Brooklyn Museum Appoints White Curator for African Art, Sparks Protests

The Brooklyn Museum in New York appointed Kristen Windmuller-Luna (b. 1986) as its new curator of African art, sparking protests from activist group Decolonize This Place. The group published an open letter accusing the museum of racism and white supremacy, arguing that a white curator cannot represent African art. Museum director Anne Pasternak defended the appointment, citing Windmuller-Luna's stellar qualifications: a BA in art history from Yale, an MA and PhD in African American art history from Princeton, and previous roles at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Princeton University Art Museum, and Neuberger Museum of Art. UCLA professor Steven Nelson also supported the choice, noting the increasing number of white scholars studying African art. The controversy raises questions about identity-based hiring and whether protests have gone too far.