A British county council has ruled to provide further "context" next to a portrait of Winston Churchill, one of Britain's most famous prime ministers. The historic painting will now come with a trigger warning that includes the wartime hero's reported ties to "racism, slavery, and colonialism."
The Daily Mail reported that the 1967 painting of Churchill as a replica of a 1943 print will remain on display at Herford County Hall until additional context explaining his apparent ties to controversial matters is added. The artwork was reviewed by the Hertfordshire County Council, which is led by the Tories.
Winston Churchill is considered one of the most distinguished Prime Ministers in the history of the United Kingdom due to his victory in World War II. However, criticism has been directed at him for several actions and perspectives that are now considered discriminatory, particularly in light of the growing prominence of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020.
It's unclear what context will be added next to the portrait, but some of the criticism lodged at Churchill over the past few years included comments he made in 1937, before WWII, in which he stated he did not have sympathy for Native Americans or black people in Australia who were succeeded and enslaved by white colonizers, as per the Daily Mail.
He has also been criticized for not taking action to address the 1943 famine in India, which killed 3 million people when parts of the country were still under British control. Additionally, Churchill advocated for the use of chemical weapons against "uncivilized" Afghans and Kurdish tribes, according to a 1919 war memo.
Other historical figures that are under review for further context include British Empire-era prime minister Robert Arthur Talbot, 19th-century colonial secretary Edward Bulwer-Lytton, and former Cape Colony prime minister Cecil Rhodes.
The conservative-led Hertfordshire County Council did not indicate when the changes would be made, saying that contextualizing its art was not a top priority.
The Daily Mail reported that the 1967 painting of Churchill as a replica of a 1943 print will remain on display at Herford County Hall until additional context explaining his apparent ties to controversial matters is added. The artwork was reviewed by the Hertfordshire County Council, which is led by the Tories.
Winston Churchill is considered one of the most distinguished Prime Ministers in the history of the United Kingdom due to his victory in World War II. However, criticism has been directed at him for several actions and perspectives that are now considered discriminatory, particularly in light of the growing prominence of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020.
It's unclear what context will be added next to the portrait, but some of the criticism lodged at Churchill over the past few years included comments he made in 1937, before WWII, in which he stated he did not have sympathy for Native Americans or black people in Australia who were succeeded and enslaved by white colonizers, as per the Daily Mail.
He has also been criticized for not taking action to address the 1943 famine in India, which killed 3 million people when parts of the country were still under British control. Additionally, Churchill advocated for the use of chemical weapons against "uncivilized" Afghans and Kurdish tribes, according to a 1919 war memo.
Other historical figures that are under review for further context include British Empire-era prime minister Robert Arthur Talbot, 19th-century colonial secretary Edward Bulwer-Lytton, and former Cape Colony prime minister Cecil Rhodes.
The conservative-led Hertfordshire County Council did not indicate when the changes would be made, saying that contextualizing its art was not a top priority.
