Woke university boffins put signs on ‘racist’ sculptures explaining that marble is white

Ultra-woke academics are slapping up signs to explain the “whiteness” of sculpture plaster casts so snowflakes don’t think they are racist.

Bonkers bosses at the Cambridge University archaeology museum are being branded “unhinged” over their plan to add “diversity” information panels to 600 ancient carvings.

They fear the white plaster casts of Roman and Greek sculptures give a “misleading impression” of the “absence of diversity” in the ancient world.

But the only reason the objects are pale is because they mainly used plaster of Paris and lime to make them – both naturally white.

One academic fumed about the signs, set to go up later this year: “You might just about understand this coming from a student but the idea that this has been approved by the faculty is as terrifying as it is comical.



Cambridge University staff have made the odd decision to explain why marble statues are white

“It is so easy to laugh at this but in laughing it is easy to overlook how extraordinary it is that one of the finest humanities departments in the western world is putting this stuff out with an official institutional stamp.”

The Classics Faculty at Cambridge University reckons it is turning the “problem” into an “opportunity” by highlighting the “role of classical sculpture in the history of racism”.

Another academic said because the casts are mostly illustrations of Roman and Greeks, there will be hardly any opportunities to highlight their diversity.

Classics professors are also being urged by the university to include “content warnings” in lectures and reading materials so as not to upset fragile students.



Classics professors have also been told to include warnings on lectures to avoid offending snowflake students
Classics professors have also been told to include warnings on lectures to avoid offending snowflake students

They are part of a lengthy “action plan” formed in the wake of accusations of racism in the period.

It was drawn up after an open letter was sent last summer to the Chair of the Classics Faculty Board.

The document demanded “public acknowledgement of the problems of racism within Classics and the need for active anti-racist work within our discipline”.

It said the period was linked to “imperialism, colonialism and entrenched racism” and was signed by dozens of students, alumni and some university staff.

The letter added: “Students report that difficult material is not always taught with sufficient sensitivity.”

All new and existing courses at the university will be reviewed to ensure there is sufficient “diversity” on reading lists and staff are to have regular “race awareness” and “implicit bias” training sessions.

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