‘White Thinking’ and the failed promise of diversity in Scottish heritage
Introduction
‘White Thinking’ and the failed promise of diversity in Scottish heritage was an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded project that extended the work of EDI in Scottish Heritage.
This project’s title draws on the work of World Cup winner Lilian Thuram, who launched the Lilian Thuram Foundation for education against racism and has become a leading figure in anti-racist approaches to museum collections and displays in France. His work has included the curation of an exhibition of the history of ‘human zoos’ at the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac and work on orientalist representation at the Musée Delacroix.
In his book on the operations of racism, White Thinking: Behind the mask of racial identity, Thuram asks: “For far too long, whenever we speak about racism, we have concentrated on those on the receiving end of discrimination. And now, I was saying that we should instead focus on those who profit from this discrimination, often unconsciously and unintentionally. We needed to ask questions about something that is never questioned: Whiteness.”
This project involved working with Lilian Thuram to bring new perspectives to over 20 years of ongoing work to embed anti-racist practice into Scotland’s heritage sector.
Project report
The project report for ‘White Thinking’ documents a collaboration between academics, activists, anti-racist community organisations including the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER), and Scottish heritage organisations to integrate a historical understanding of Scottish anti-racist work into the policy and practice of small to large-scale heritage organisations in Scotland.
The report draws evidence from five strands of collaborative work that collectively explore how small-scale, short-term, creative interventions might generate sustainable systemic approaches to challenging ‘White Thinking’ in organisational culture.
Project strands
The ‘White Thinking’ project had five work strands, each involving a heritage organisation that was paired with an organisation or individuals to undertake a piece of work around histories of slavery, empire, and colonialisation within their institution.
Strand 1: ‘Sticking Points’
The first strand of the ‘White Thinking’ project focused on barriers to the implementation of anti-racist policies in Scottish heritage-related organisations. It consisted of a collaboration between The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, one of Scotland’s oldest organisations dedicated to heritage, and the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER), an established Scottish anti-racist organisation. Museums Galleries Scotland provided additional expertise.
In this video Dr Jeff Sanders, Head of Outreach at the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, talks about their partnership with CRER. He reflects on their motivations for becoming an anti-racist organisation, the actions they’ve taken so far, the challenges they’ve faced, and their plans to measure change.
Strand 2: Museums of Empire
How to embed decolonial thinking within a large, local authority museum by challenging racist interpretations at the Kelvingrove Museum.
Strand 3: Livingstone, Legacy, Learning
Working with young people in the African diaspora in Scotland to address the legacy of David Livingstone. How might smaller heritage organisations be enabled to develop more secure, longer-term decolonial plans?
Strand 4: Reevaluating the College’s South Asian Legacy
Raising public awareness of the contribution of South Asian doctors to Scotland through medical archives to better understand the roots of modern British medicine and the diverse heritage that continues to shape it.
Strand 5: “White-other”: The Intersections of Whiteness
A recognition and acknowledgement of whiteness in practice and as embedded in the institutional philosophy. How to inform and understand the impact of the intersection of whiteness with class, regional, and gender categories, that determined one’s access to museums.
The map used on this page was produced by Fondation Lilian Thuram. Based on the Gall-Peters projection, it shows the true proportions of the world. As the Earth is a sphere and can be viewed from any direction, this particular map displays South at the top of the image.
This map was used as part of the ‘White Thinking’ project to challenge our perceptions of the world around us.
Project partners
The project was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and led by staff at the University of Strathclyde and Edinburgh Napier University, working in partnership with the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights, David Livingstone Birthplace Museum, Fondation Lilian Thuram, Glasgow Life, HMS Unicorn, Museums Galleries Scotland, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
