Maru and I are visiting friends in Oxford this weekend, and we just finished one of Uncomfortable Oxford’s walking tours.
Uncomfortable Oxford is a social enterprise run by students. They offer a range of walking tours highlighting the darker parts of the city and university’s history. They put the buildings, landmarks, and stories into context, and encourage a level of reflection and discussion from participants that I haven’t experienced on other tours.
They covered everything from the controversial history of Cecil Rhodes, the slave money behind one of the most prestigious colleges, and the challenging experiences of some of the first women and minorities admitted to the university.
I like their commitment to helping the public—students, locals, and tourists alike—have open, engaging, and thought provoking conservations about these uncomfortable histories.
We need more of this!