Thread by @intersectionist

Earlier this week, @artstuffmatters, @WTFAnthro, & others spread news of the disturbingly hidden "public notice" which the University of Pennsylvania had posted, seeking to bury "at least 13" skulls in the Morton Cranial Collection. (thread) marketplace.inquirer.com/pa/legal/notic…

2) This "notice" hits me so incredibly hard.

But I wasn't surprised.

Not cuz Penn's past behavior has trained me not to be surprised, but because, I actually had a bit more notice, kind of.

I was told about this Orphans Court petition back on April 15.

3) Many of you know that I have studied, written about, given talks on, and taught about Samuel George Morton and the mid-19th-century Racial Science that is the root of so much. I've lived with him and his collaborators and students for some 15 years now. intersectionist.medium.com/american-power…

4) & more recently, I've been spending a lot of time in Philly. This is why.
So this "notice" hits me so incredibly hard. Like, I'm speechless.
But not surprised. I had a bit more notice, kind of.
While I was researching my article, I met with @PennMuseum Director Chris Woods.

@pennmuseum 5) Woods mentioned the petition twice, and I did not realize what it meant, to be honest--but now that I do, I am physically ill.

I spoke of this in my objection to @Penn's petition. And since that means it's a matter of public record, I want to make it public here, now, too:

6) "I object on the basis of my meeting with Chris Woods, the Director of the Penn Museum, on April 15, 2021, who made clear to me that he was eager to “deal with” the “immediate issue” of the Black Philadelphians as soon as possible, so that he can deal with the Cuban crania...

7)...in the collection, next. While he has publicly claimed to care about "accountability,” “working toward repair,” and also professed to me that “doing the right thing is a good thing,” this secretive Petition itself, and the actions leading up to it and that it seeks the ...

8) ...court’s approval to perform, are an egregious display of disregard for community. Dr. Woods even mentioned this Orphan’s Court petition to me in that
meeting–reflecting his disproportionate openness with an academic colleague, in contrast to the actual members of the...

9) ...descendant community. I am even more dismayed now that I’ve seen that the petition seeks to bury the remains without any prior public discussion, ceremony, or even a truly public announcement and invitation for those who identify as the descendant community for these...

10) ...Black Philadelphians to attend the burial at Eden Cemetery."

I lack the capacity to spell out more, right now. But this all hits me so hard. I'm already haunted by imagining what happens if the judge approves @pennmuseum's petition.

I'm already grieving. & I'm scared.

11) here’s some more of what I said—most of which boils down to my rejection of the idea that just because they have considered our ancestors their property for decades, the Penn Museum gets to decide what happens to them:
#museumsarenotneutral
It’s 2022, ffs.

12) Sending love to all who are also hurting this week, from this and other white supremacist attacks.

I got to go take care of myself for a bit now, and I hope y’all can take time for that, too.

13) Part of taking care of myself was spending more time with the people in question--or, at least, our best guess at who those people are--the ones Penn want to bury. They don't even think it's important to tell the court--the people--who they are.

Violence upon violence.

14) "Black Philadelphians in the Samuel George Morton Cranial Collection" by Paul Wolff Mitchell does a powerful job of explaining this severe fuckery.

I guarantee this article will answer a lot of questions, & leave you with a new level of...shudder.
drive.google.com/file/d/14udZd7…

15) Most important thread on this, by Advisory Committee member @MxAbdulAliy, speaking to role (and lack thereof) of community in the burial plan Penn posted "notice" of:

https://twitter.com/MxAbdulAliy/status/1553000089492365313?s=20&t=4SSmGh9y0Djefmw9tvrxdw