A petition started by the Birmingham Anti-Racist Campaign (BARC) has called for various iconic monuments and statues across to city to be taken from display and put into museums, while also asking the council to rename the buildings across the city with links to Britain’s colonial past.
The petition targets:
- The Boer War memorial in Canon Hill Park
- Horatio Nelson’s statue outside the Bullring
- James Watt memorials (including James Watt school)
- Matthew Boulton memorials ( Including Oasis Boulton School)
- Birmingham Curzon Street Station and the Curzon Building (BCU)
- Memorials named after Joseph Chamberlain (Six Form College, Square and Clock Tower)
In these most volatile of times – sparked in part by the murder of George Floyd in America and the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests which took place across the globe, it was only a matter of time before these monuments were questioned – and for good reason.
Perhaps one of the most telling parts of the group’s morality and search for true equality, justice and the betterment of society, would be the fact that they have specifically stated that if these statues and memorials are removed – that they wish them to be used as educational pieces for generations to understand our countries past rather than erasing it – in hope that it can make sure that such atrocities never reoccur.
Education is perhaps the most important point in their statement, noting our cities huge amount of diversity and that “we must ensure that this is reflected in the way we tell the stories of the past and how we create a more equal and inclusive future…
“Whilst removing symbols glorifying the horrors connected to slavery and colonialism is important – our fight does not end there.
“It is for this reason that our petition also asks Birmingham City Council to tackle the structural and systematic racism in our city which is leading to health, housing, employment and educational inequalities faced by Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities in our city.
