Reflecting on the Docklands news. Respect to @MuseumofLondon Front of House for handling a difficult situation. Respect to curators who it appears are permanently removing stolen African objects from the Sugar & Slavery displays. Museum workers are doing their best. But (1/5)

(2/5) A man has been criminalized for protesting a racist exhibit in London. Museum leadership must keep in step in a changing world. In 1997 it was felt appropriate to re-erect a statue of the slaver Milligan; 23 years later he’s officially removed. So too the 2003 Benin display

(3/5) Re-writing labels to tell the history “better” is no longer enough. Within months of the 1897 Benin atrocity, UK museum displays were put to work as weapons to extend, justify and naturalise anti-Black violence. Until the work of restitution begins that violence continues.

(4/5) White supremacy weaponised museums in the 1890s-1920s. As with scientific racism in natural history museums, so cultural history museums must see how displays of loot were devices for generating alterity, commemorating antiblackness, racializing visitors as white. Time’s up

(5/5) Museum of London finds itself at the frontline of these issues for a good reason. Like non-national museums across the UK, it is genuinely part of its community. It’s in places like MoL that the urgent work of conscience, dismantling, reconciliation and repair begins. ENDS

News story here https://twitter.com/javierpes1/status/1302928490489090048

One of the oddest parts of this story is the idea in institutional circulation that all 4 Nigerian objects were copies. In fact there were two C20 Ife plaster casts, but two actual Benin bronzes. That bronze is "cast" seems to have confused some about what was actually on display

All four objects now returned to the British Museum, apparently permanently, following their long-term loan to Docklands 2003-2020 https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/search?keyword=docklands