I finally had the courage to stomach seeing the looted, highly controversial, highly coveted centuries old artifacts of the Great Kingdom of Benin in present day Nigeria, the Benin Bronze. The very same referenced by Michael B Jordan’s character in the museum scene from the blockbuster Black Panther movie. This was a very hard one for me because of my paternal grandfather’s connection to the looted objects. He was a Prince, a direct descendant of the King whose palace was raided in 1897 by the British military. All these years of traveling in and out of the UK, I’ve never had the courage to set my own eyes upon the royal treasures of my ancestors. Having my daughter in tow did it for me. I felt it as a duty to pass on the oral knowledge & history to the next generation. She might not fully understand the significance yet, but in time, she’ll fully understand the importance of this excursion. I tried hard to hold back tears upon seeing the royal bronze head busts, the bronze plagues, et.al. My emotions ran wild! 😪
I ventured to other parts of the museum to take in other notable controversial artifacts from around the world, such as the Rosetta stone from Egypt, the marble sculptures from Greece, and others from Easter Island, et.al. it’s safe to say the British Museum of a colossal monument housing several looted artifacts, proudly on display for the world to see. Some would counter argue that they’re being kept there to be safe and admired by generations to come. Who could forget the destruction by Talibans/Isis (can’t remember which) of centuries old sculptures in Iraq and Afghanistan not too long ago. Alas! It’s a bitter sweet struggle. I digress. 🙏🏼🙌🏼
Click here to see the video posted on instagram.
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