Removing the statue of Black Lives Matter activist Jen Reid was a mistake | Letters

Jon Bloomfield on claims that the statue is an appropriation, because the artist is white, Lyn Howard on what the empty plinth now says, while Clive Sykes has a suggestionYour report (The day Bristol woke up to a new statue, 15 July) and feature (G2, 15 July) on the Bristol statue of Jen Reid created by the artist Marc Quinn were marred by the comments of Thomas J Price in a different article (Allyship or stunt? Marc Quinn’s BLM statue divides art world, 15 July). He claims that Quinn has “created the votive statue to appropriation” and it should have been “a black artist’s output, not that of a white cis man”. This is reactionary politics disguised in obscure, trendy jargon.The core values of all progressive movements are liberty, equality and solidarity. Millions of us didn’t need to be black South Africans to oppose apartheid. Similarly, we don’t need to be black Americans to oppose the endless police brutality meted out to them. Continue reading... https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/17/removing-the-statue-of-black-lives-matter-activist-jen-reid-was-a-mistake #black_lives_matter_movement #race #bristol #sculpture #british_identity_and_society #protest #activism #slavery #marc_quinn #society #art_and_design #culture #uk_news #art