John Wayne exhibit to be removed following student protests over racist remarks
‘I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility,’ actor said in 1971
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An exhibition dedicated to classic film star John Wayne will be removed following student protests over the actor’s history of racist remarks.
The exhibit, at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, featured photos and memorabilia from Wayne’s film career, but has been dogged by controversy since it was installed in 2012.
In a statement, the school’s assistant dean of diversity and inclusion Evan Hughes confirmed that the exhibit would be placed in the university’s archives.
“Conversations about systemic racism in our cultural institutions along with the recent global, civil uprising by the Black Lives Matter movement require that we consider the role our school can play as a change maker in promoting anti-racist cultural values and experiences,” Hughes said. “Therefore, it has been decided that the Wayne exhibit will be removed.”
Wayne, who attended the school in the 1920s and died in 1979, made racist remarks in an interview with Playboy Magazine in 1971. Quotes from the interview resurfaced in 2019, and led to a number of campus protests against the exhibit.
The Playboy interview quoted Wayne as saying: “I believe in white supremacy until the blacks are educated to a point of responsibility.”
He also said that there was nothing wrong with settlers stealing Native American land, adding that “great numbers of people needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves”.
The Wayne exhibit will be replaced by a new one that incorporates “elements of Indigenous filmmaking, feminism and critical race theory through interactive displays,” said campus newspaper The Daily Trojan.