Quote: Billy Bunter @ 25th October 2018, 6:54 PMSouthampton University Student Union President wants to take down, or "daub over", a mural commemorating students who weren't able to complete their studies because they went to serve in the 1st World War as the students depicted are all white men:
Unless I'm much mistaken, the painting shows only one student. The rest of the figures depicted appear to be university staff.
Everybody depicted is male and white but, in 1916, there were exceedingly few black students or black lecturers and very few women lecturers at British universities and so the painting is entirely representative of British education at that time.
The contribution of non-white combatants in the First World War was by no means insignificant and in some cases was truly heroic. Having said that, however, the overwhelming majority of combatants were white and so anybody wishing to depict a typical soldier of the day can, I think, be excused for choosing a white one.
Anybody who objects to that mural deserves a kick up the rear end.
