on....