On 18th June, the Oxford University’s Oriel College backed the removal of the Victorian imperialist Cecil Rhodes statue. Additionally, it has agreed to set up an independent inquiry into the key issues around the statue in light of the recent Black Lives Matter protests. However, this turnaround follows a student-led campaign that began four years ago in 2015.
The protests by the Rhodes Must Fall campaign escalated outside the college over the last two weeks forcing the governing body of Oriel College to hold a meeting.
In a statement to The Guardian, a spokesperson of the Commission noted,
“The commission will deal with the issue of the Rhodes legacy and how to improve access and attendance of BAME [black, Asian and minority ethnic] undergraduate, graduate students and faculty, together with a review of how the college’s 21st century commitment to diversity can sit more easily with its past.”
Cecil Rhodes is defined as an imperialist, businessman and politician who played a dominant role in southern Africa in the late 19th Century, driving the annexation of vast swathes of land
