Our campaign aims to raise the first statue in Oxford to commemorate a Black individual. Below are the reasons that we believe Charlie Hutchison is the best choice for an individual which the statue should commemorate
1) Someone Black or mixed race
Oxford has countless statues of influential individuals from British history. Their presence is a staple of our city’s culture. However, despite Black people having been present in Oxford for hundreds of years, none of the city’s statues commemorate the achievements of a Black person. Our proposed project for a statue dedicated to a Black individual is what will make our statue unique. It is not often that a city as ancient as Oxford gets ‘first times’ like this.
2) Someone denied their place in history
When looking for Black individuals to commemorate, we preferred to look for somebody whose achievements have lacked widespread recognition. This gives our project more meaning, as it brings to light a side to history that otherwise would have been missed. For this reason we avoided historical figures such as Malcolm X and Nelson Mandela, as their achievements are already widely recognised and celebrated. Charlie Hutchison on the other hand is a lesser known figure who was soon forgotten after their death and has only recently been rediscovered by historians.
3) Someone born in Oxfordshire
By selecting an individual who was born either inside or close to Oxford, it increases the local relevance of our project. We’ve decided to settle on the county of Oxfordshire rather than strictly within the city to avoid discriminating against people of working class backgrounds who may not have been able to afford to live in the city centre.
4) Someone that risked their life
The statue should commemorate someone that can inspire the widest number of people, and often the most inspirational people in history are those that risked their life for what they believed in. Charlie Hutchison spent almost 10 years fighting wars against fascism, surviving frostbite, multiple shrapnel wounds, and even survived the disastrous Battle of Lopera (1936) in which over half the British volunteers he fought alongside were killed.
5) Someone that saved people’s lives
Most historical figures who risked their lives were soldiers during wartime. However, saving lives and selfishly helping others is far more inspirational than violence. Charlie Hutchison saved countless lives as an ambulance driver in Spain, and in 1945 served in a unit that delivered life-saving supplies to the survivors of Belsen concentration camp. He also took part in a charity convoy to raise money for Spain, and post-WWII he cared for foster children with his wife and family.
The Charlie Hutchison statue & memorial campaign 