The path to colonial reckoning is through archives, not museums

Title: The path to colonial reckoning is through archives, not museums
Author: Patrick Gathara
Media Outlet: Al Jazeera
Publish Date: March 14, 2019

“As the French President Emmanuel Macron tours East Africa, he is certain to get a cordial welcome. If everything goes to plan, it will be all smiles and few uncomfortable questions. However, this should not be the case. Macron has called for an international conference on the return of African art and artefacts looted during colonialism. But art and artefacts are not the only things that should be returned.

The colonial archive, the thousands of official records and documents that trace the history of subjugation, oppression and looting of the continent by the European powers is largely resident in Europe.”