Shakespeare's birthplace to be 'decolonized' after British researchers say his work enables 'White supremacy'

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The organization overseeing museums celebrating English playwright William Shakespeare’s life is reportedly working to "decolonize" his legacy in the name of battling White supremacy.

The Telegraph reported that Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust, a British nonprofit in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, is working toward "decolonizing" its collection of Shakespeare-related artifacts to "create a more inclusive museum experience." 

In recent years, critics in the UK have been scrutinizing aspects of its history, even down to criticizing the use of the term "Anglo-Saxon" to describe the native peoples for which England was named. Now Shakespeare, despite being born in 1564 and largely writing plays that took place in Western Europe, is being scrutinized for his alleged impact on colonialism. 

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An empty Henley Street, photographed late morning, shows William Shakespeare's Birthplace Museum in Stratford-upon-Avon, England.  (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

The process of decolonizing Shakespeare’s work reportedly includes researching "the continued impact of colonialism" on world history and the ways in which "Shakespeare's work has played a part in this." The effort, which roughly means distancing work from western perspectives, reportedly began after concerns were raised that celebration of Shakespeare enables "White supremacy."

The trust has also warned that some items in its collections and archives relating to the iconic 16th century playwright may contain "language or depictions that are racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise harmful."

Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust reportedly worked on a research project with the University of Birmingham's Dr. Helen Hopkins, and concluded that praise of Shakespeare as a "universal" genius "benefits the ideology of White European supremacy." Their research concluded further that "colonial inculcation" spread European ideas about art and used Shakespeare as a symbol of "British cultural superiority" and "Anglo-cultural supremacy."

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The works of William Shakespeare are celebrated in the English-speaking world and beyond, and are often taught in American English courses. ( Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty images)

Celebrating Shakespeare’s work, the research argued, was part of a "White Anglo-centric, Eurocentric, and increasingly ‘West-centric’ worldviews that continue to do harm in the world today."

One of the solutions proposed by the project is for the trust to "present Shakespeare not as the ‘greatest,’ but as ‘part of a community of equal and different writers and artists from around the world.’"

The Telegraph also reported that the trust has worked to make Shakespeare’s legacy more international by organizing events like "celebrating Rabindranath Tagore, a Bengali poet, and a Romeo and Juliet-inspired Bollywood dance workshop."

The works of William Shakespeare are one of numerous historic bodies of text taught in classrooms that have come under fire for offending modern liberal sensibilities. (AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz)

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After publication, the Shakespeare's Birthplace Trust pointed Fox News Digital to a recent statement saying, "With its founding in 1847 ‘for the benefit of the nation’, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust became the home of Shakespeare in England. Some of our collections came to us by acquisition, but many are gifts that have been entrusted to us over the years from donors in Stratford-upon-Avon, from throughout Great Britain, and also from most other countries in the world. The collections of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust are a window into what Shakespeare has meant to diverse people across the centuries and around the globe."

The statement continued, "We understand these meanings differently over time. Our current collections project explores our history of acquisition and how interpretations of our objects and documents have evolved and continue to evolve. This is something all museums must focus on. By better understanding our collections histories, we can tell the stories of our past in relation to our present."