Anti-Racism Protest Works: New Name for British Art Centre

Anti-racism protesters forced a British museum and art centre to change its name from Cecil Rhodes, a British colonialist who paved the way to racial segregation in South Africa, to South Mill Arts.

“We are joyful the arts centre, something we should feel proud of in the community, will no longer be tarnished by the name of Cecil Rhodes,” says Stortford Against Rhodes, a group of local residents who pushed for the arts centre’s name change. “We, as anti-racists, must educate the future generations to be anti-racist too and that includes the crimes of Cecil Rhodes and other colonialists and we hope the centre will be able to be a part of this.”

In the wake of anti-racism protests sweeping the world, debates about statues and buildings glorifying Britain’s imperialist past emerge. Consequently, Orford University’s Oriel College wishes to remove its Cecil Rhodes statue, partly inspired by South Africans who pushed Cape Town University to remove its Rhodes statue in 2015.