LONDON – The governing body of a college at Oxford University said Thursday it will not take down the statue of Victorian imperialist Cecil Rhodes on its facade despite the recommendation of a specially appointed commission for its removal.
Oriel College's governing body said there were “regulatory and financial challenges” and that it would focus more time and energy on “improving educational equality, diversity and inclusion amongst its student cohort and academic community.” The decision follows a long-running campaign for the removal of the statue of a man who made a fortune in the late 19th century from gold and diamond mines where miners labored in brutal conditions.