Achieving racial justice in the museum sector will involve current trustees and directors stepping down from their roles to make way for more diverse voices, BAME museum workforce representatives have suggested.
The comments are part of a Twitter thread from the Museum Detox network calling for institutions to take concrete, radical action in response to ongoing Black Lives Matter protests.
The comments are part of a Twitter thread from the Museum Detox network calling for institutions to take concrete, radical action in response to ongoing Black Lives Matter protests.
The group argues this will involve a change in personnel, saying: “We need organisations with trustees and directors that are willing to step down because they contribute to a system where different voices are not heard. We need museums and galleries that are willing to make radical statements and acts that will get people listening.”
Many museums have made statements of solidarity with the protests sparked off by the recent killing of George Floyd in the US. But in a thread last week on “how not to be a performative ally”, Museum Detox said that this in itself was not enough.
Many museums have made statements of solidarity with the protests sparked off by the recent killing of George Floyd in the US. But in a thread last week on “how not to be a performative ally”, Museum Detox said that this in itself was not enough.
“It’s great to see a number of organisations stand in solidarity,” said the group. “Now we need you all to act”.
The organisation is calling for museums to take actions such as sharing resources with their staff and audiences, making donations, signing petitions, supporting black-owned businesses and speaking out.
It comments: “Tell us what steps your organisation is taking to help Black employees and to diversify your workforce. What plans do you have in place?”
The organisation says that “for too long, the drive to make museums representative has been dismissed because of the threat of the white patron who doesn’t want to reckon with the legacy of empire.”
It says policing museums and galleries “according to the thoughts of this imagined white patron validates the racism and ignorance which has propped up the far right and fascist governments we see in power today”.
Museum Detox acknowledges that “some are going to want you to say nothing”. It says the sector should tell these people “they are not welcome”.
It says that when museums are inevitably “called out” on their own actions, they should respond and “admit you have a lot to learn”.
The Black Cultural Archives (BCA) said it was “saddened and enraged” by the killing of Floyd, as well as the death of Belly Mujinga, a railway worker who died with Covid-19 in April after allegedly being spat on by a man claiming to have coronavirus.
British Transport Police has said there is no evidence of Mujinga’s death being caused by the incident.
BCA said: “We stand in solidarity and sympathy with our brothers and sisters across the world who have lost their lives to police brutality and systemic racism”.
It said that UK policy makers and society needed to urgently address this issue, pointing to figures showing that BAME people in the England and Wales are more likely to lose their lives due to force or restraint when in police custody.
It says that when museums are inevitably “called out” on their own actions, they should respond and “admit you have a lot to learn”.
The Black Cultural Archives (BCA) said it was “saddened and enraged” by the killing of Floyd, as well as the death of Belly Mujinga, a railway worker who died with Covid-19 in April after allegedly being spat on by a man claiming to have coronavirus.
British Transport Police has said there is no evidence of Mujinga’s death being caused by the incident.
BCA said: “We stand in solidarity and sympathy with our brothers and sisters across the world who have lost their lives to police brutality and systemic racism”.
It said that UK policy makers and society needed to urgently address this issue, pointing to figures showing that BAME people in the England and Wales are more likely to lose their lives due to force or restraint when in police custody.
It said: “We demand the right to more than just living and breathing. We demand that Black lives thrive and flourish. Black people have the right to be heard – whether they are protesting in our streets or sitting directly across the table from policymakers.”
“We want our government, policymakers, the justice system, and individuals across the nation to take action to end systemic racism for all areas of society,” added BCA. “We call on the British government to make a stand for equality. We call for the British people to stand in solidarity.”
Alistair Hudson, the director of the Whitworth and Manchester Art Gallery, said in a statement that the roots of his institutions were “entangled with colonialism and capitalism”.
Hudson said: “We understand that it is critical to acknowledge and address structural racism, and show solidarity with local and global communities that are subject to racial inequality and discrimination. Yet we also know that actions speak louder than words - we must make practical and tangible contributions to change.”
Both the Whitworth and Manchester Art Gallery had been working to decolonise their exhibitions and collections, said Hudson.
He argued that museums can play a key role in “getting together and getting things done”, pointing to recent work by the institutions creating a curriculum for schools, providing gallery spaces for community groups, and supporting international political and activist art.
Laura Pye, director of National Museums Liverpool (NML), said that racism and social injustice are “not new” and that “many in our communities have continued to experience them in all walks of life”.
She said NML recognises that “more needs to be done on our own doorstep and globally to challenge injustices”.
Pye said that the NML’s work in this area would involve continuing to raise awareness through the International Slavery Museum (part of NML). It will also continue to partner with the Minnesota Historical Society, which it has worked with to share memories from African American elders as part of its dementia programme.
NML acknowledges that it has “a long way to go” in raising BAME visitor and staff numbers. The museum aims to have the most representative audience and workforce profiles in the sector by 2030.
Pye said conversations about social change “won't always be comfortable. But they must be had. And we cannot ignore it any longer.”
Last week a group of museum sector support bodies including the Museums Association, the International Council of Museums UK, and the Group for Education in Museums said that ending racism in the heritage sector was overdue and non-negotiable.
They committed to support actions including anti-discrimination debate, developing diverse collections, and challenging practices that support racism.
Museums in the US have reacted to the protests in a range of ways. Brooklyn Museum and MoMa PS1 are among a number of New York cultural organisations that have opened their lobbies and bathrooms to protesters.
The Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio has drawn criticism for emphasising its “non-partisan and disinterested” position. Director Adam Levine wrote: “Let me reemphasise this point: The Toledo Museum of Art does not have a political stance.”
The museum subsequently published an update of steps it will take to advance inclusion, such as unconscious bias training and changes to its recruitment practices.