Abstract

When students at Oxford University called for a statue of Cecil Rhodes to be removed, following similar calls by students in Cape Town, the significance of these protests was felt across continents. This was not simply about tearing down an outward symbol of British imperialism – a monument glorifying a colonial conqueror – but about confronting the toxic inheritance of the past, and challenging the continued underrepresentation of people of colour at universities. And it went to the very heart of the pernicious influence of colonialism in education today.

Written by key members of the movement in Oxford, Rhodes Must Fall is the story of that campaign. Showing the crucial importance of both intersectionality and solidarity with sister movements in South Africa and beyond, this book shows what it means to boldly challenge the racism rooted deeply at the very heart of empire.

‘This bracingly direct collection of essays maps the contours of a debate Britain must finally have – from how we commemorate the past to how whiteness remains a central axis of institutional power. Essential reading for anyone who is interested in the question of how Britain and the globe can and must decolonise.’
Priyamvada Gopal, University of Cambridge, and author of The Indian English Novel: Nation, History and Narration

‘From the colonies to the heart of empire, #RhodesMustFall reinvigorated the academy like no other student movement since the 1960s. This book is an explosive testament to that collective achievement, and a signpost for the intellectual road ahead.’
Xolela Mangcu, University of Cape Town, and author of Biko: A Life

Rhodes Must Fall is a protest movement that began on 9 March 2015, originally directed against a statue of British Imperialist Cecil Rhodes at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. The campaign for the statue's removal received global attention and led to a wider movement to decolonise education, by inspiring the emergence of allied student movements at other universities across the world.