David Starkey resigns from board of Mary Rose Trust after slavery comments
Heritage organisations condem historian's ‘abhorrent’ remarks
The historian and TV personality David Starkey has resigned from the board of the Mary Rose Trust after an interview where he said that slavery was not genocide because “so many damn blacks” had survived.
Starkey made the comments during an interview on the YouTube channel Reasoned UK about the recent Black Lives Matter protests and the toppling of the statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol.
He said: “Slavery was not genocide otherwise there wouldn’t be so many damn blacks in Africa or in Britain, would there? You know, an awful lot of them survived and again there’s no point in arguing against globalisation or western civilisation. They are all products of it, we are all products of it.”
His remarks have led to widespread condemnation. The former chancellor Sajid Javid said his “racist comments were a reminder of the appalling views that still exist”, while historian David Olusoga said the remarks were “truly disgusting”.
The Mary Rose Trust, which manages the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, announced that it was cutting ties with Starkey. In a statement issued yesterday, the trust said: “David Starkey has been a long serving member of the Mary Rose Board and has given his Tudor expertise generously to help with the creation and promotion of the Mary Rose Museum. We remain extremely grateful for this help.
“However, we were appalled to hear his public comments on slavery today. Mary Rose Trust is a charity that exists for the benefit of everyone and we have zero tolerance for such comments. The board of the Mary Rose Trust has therefore accepted David Starkey’s resignation."
The trust said it would make no further statement on the situation.
Other organisations in the heritage sector have also condemned Starkey’s views. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s chief executive Olivia Marks-Woldman said: "To suggest a genocide did not take place because some of those who were persecuted survived is dangerous, damaging and completely reprehensible.
"His words are abhorrent and as a historian with a considerable platform and following, David Starkey’s irresponsible and racist views should be widely condemned.”
Fitzwilliam College at Cambridge University described the comments as “indefensible” and said it was considering Starkey’s position as an honorary fellow.
The historian has had a 30-year career in TV and radio.