Historian Slams 'Ludicrous' Dickens Race Views Advice

Guidance advising museum staff on how to address Charles Dickens' views on race has been criticized by a local historian. Rochester's Guildhall Museum employees received advice on responding to visitor questions about the author's opinions, even without any complaints recorded.

The museum's guidance suggests acknowledging that Dickens held views that "can cause great offense today" and distancing the institution from those considered "particularly upsetting." The local historian, Shane Waterman, deemed this comparison of 170-year-old views to modern sensibilities "ludicrous." He highlighted Dickens' progressive stance in his own era, advocating for the poor and maintaining a liberal political outlook.

The advice pertains to the museum's "Making of Mr Dickens" exhibition. An internal memo referenced Dickens' support for the British Empire and his views linking race to moral worth, particularly concerning his comments after the 1857 Indian Mutiny. Waterman argued these remarks are often taken out of context, misrepresenting Dickens' overall legacy.

Museum officials also pointed to passages where Dickens appeared to mock foreign customs. The guidance states that while his views are rejected today, important figures of his time also argued for universal human worth. Residents of Rochester, a city deeply associated with Dickens, expressed mixed feelings, with some finding the scrutiny "silly" and others advocating for a "warts and all" approach to historical figures.