The History of Rhodes Must Fall

Cr: Flickr/Jonathan

Ever since the death of George Floyd and the emergence of Black Lives Matter as a movement demanding racial equality and the end of police brutality, Oxford’s Rhodes Must Fall movement has upped the ante in their mission to get the statue of Cecil Rhodes removed from the façade of Oriel College, Oxford.

Cecil Rhodes was a slave-owning mining magnate who earned his riches and prestige in the diamond mines of Kimberly, South Africa, in the 19th century. He donated a portion of his wealth to Oriel College and they erected a statue of Rhodes as a sign of their gratitude.

Protests in June 2020 saw the University of Oxford appear to favour removing the statue, but no action was taken in the months that followed.