Reports have emerged that are suggesting that the Natural History Museum is set to review its collections amid fears among the museum bosses that they could be perceived as “offensive”. This would include the museums Charles Darwin exhibitions.
A review has been commissioned in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement. The review will include an audit into rooms, statues and individual items, that some staff believe represent “legacies of colonies, slavery and empire”. UNN’s Oliver Down understands that any collections deemed “problematic” could be renamed or even removed.
Documents that have been seen by Oliver Down show that the executive board have notified staff at the museum of the review into room names, statues and collections that “could potentially cause offence”. In addition to this, the documents state that the decisions taken by this review could alter “the use and display of our collections and public spaces”.
These leaked documents say that “museums were put in place to legitimise a racist ideology”, as well as that “covert racism, exists in the gaps between the displays” that as a result of this collections need to be decolonised with the Charles Darwin collection firmly under threat.
These reports have caused a considerable furore on social media. The talkRADIO presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer tweeted: “Hi @NHM_London, why are you reviewing your Charles Darwin exhibits because a handful of woke idiots think they “may be offensive” because they are from a “colonialist” past? The clue is in the name: Natural *History* Museum. Information about the past isn’t offensive. Get a grip”.
The Natural History Museum has sought to clarify the situation but has not denied the reports. They have said, “We’ve begun a review to better understand the history of our institution, but this is ongoing, and no recommendations or decisions have been made”.
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Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!
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