London Museum Issues ‘Whiteness’ Pamphlet to Staff as Part of New Inclusion Drive
London Museum whiteness guidance has come under public scrutiny following the launch of a new internal initiative that encourages staff to reflect on how their everyday workplace behaviours might sustain racial inequality. Framed as a “tool for culture change,” the pamphlet asks employees to consider how they might challenge so-called embedded whiteness and adopt less hierarchical ways of working. The move is part of the museum’s broader inclusion strategy, introduced as it prepares for a major relocation to Smithfield Market.
Using terminology drawn from critical race theory, the guidance defines whiteness not as a racial identity but as a set of “normative values” and workplace behaviours that may “support, directly or indirectly, the continuation of racial inequalities.” Employees are asked to reflect on their roles in these structures by answering questions such as: “How am I contributing to advancing race equity in my daily work?” and “Am I promoting less hierarchical working?”
The museum, formerly the Museum of London until its rebranding in 2024, has described the pamphlet as a “tool for culture change,” echoing wider discussions in the UK cultural sector around representation and inclusion. This initiative builds on work first developed in 2023, several years after the museum removed a statue of slave trader Robert Milligan from its Docklands site in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests.
At the time, leadership described the Milligan statue as part of a “problematic regime of whitewashing history” and placed it in storage for future reinterpretation. The museum has since said it is working to ensure “inclusive, honest storytelling” across its exhibits and staffing culture. The London Museum’s upcoming relocation to Smithfield Market in 2026 is seen by many as a chance to reimagine its identity not just physically but philosophically.
The latest internal policy also asks staff whether they are encouraging colleagues to “bring their whole selves to work” and how they are “making time for important conversations about race equity.” While such phrasing is familiar within certain academic and HR frameworks, it has drawn mixed reactions from the wider public, particularly in the UK where debates over institutional change often touch a national nerve.
Director Sharon Ament, who has led the museum since 2012, has not publicly commented on the pamphlet, but the initiative is consistent with broader trends in the sector. Organisations such as the Museum Association have advocated for proactive inclusion measures, especially following increased public attention on Britain’s colonial past and its representation in cultural spaces.
However, the language of “whiteness” and “hierarchical working” may sit uncomfortably with some employees and museum-goers, not least because of its academic tone and US origins. In the UK context, these terms are still relatively new to workplace policy and can raise questions about how best to achieve diversity without alienating staff or visitors.
Still, as the museum sector attempts to modernise, the move reflects a broader push among publicly-funded institutions to examine not only what they display, but how they operate. The real test may come as the London Museum prepares to open its new home and determines how this internal shift translates into its public-facing work.
For more updates on UK museum policy, workplace inclusion, and cultural change, visit EyeOnLondon. We’d love to hear your views in the comments.
Image Credit: Architects’ Journal
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