Student protesters can claim victory over the announced removal of the statue of British colonialist Cecil Rhodes that resides at a college on Oxford University’s campus.
Oriel College’s governing body said it would get rid of the statue as well as launch an independent inquiry into issues surrounding the monument after several nearby student-led demonstrations occurred in recent weeks calling for its downfall.
The “Rhodes Must Fall” campaign exploded after Black Lives Matter protests erupted across the United States in response to the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody. Protests that began as movements demanding justice for Floyd’s death escalated into larger movements calling for an end to racial injustice and police brutality. Some demonstrations also grew into campaigns to remove historical symbols of oppression and racism around the world.
Students viewed the Rhodes statues as one that glorified racism, according to a report by the Independent.
Carole Souter, current master of St. Cross College and former chief executive of the U.K.’s National Lottery Heritage Fund, will head the independent commission looking into issues about the statue cited by students. The latter organization seeks to fund projects that connect people to the local, regional, and national heritage of the United Kingdom.
“These decisions were reached after a thoughtful period of debate and reflection and with the full awareness of the impact these decisions are likely to have in Britain and around the world,” the governing body of Oriel College said in a statement.
The commission is expected to deal with the “issue” of Rhodes’s legacy and determine ways as to how the university can become more accessible and inclusive to minorities. They are expected to produce a report to the governing body by the end of the year.
“By setting up this commission, Oriel governing body is demonstrating that it is willing to be guided by all its stakeholders,” the statement continued. “The governing body believes that this decision will allow a serious, appropriate and productive resolution of a complex series of issues.”
