Last week, we tweeted our concerns about censorship following the DCMS call to 25 heritage organisations.

We did not hear from all of them.

What we heard back was concerns from Detoxers about their wellbeing and livelihood being impacted by SMTs who have retracted: - Social media policies have been weaponised as pseudo-NDAs against staff.

- Projects around anti-racism have been either censored, suspended, or revoked in light of Dowden’s announcements.

- There is no safe, accessible mechanism for whistle blowing.

As the government welcomes the reopening of museums and galleries, every organisation must protect its staff of colour from the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 upon them. Those from BAME communities are twice as likely as their white counterparts to die from COVID-19. 1/13 The government is trying to suppress this information so it is incredibly important that the sector does not try to do so at the same time. Employees need to be aware of the risks they face. 2/13 hsj.co.uk/coronavirus/ex…

Some of you may feel tired and saturated but we ain’t done yet... so here’s a thread on how not to be a performative ally. This is both for organisations and those working in the sector. 1/16 An ally who is performative is someone or an organisation that is making statements, in this case about #BlackLivesMatter, but is not taking any action. It’s great to see a number of organisations stand in solidarity. Now we need you all to act. 2/16

If you are an ally and feel frustrated because your employer is not taking action, do not underestimate your own voice. Museums, galleries and the like are institutions that believe in process and formula. Change cannot come through due process. It comes through anarchy. 1/6 If you believe in the movement and can see that minorities are not treated fairly in your organisation - say something. If there’s a meeting to talk about #BlackLivesMatter (or anything else) and no Black people are present ensure that they were invited before you continue. 2/6