Mark Palmer-Edgecumbe is the former head of diversity and inclusion at Google. He now spends his time in the UK trying to figure out how to spend all that Google cash. He had a simple dream, to be able to add three stories to his existing building, but the Tower Hamlets council had other plans as the addition would cause issues with the area. Not one to give up, Mr. Palmer-Edgecumbe used he vast knowledge from being the head diversity officer at Google to strike up a deal.
In return for letting him slap on a few more levels, he would build a museum for the town, the very first Women’s History Museum within the UK. The Tower Hamlets council of course loved the idea, as it would be great publicity and had the potential to not only put them on the map, but to bring in some tourism as well. Not only that, but since it would be headed up by the former head of diversity and inclusion at Google, they figured they were in good hands. Well, that’s what they thought at least.
The official planning application promised the council “The Museum of Women’s History.” and was set to feature a number of important events throughout history with several displays and areas featuring suffragettes, equal pay campaigners, and famous women of the movement In his own words the museum would, “retell the story of the East End through the eyes, voices, experiences and actions” of the women involved.
Everything about it seems like a dream come true for the town, and for women in general, but at the eleventh hour something went terribly, terribly wrong. The museum has seemingly re-branded itself during the build, now being called the “Jack The Ripper Museum”. So, instead of being about the women’s movement like stated on the planning forms, this former Google “DIVERSITY” head is now creating a museum about one of the most famous serial killers that preyed on women, brutally murdering them in the dark of night. Not quite the museum to women people were expecting.
Mr. Palmer-Edgecumbe made the following statement regarding the museum (emphasis added by me):
“We did plan to do a museum about social history of women but as the project developed we decided a more interesting angle was from the perspective of the victims of Jack the Ripper.
He went on as only a former Google diversity offer could (screaming emphasis added by me):
“It is absolutely not celebrating the crime of Jack the Ripper but looking at why and how the women got in that situation in the first place.”
So, instead of a museum celebrating the women’s movement in the UK, we now get a museum about Jack The Ripper. Oh, but it’s not about Jack The Ripper per say, it’s about his victims and how they got themselves into that situation. You know, because it’s completely the fault of those women for getting violently murdered and stuff.
The Tower Hamlets council had their own response to the matter stating:
“Ultimately the council has no control in planning terms of the nature of the museum … The council is investigating the extent to which unauthorised works may have been carried out.”
So, it looks as if Mark Palmer-Edgecumbe duped the council to get official permission to add three stories and instead of building what he promised in return for said permission, he instead built a museum not about Jack The Ripper, but about the women and why they got themselves killed. Classy.
Via: (London Evening Standard)
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