Oxford University is to display 24 new portraits of women and people from ethnic minorities after being accused of having too many pictures of ‘dead white males’ on its walls.
University bosses have responded to criticism from some students that the institution does not reflect the world around it by commissioning the portraits of living Oxonians.
They said they hope the pictures will ‘promote greater diversity’ and show that people of all backgrounds are welcome to study there.
Among those to be depicted in the new exhibition are lesbian writer Jeanette Winterson, human geographer Professor Patricia Daley and BBC journalist Reeta Chakrabarti.
Notably absent from the list is Britain’s Conservative prime minister, Theresa May – only the second woman to lead the country after Margaret Thatcher who, like Mrs May, was an Oxford graduate and a Conservative.
Left-wing film director Ken Loach, South African rights activist Kumi Naidoo, ‘cultural critic’ Diran Adebayo, sportsman Dr Henry Odili Nwume and historian Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch are the only men who have been chosen for the honour.
In 2015 some Oxford students launched a campaign to have a statue of 19th century businessman and politician Cecil Rhodes removed from Oriel College, claiming his links to Africa made it offensive to ethnic minority students. The campaign failed.
Trudy Coe, Head of the Equality and Diversity Unit at Oxford University, said: “This project is so important because it highlights and celebrates the full range of diversity at Oxford across our alumni and staff. Many colleges have already commissioned new works of art celebrating female alumnae, and we hope that this project will encourage all our departments and colleges to think of ways to celebrate the full diversity of our staff and student body, as an inspiration to current and future students and staff.”
Sir Gerald Howarth, a former Conservative minister, told the Daily Telegraph: “I rather fear Oxford has awarded itself a first-class degree in political correctness. Oxford is failing to come to terms with the fact it is the Conservatives who have led the way in providing not one but two female prime ministers.”
