Behold theamp10sleazy logic of museums plunder dressed up as charity conservation and care.The idealizedamp10Western museum as typified by the Metropolitan Museum of Art the Britishamp10Museum and the Museum of Natural History has remained much the same for overamp10a century a uniquely rarified public space of cool stone providing anamp10experience of leisure and education for the general public while carefullyamp10tending fragile artifacts from distant lands. As questions about representationamp10and ethics have increasingly arisen these institutions have proclaimed theiramp10interest in diversity and responsible conservation asserting both theiramp10adaptability and their immovably essential role in a flourishing and culturallyamp10rich society.Withamp160Decolonizeamp10Museums Shimrit Lee punctures this fantasy tracing the essentiallyamp10colonial origins of the concept of the museum. White Europeans atrocities wereamp10reimagined through narratives of benign curiosity and abundant respect for theamp10occupied or annihilated culture and these racist narratives Lee arguesamp10remain integral to the authority exercised by museums today. Citing pop cultureamp10references fromamp160Indiana Jonesamp160toamp160Black Pantheramp10and highlighting crucial activist campaigns and legal action to redress theamp10harms perpetrated by museums and their proxiesamp160Decolonize Museumsamp160arguesamp10that we must face a dismantling of these seemingly eternal edifices andamp10consider what if anything might take their place.