Cecil Rhodes’ statue will gaze down at another kind of scholar

When Cecil Rhodes left his scholarships** to Oxford university in the early 20th century,
women and minorities did not figure in his plan.
Rhodes specified that only “male students” could apply. “I am in no sense a woman-hater,”
the arch-imperialist wrote, but “the consideration of babies generally destroys higher
thought.”
It took years of legal wrangling and an act of parliament to finally allow female scholars in
1977 — the year I applied in New Jersey. At the interviews, the men were asked what they
would do if they became secretary of state; women’s topics were confined to health,
education and welfare. At the reception the night before, the men were offered whisky,
women received soft drinks.
Old attitudes took time to shift. I arrived at Oxford excited to discuss my ideas for a thesis
in economics with my supervisor. At our first meeting, he dismissed my interests entirely,
and then invited me to go away with him for the weekend. After huge ructions, I was
assigned a new supervisor, who said I was not worth his time because I would likely go
back to America and have babies. Most of my female colleagues had similar experiences —
and some of them far worse. Yet most of us also loved being at Oxford and valued the rare
opportunity we were given.
Student activists in South Africa and at Oxford called for the toppling of statues of Cecil
Rhodes. Some were felled; others remain. I think Mandela would have wanted those
statues to remain precisely so that Rhodes, immobile in his marble, would have to gaze
down at the new Director of Rhodes House, Dr Elizabeth Kiss — someone whose qualities
as a scholar and leader would have made her an exemplary choice at any time in the past
100 years - proof that fighting the world’s fight is something the whole world can do.

https://www.ft.com/content/137025f0-171a-11e8-9c33-02f893d608c2
** scolarship - a university pays for your studies and gives you money for this. Usually very competitive
process.

1. Why didn’t Cecil Rhodes think women would be good Rhodes scholars?
2. Was it easy to change the men only rule?
3. When were female scholars admitted?
4. The writer of the article made her first application to be a Rhodes scholar
when?
5. For her application can you give 2 examples of discrimination she endured?
6. When she was at University she experienced 2 examples of inappropriate
sexist behaviour - which ones?
7. She felt very depressed by this experience - agree or disagree ?
8. She says Mandela would have wanted the statues to stay - can you explain
why?
Cecil Rhodes statue to remain at Oxford after 'overwhelming support'
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/jan/28/cecil-rhodes-statue-will-not-be-removed--oxford-university

The ​Rhodes Must Fall movement said the statue of the man who was an ardent
imperialist was representative of Britain’s “imperial blind spot” and ​should be taken down​.
This Thursday the college, which owns the statue, said a consultation process had shown
“overwhelming” support for keeping it.
Brian Kwoba, one of the ​Rhodes Must Fall campaigners, said Rhodes was “responsible
for all manner of stealing land, massacring tens of thousands of black Africans, imposing a
regime of unspeakable labour exploitation in the diamond mines and devising
proto-apartheid policies”.
He said: “Cecil Rhodes is the Hitler of southern Africa. Would anyone countenance a statue
of Hitler? The fact that Rhodes is still memorialised with statues, plaques and buildings
demonstrates the size and strength of Britain’s imperial blind spot.”
A survey by the independent university newspaper Cherwell showed strong support for the
campaign group among students but others have accused it of seeking to rewrite history.
The university’s chancellor, Chris Patten, ​told students that if they could not embrace
freedom of thought​, they may “think about being educated elsewhere”.
In an ​article for the Times Literary Supplement​, the celebrated University teacher Mary
Beard told the students: “The battle isn’t won by taking the statue away and pretending
those people didn’t exist. It’s won by empowering those students to look up at Rhodes and
friends with a cheery and self-confident sense of unbatterability.”

Organise the arguments of these people in your own words and give line numbers.
Name Role or Job Position : keep or remove : in your words Line N°

Brian Kwoba

Cherwell

Chris Patten

Mary Beard

WRITING
Imagine a discussion between 2 people with 2 different points of view - you can have a journalist too if
you want.
This discussion is on a radio show or TV show - so no bad language and keep it civilized please!
Try to develop 3 arguments and suggest a compromise solution