argument top image

How do we think about taking down controversial statues in the UK?
Back to question

The statues sustain structural oppression

To break free from the system of oppression, we must stop celebrating the statues of racist figures in the slave trade and put an end to whitewashing the cruel acts that earned them their glory.

The Argument

Throughout history, statues have been used to commemorate, remember, or tell stories about people or events with significant historical or cultural meaning.[1] But throughout history, they have also been used to sustain structural oppression, and history has fallen victim to whitewashing. During the June 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in the UK, two significant statues came under attack from demonstrators who have been attempting to put an end to systemic racism. Demonstrators in Bristol tied a rope around the 125-year old statue of 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston and toppled it into Bristol Harbour. Colston’s statue was erected to celebrate his philanthropy and charitable donations to his home town of Bristol.[2] But much of Colston’s wealth came from his position within the Royal African Company, who shipped 80,000 men, women, and children from Africa to America to be sold as slaves. Structural oppression is sustained when we glorify philanthropic racist figures and ignore the injustices of how they gained their wealth.[3] On the same day, the owner of 526 slaves, Robert Milligan’s statue was crane lifted from its plinth outside the Museum of London Docklands in rebellion of his crimes against humanity.[4] This marked another successful attempt to decolonise spaces where colonisation was being promoted and push back against systemic racism.[5] Removing racist statues from public spaces eradicates the links between contemporary racism and racism rooted in historical colonialism. For some, there is no need to celebrate statues of the perpetrators of the slave trade.[6] Instead, there is a call for action to replace racist statues with other prominent figures. These figures must reflect the UK’s modern and underrepresented multicultural society to move away from celebrating statues that are symbolic of systemic racism and structural oppression.

Counter arguments

While slave trade was legal and considered socially acceptable in the 17th century, it is not legal or socially acceptable now. Society is constantly changing, and we cannot judge people from the past by the attitudes of today. Keeping statues of racist figures in the slave trade does not mean that slavery is acceptable or sustains structural oppression.[1] It is an uncomfortable and unforgivable part of history, but society can learn a lot from the past. Statues offer a snapshot into history and tell us about the values, views, and mistakes of previous generations.[7] This means that statues that are symbolic of systemic racism and structural oppression can act as a reminder of violations against humanity, which should never be repeated. If the statues are displayed in the correct places, respectfully, with plaques that do not whitewash history, they can become powerful educational tools for progress, change, and understanding.

Proponents

Premises

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/52965665
  2. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-statues-removed-down-colston-rhodes-baden-powell-racism-a9560736.html
  3. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/edward-colston-statue-bristol-slavery-robert-milligan-tower-hamlets-a9555846.html.
  4. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-52977088
  5. https://www.globaljustice.org.uk/blog/2020/jun/11/what-pulling-down-statues-slave-owners-tells-us-about-fighting-systemic-racism
  6. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/edward-colston-statue-bristol-slavery-robert-milligan-tower-hamlets-a9555846.html
  7. https://inews.co.uk/news/uk/statues-uk-history-edward-colston-slave-traders-pulled-down-removed-protests-443543
This page was last edited on Monday, 28 Sep 2020 at 17:53 UTC

Explore related arguments