Thread by @Morris_RPD

Deeply ashamed of @OrielOxford's decision to retain the statue of #CecilRhodes due to "regulatory and financial challenges".

Instead they will "contextualise" the statue. Let me suggest some facts that should be included in that context. 🧵 (1/x)

theguardian.com/education/2021…

The students of @OrielOxford voted by 125-26 in June 2020 to remove the statue of Cecil Rhodes.

The Governing Body of staff agreed with this wish and voted to establish a committee to consult stakeholders and recommendations.

So why did the college reject these views? [2/x]

First, the college has a dodgy history. Not only did it receive a huge donation from colonial tyrant #CecilRhodes and erect a monument in his honour in 1911 (he is in a suit - this is recent!!)...

... but the college was the last to admit women in 1985. [3/x]

As a result, Oriel's alumni base consists largely of old, white men. The richer, more influential among these became major donors and have exercised a huge regressive influence over - and apparently sometimes vetoed - college policies over the years.

#InstitutionalCapture [4/x]

[As an aside - these regressive policies helped to secure "Oriel" college the nickname "Toriel" college in honour of its affiliation with right-wing Tories.] [5/x]

The financial clout of these older, whiter men - who provide around 27% of college cash income & are not representative of current staff or students - may help to explain why the Governing Board decided to retain the statue despite the views of the Commission or students. [6/x]

So what happened? Amid building work and fearing that the statue was becoming the source of concern, @OrielCollege asked @OxfordCity for permission to take down a plaque commemorating Cecil Rhodes in 2016. [7/x]

A few weeks later, a request to @HistoricEngland for the plaque of Cecil Rhodes to be given protected heritage status appears with uncanny timing.

The @OrielOxford Treasurer then seems to reverse the college's position and support this application. [8/x]

https://twitter.com/AlexWaygood/status/1271413933727940609

A man called Neil Mendoza was at the time a Commissioner at @HistoricEngland and expressed support for listing the plaque.

Mendoza was an 'old boy' of @OrielOxford having studied there in 1978 and just so happened to be appointed its head in 2018. [9/x]

https://twitter.com/AlexWaygood/status/1271421322103529473

To recap - we have a Tory-affiliated college, captured by unrepresentative financial donors, and a new Provost with a pre-existing position on the case of Cecil Rhodes. [10/x]

In this context, the students and staff expressed their wish to see the Cecil Rhodes statue removed and the Independent Commission was established in June 2020

This was despite a Conservative government that was opposed to the removal of statues. [11/x]

theguardian.com/politics/2020/…

So what do you do if you're a government wanting your policy enforced in a high-profile public case? Offer a life peerage!

And that's just what happened. In September 2020 the Provost of @OrielOxford Neil Mendoza was appointed as a Baron in the @UKHouseofLords. [12/x]

Today the Independent Commission published its findings and a majority of its members supported the decision to remove the statue.

BUT @OrielOxford decided to reject this position despite the collective voice of its students, staff and Commission. I wonder why? [13/x]

[As an aside - like many other @UniofOxford colleges, @OrielOxford fails to reflect the voices of black people in its decision-making bodies]

https://twitter.com/Morris_RPD/status/1273181760352858112

[14/x]

But what about those pesky "financial challenges"?

In most years the college has an operating surplus of around £0.5-1m. This worsened with COVID-19 but, even so, could the college not liquidate some of its £88.5m endowment to take down a statue? [15/x]

ox.ac.uk/about/organisa…

So instead of remove the statue, @OrielOxford will now spend resources on outreach programmes to persuade potential applicants that their decision to retain the statue of a bloodthirsty colonist does not ACTUALLY make them racist.

But please do still apply, kids! [16/x]

[Incidentally - two thirds of the secondary school students consulted by the Commission said that the presence of the statue would put them off applying to @OrielOxford]. [17/x]

I write this not only as one example of injustice, but also to illustrate the ways in which institutions of power such as @UniOfOxford reproduce their value-systems through financial control, political interference, and deterring against changes in their membership. [18/x]

There are some positive recommendations in the report that I support. But on the key issue of whether #RhodesMustFall, @OrielOxford is failing its students, its community, and most importantly the people of colour who are worst affected by the legacy of its largest donor. [19/x]

@RMF_Oxford @RhodesMustFall @SimuChigudu @profdanhicks @DougColtart @HaydnBelfield @OxOutreach

#RhodesMustFall #BlackLivesMatter

@thariel @PriyamvadaGopal @DavidOlugosa @AnnelieseDodds @LaylaMoran @UnOxProject @Klem_Ryan_

[A short but important side-thread 🧵]

I forgot a crucial example here of the donor influence on decision-making.

In December 2015, @OrielOxford actually *already* promised to launch a consultation with students and alumni on the future of the #CecilRhodes statue. [1/y]

In January 2016 the college made a U-turn on this consultation and reduced the scope to focus on "how best to place the statue and plaque in a clear historical context". All rather deja vu...

So why did the college reverse their position in 2016? [2/y]

Documents uncovered by the @Telegraph suggested that the college feared a proposed £100 million gift was in jeopardy by a donor fond of the statue.

According to the Telegraph, about £1.5 million in donations had already been cancelled. [3/y]

telegraph.co.uk/education/univ…

For a non-paywall version, see this @insidehighered article. [4/y]

insidehighered.com/news/2016/02/0…

I am sympathetic to the financial challenges of managing a university in the current context.

But was it right for @OrielCollege to compromise on its community's values for the sake of a bit more cash to an already wealthy institution...? 🧐 [5/y]

P.S. Since people are missing the side-thread on #donorgate 2015-16, I'm linking it here too to demonstrate quite how deep their influence goes and the eyewatering amounts of money involved. [20/x]

https://twitter.com/Morris_RPD/status/1395691707526746113