UC Berkeley Exhibit Stirs Protest: Report

BERKELEY, CA — A group of students, faculty and alumni are protesting a UC Berkeley library exhibit that they allege perpetuates racism, NBC Bay Area reports.

At issue is an exhibit commemorating the school’s department of South and Southeast Asian studies at the main library that includes a display case titled “Berkeley Scholars in the Philippines” featuring the work of white male Berkeley scholars David Barrows and Bernard Moses, among others, who supported the U.S. colonization of the Philippines, the report said.

A protest was held Thursday, one of the last days of October’s Filipino Heritage Month, the report said.

A 300-word addendum was added to the exhibit acknowledging the harmful legacies of the Berkeley scholars that was not initially part of the exhibit.

A UC Berkeley spokesperson told the television station that discussions between the school and protesters’ addressing their concerns are ongoing.

“While individuals such as David Prescott Barrows have a clear legacy of racism towards Filipinos, Black people and Indigenous peoples, they and their work remain part of Berkeley’s history,” Janet Gilmore said.

“And for that reason we must exercise extreme care, caution and sensitivity when presenting their work and discussing their legacies.”

Read more at NBC Bay Area