EVENT: June 17th 2021 – Oxford Union – This House Believes We Must Urgently Rewrite History
This in-person event is on a first-come, first-served basis. If you would like to attend this event, you will need to queue outside the Oxford Union building gates on St Michaels Street. Entrance into the chamber will begin 30-45 minutes before the start of the event. Entrance will not be possible through the bar, thus queuing outside the gate is mandatory and will be strictly enforced by security.
From the toppling of Edward Colston, to the National Trust publishing their properties’ links to slavery, many have been accused of attempting to rewrite British history. Do challenges to current historical narratives denigrate British heritage and culture? Or do we need to rewrite our history books to include forgotten voices and unmask uncomfortable truths?
Proposition:
Sir Richard J Evans – British historian of 19th and 20th Century Europe, focusing on Nazi Germany. He is a former Regius Professor of History at the University of Cambridge.
Rt Hon Lord Woolley of Woodford – Political activist and founder of Operation Black Vote. He chaired the Race Disparity Unit Advisory Group until 2020.
Bonnie Greer OBE – Playwright, novelist, and critic. She has served on the boards of the British Museum and the Royal Opera House.
Marika Sherwood – Historian, researcher, and survivor of the Budapest ghetto. She co-founded the Black and Asian Studies Association.
Opposition:
Rt Hon Lord Taylor of Warwick – Former tax barrister, and the third person of Afro-Caribbean heritage to enter the House of Lords.
Ruth Dudley Edwards – Irish revisionist historian and writer, and former Telegraph columnist.
Patrick Vernon OBE – Former MP for Hackney, social commentator, activist. He is an expert on UK African and Caribbean genealogy and founded the ‘100 Great Black Britons’ campaign.
Rt Hon Sir Nicholas Soames – Grandson of Sir Winston Churchill and former Conservative MP for Mid Sussex and Crawley.