And so far, it isn’t giving them back.

Subscribe to our channel! http://goo.gl/0bsAjO

Some of the world’s greatest cultural and historical treasures are housed in London’s British Museum, and a significant number of them were taken during Britain’s centuries-long imperial rule. In recent years, many of the countries missing their cultural heritage have been asking for some of these items back.

Benin City in Nigeria is one of those places. They’ve been calling for the return of the Benin Bronzes, hundreds of artifacts looted in 1897 when British soldiers embarked a punitive expedition to Benin. Many are now housed in the British Museum.

And it’s just the beginning. As the world reckons with the damage inflicted during Europe’s colonial global takeover, the calls for these items to be returned are getting louder and louder.

To dig deeper into the 1897 Benin Punitive Expedition and the Benin Bronzes check out this book by Staffan Lunden:
https://www.academia.edu/28886529/Displaying_Loot_The_Benin_objects_and_the_British_Museum

And this article in the Journal of African History by Philip A. Igbafe:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/180345?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior%3A69638cc5f42d6c393bf469be14e6748f&seq=1

For more information on the two Benin Bronzes returned by Mark Walker, check out this piece by The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/dec/17/soldiers-grandson-to-return-items-looted-from-benin-city-nigeria

Here are some links to learn more about the other contested items on the British Museum’s “Don’t Miss List” we reference in the video:

Greece seeks return of Parthenon Marbles amid restoration project
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/greece-seeks-return-parthenon-marbles-restoration-project-200726142211780.html

Egypt called; it wants its Rosetta Stone back
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=131309154

Easter Islanders call for return of statue from British Museum
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/jun/04/easter-islanders-call-for-return-of-statue-from-british-museum

Tajik leader wants treasure from British Museum
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-tajikistan-britain/tajik-leader-wants-treasure-from-british-museum-idUKL0521097620070405

Lastly, here is an opinion piece by prominent lawyer Geoffrey Robertson arguing why the pieces should be returned:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/04/british-museum-is-worlds-largest-receiver-of-stolen-goods-says-qc

And here is another opinion piece by author Tiffany Jenkins arguing why the pieces should stay in Western museums:
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2018/nov/25/benin-bronzes-why-western-museums-should-keep-treasures

Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what’s really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com.

Watch our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/IZONyE
Follow Vox on Facebook: http://goo.gl/U2g06o
Or Twitter: http://goo.gl/XFrZ5H

source

Related Posts

L.K. – I like Brass

Oh how i love brass :))) download link for the flp soon available . rate~comment~subscribe also check out my man Read more

Science can answer moral questions | Sam Harris

http://www.ted.com Questions of good and evil, right and wrong are commonly thought unanswerable by science. But Sam Harris argues that Read more

Condemning the Release of Malcolm X's Assassin

On Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 the Malcolm X Commemoration Committee (MXCC) held a press conference condemning the pending release of Read more

Fran Tarkenton and Tiger Woods

Fran Tarkenton and Tiger Woods on TV show "That's Incredible". source

Official Soul Food Line Dance Video – Fantasia-Collard Greens and Cornbread

This is a video in honor of all of the people that have contributed to the International Success of the Read more

Why Not Everyone Supports Black History Month

Black History Month originated in 1925 when the second week of February was made Negro History Week since it contained Read more

How to build your creative confidence | David Kelley

http://www.ted.com Is your school or workplace divided into "creatives" versus practical people? Yet surely, David Kelley suggests, creativity is not Read more

Black History- Black Actors in the 60s and 70s (When We SpeakTV)

Alison Mills-Newman recalls her early days as an actress and being at the Theatre of Being under the direction of Read more

PAY IT FORWARD PHILIPPINES – Pay It Forward… A Movement Inspired by a Movie!

http://PayItForwardPhilippines.com source

The Power of belief — mindset and success | Eduardo Briceno | TEDxManhattanBeach

The way we understand our intelligence and abilities deeply impacts our success. Based on social science research and real life Read more

malcolm x house negro vs field negro EV ZENCISI VE ARAZI ZENCISI FARKI

Malcolm X in ehli sunnet yani aşırıklıklardan uzak doğru İslam ı bulduktan sonra yaptığı konuşmalardan biri zannnediyorum. Bilindiği üzere, zenciler Read more

The Roaring 20’s: Crash Course US History #32

In which John Green teaches you about the United States in the 1920s. They were known as the roaring 20s, Read more