Starkey, who has long been a familiar face on televised history programmes and debates, has drawn widespread condemnation after claiming slavery cannot be classed as genocide because of the survival of “so many damn blacks”.
In a statement following the broadcast, the Mary Rose Trust said it was “appalled to hear Dr Starkey’s public comments on slavery” and despite the long serving Board member having “given his Tudor expertise generously to help with the creation and promotion of the Mary Rose Museum” there was no choice but to have accepted the historian’s resignation.
The Society of Antiquaries of London also sought to distance itself from Starkey, who serves as one of its Fellows. The organisation says it “utterly deplores the comments” and asserted that “his views are not reflective of our organisation’s values nor of what it strives to be”.
Starkey is also a Fellow of the University of Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam College. His position will, the College states, “be considered by the Governing Body” after it described his claims as “indefensible”.
Elsewhere, the International Slavery Museum made a public plea that David Starkey’s “awful, racist comments” do not deter aspiring historians from entering the profession, stating: “we need you – now more than ever”.
The institution said this serves as a reminder “that these appalling views still exist” and that “ignorance is not an option”.
