Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

UKs King's College axes Rhodes professorship over links to slavery

-Guyanese Born Prof. Richard Drayton argued that Blood of C’bean slaves was in the mortar of its foundations
A King’s College University professorship named after 19th-century mining magnate and Rhodesia-founder, Cecil J. Rhodes has been axed over its links to slavery and racism. Photo: Internet Source
Drayton is also a prominent sympathizer with the Rhodes Must Fall campaign which seeks to topple statues of the colonialist, mining magnate, and educational benefactor. Photo: Internet Source
Drayton is also a prominent sympathizer with the Rhodes Must Fall campaign which seeks to topple statues of the colonialist, mining magnate, and educational benefactor. Photo: Internet Source
Meanwhile, plans to rebrand a statue of Sir Francis Drake to highlight his 'horrific slave-trading expeditions' are going ahead in the UK despite receiving only one letter of support – and 89 objections. Photo: Internet Source
Meanwhile, plans to rebrand a statue of Sir Francis Drake to highlight his 'horrific slave-trading expeditions' are going ahead in the UK despite receiving only one letter of support – and 89 objections. Photo: Internet Source
LONDON, UK – A King’s College University professorship named after 19th-century mining magnate and Rhodesia-founder, Cecil J. Rhodes has been axed over its links to slavery and racism.

The Rhodes Professorship of Imperial History is no more after strong lobbying by the current post holder, Professor Richard Drayton.

Process of repairs begins - Professor Drayton 

Professor Drayton an academic Born in Guyana who grew up in Barbados, is reported to have argued that axing the professorship would “begin a process of repair — repair of the world, repair of ourselves — to make a future world in which everyone can live as equals”. 

Drayton, a former Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, said of King's that 'the blood of enslaved Caribbean people is mixed into the mortar of its foundations,' with regards to the professorship.

Drayton is also a prominent sympathiser with the Rhodes Must Fall campaign which seeks to topple statues of the colonialist, mining magnate, and educational benefactor.

College honours request 

In a letter to the provost of King's, released following a UK Freedom of Information request, Professor Drayton said the institution was built with donations from individuals made rich by the enslavement and exploitation of people in the West Indies. 

He highlighted plantation owner Charles Palmer, who gave today's equivalent of £40,000 to the university in 1828 – the year before it was established – but who once received the equivalent of £400,000 for the 300 slaves he owned in Jamaica.

In response, the university said that because the Professorship was not connected to any funding from the Rhodes Trust, reference to the controversial imperialist could be dropped.

A small win for Drayton, however, 'the Rhodes Must Fall campaign', which wants to see a statue of Rhodes taken down from Oriel College, Oxford. 

Sir Francis Drake gets rebrand 

Meanwhile, plans to rebrand a statue of Sir Francis Drake to highlight his 'horrific slave-trading expeditions' are going ahead in the UK despite receiving only one letter of support – and 89 objections including racist justifications to keep the statue as is.

A new sign that claims he 'brutally attacked' African communities has been authorised to accompany the statue, with calls still mounting for the statue to be completely ripped down.

In the VI, when similar calls were made regarding the removal of remnants of slavery, controversial ex-Governor Augustus J.U. Jaspert had instead called for the preservation of the names of landmarks, that were named after people, like Sir Francis Drake, who inflicted decades of harm and suffering on the ancestors of Virgin Islanders and other Caribbean people.

8 Responses to “UKs King's College axes Rhodes professorship over links to slavery”

  • one sided (11/01/2022, 11:19) Like (18) Dislike (1) Reply
    UK been protesting against the Plandemic for almost two years now but never once seen you guys cover that. Why you think most people don’t trust the news anymore
  • resident (11/01/2022, 12:13) Like (7) Dislike (2) Reply
    Cecil Rhodes was not born until 1853, so I don't think he can be said to have been connected to slavery, which was abolished in 1834.
  • My girl (11/01/2022, 12:20) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    The color line
  • lodger (11/01/2022, 13:20) Like (2) Dislike (2) Reply
    But he took the money! Is he going to pay back the cost of his education? You cannot change history!
  • HELLO (11/01/2022, 14:32) Like (15) Dislike (1) Reply
    We already read about the atrocities of the slave trade , why is all the history of it so important , that you got repeated YAP YAP YAP everyday / it done happen , talk about our own black people treating our own black brothers and sisters the same way right here now using hypocrisy as a disguise
    • @hello (11/01/2022, 15:51) Like (26) Dislike (7) Reply
      It goes both ways. Our own so call black brothers and sisters who come here and doing BVIslanders all kind of things that they never dream another human being is capable of doing to another and when you do not allow it they cry bloody murder that it is because they not from here why you do not allow them to take advantage of you. Most expats only keeping noise when they cannot get to take BVIslanders for fools. BVIslanders have to stand up for themselves or else they will become the down trodden in this country. A lot of expats are greedy and bad minded. Never satified.
  • @ @ HELL O (12/01/2022, 08:07) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    THERE IS GOOD AND BAD IN EACH AND
    EVERYONE OF US / I RESPONDED TO TACTICS USED HERE ALL OF A SUDDEN ( RACISM ) IS ONE ( MANIPULATION ) IF YOU GO TO COUNTRY TO SEEK WORK , YOU HAVE TO RESPECT THAT THE PEOPLE FROM THERE HAS THE FIRST CHOICE , AND NOBODY CAN TAKE THEIR LAND , WE ALL COME AND MEET THIS LAND AND WE ALL WILL GO AND LEAVE THIS LAND / SO DON'T BE A HYPOCRITE


Create a comment


Create a comment

Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.