A Plymouth, UK, public square named after 16th century slave trader Sir John Hawkins will be renamed after Plymouth Argyle footballer Jack Leslie (1901-1988) who was not picked for England because he was black, The Daily Mail reported.

Plymouth City Council is taking the action after a petition to commemorate the only professional black player in England between 1921 and 1934 was signed by more than 500 people. 

Council leader Tudor Evans said: “We are not seeking to rewrite history and we are not saying that we should forget Hawkins. He was without question an important figure in our national history.”

Monuments glorifying slave traders and colonialists have come into sharp focus in recent weeks, as part of a broader movement inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests that started in the United States following the death of George Floyd on May 25.