Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: CECIL RHODES

gloria

there's more than one way to do decolonization.

i suppose museums might be one; but really, to see a decapitated rhodes, doesn't that really do something for your heart? an empty space, or a nelsonmandela in its place, would very soon become a yawn.

i saw an exhibit of what they did to lenins and stalins etc in e europe; some of it was OVERWHELMinG. people weeping, as the statues were destroyed or sunk iinto the ground on their sides. truly overwhelming. a statue dethroned, lying on its side. All those damn confederate generals in virginia, tossed w their horses on their sides, with only arthur ashe standing; who could ever dream of such a day.

that's what i would do. charlottesville, right? i'd toss them on their sides as now fallen memorials, and make a law that they'd have to stay there, say, 100 years. and the racists would have to see that reversal every day.

yes, what better could be done. hiding them in museums, not nearly as powerful.

and when they were there, on the ground, a little good red paint wouldn't hurt; a little graffiti. a lot of graffiti, until that was mostly all youd see.

appropriate revenge for a city that almost busted a gut when arthur ashe's statue was put up.

virginia. heart of the sentimental southern racists? jefferson davis highway, right there running through arlington ???? right by the reagan national airport.

oh, no end to their crap

ken

kenneth harrow

professor emeritus

dept of english

michigan state university

517 803-8839

harrow@msu.edu

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From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Gloria Emeagwali <gloria.emeagwali@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, July 17, 2020 2:21 PM
To: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: CECIL RHODES

 

Ken,

Are you saying that statues should remain - but without their heads?

What about  total removal of the statues from the public square and reallocation to a museum, in this case to the colonial history  section. They could also be in a "house of shame" section of the museum.🤓

I remember seeing Vasco da Gama's statue in Cape Town and wondered about it. The museum is really a good place for these statues and they can keep their heads while occupying that space.

The danger lies with curators.Many of them were trained in the Eurocentric tradition. The Africanization  and decolonization of museums  is a major challenge. The entries made for the individual statues should not be attempts at rehabilitation and whitewashing.

There are some great  museums in South Africa, though. A great  model is the museum in honor of   " Hector Pieterson " in Soweto.

G

On Jul 17, 2020, at 1:33 PM, Harrow, Kenneth <harrow@msu.edu> wrote:



i don't believe in removing statues of repugnant figures of the past, but rather leaving them--and indeed all statues of anyone, except for works of art--to be used by the people to express their feelings. replacing one authorized figure with another retains notions of authorization that redound to the state, and i find that repugnant.

on the other hand, opening statues to graffiti--like banksey say--enables the people to expresss themselves. so...i submit my case with this bust of rhodes sans head. it is magnificent as is, and should remain as a wonderful reminder of the people's rights to express themselves.

dictators beware: you might be hung upside down one day; you might shoot yourself in a bunker; you might catch covid-19 after making fun of masks; you might be beheaded posthumously, and rightly so!

ken

kenneth harrow

professor emeritus

dept of english

michigan state university

517 803-8839

harrow@msu.edu

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From: usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Toyin Falola <toyinfalola@austin.utexas.edu>
Sent: Friday, July 17, 2020 12:16 PM
To: ya <yorubaaffairs@googlegroups.com>; dialogue <USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com>
Subject: USA Africa Dialogue Series - CECIL RHODES

 

Sent from my 

 

PICS | Beheaded Cecil John Rhodes bust cleaned as City of Cape Town mulls options on damaged statues

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Cecil John Rhodes statue at Rhodes Memorial.

Shavan Rahim

The bust of Cecil John Rhodes at Rhodes Memorial in Cape Town was cleaned on Thursday after the head of the bust was chopped off by unknown people earlier this week.

The controversial statue made news again this week after SANParks confirmed that the head on the stone sculpture had been cut off sometime between Sunday evening and Monday morning.

On Thursday, officials could be seen cleaning the area, while visitors milled around the viewing spot.

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Cecil John Rhodes statue at Rhodes Memorial. (Shavan Rahim, News24)

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Cecil John Rhodes statue at Rhodes Memorial. (Shavan Rahim, News24)

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Cecil John Rhodes statue at Rhodes Memorial. (Shavan Rahim, News24)

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Cecil John Rhodes statue at Rhodes Memorial. (Shavan Rahim, News24)

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Cecil John Rhodes statue at Rhodes Memorial. (Shavan Rahim, News24)

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Cecil John Rhodes statue at Rhodes Memorial.

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Cecil John Rhodes statue at Rhodes Memorial. (Shavan Rahim, News24)

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Cecil John Rhodes statue at Rhodes Memorial. (Shavan Rahim, News24)

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Cecil John Rhodes statue at Rhodes Memorial. (Shavan Rahim, News24)

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Cecil John Rhodes statue at Rhodes Memorial. (Shavan Rahim, News24)

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While there were no formal plans in place or tabled, Mayco Member for Spatial Planning and Environment Marian Nieuwoudt told News24 that the City of Cape Town was concerned and investigating options to secure monuments.

One of those was the idea of a single site or memorial park, the Cape Argus reported. Nieuwoudt, however, said that was just one of a number of ideas, as the City looked for alternative mechanisms, and that nothing formal had been developed.

She said members of the public were welcome to contact her office if they thought they had a good idea.

It is not the first time the statue of the controversial figure was damaged, News24 reported.

In 2015, the bust's nose was cut off. There was also a call for the full statue to be removed by protesting UCT students calling for the decolonisation of higher education and its environments.

 

 

Professor Adekeye Adebajo

Director, Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation

University of Johannesburg

5 Molesey Avenue Auckland Park 2092

Johannesburg, South Africa

Tel: 011 559 7232

Fax: 086 527 6448

http://ipatc.joburg/

 

 

 

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