‘Do not lecture us’: Online backlash against the National Trust addressing its links to colonialism and historic slavery

Racism in rural England is pervasive yet underacknowledged due to popular depictions of rural England as idyllic and the epitome of quintessential national virtues, culture and identity. This article discusses one case study of the National Trust, which has begun to address its links to colonialism and historic slavery, and in doing so, faced significant online backlash, embedded within broader discriminatory and racist practices. Drawing on corpus-assisted Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), we explore public discourses around how race and colonialism are constructed, contested, and resisted in online spaces. We argue that vehement reactions against the National Trust stem from deep emotional connections to history – history is perceived as sacred, and the National Trust is entrusted with preserving rather than commenting on historical artefacts and places. We demonstrate how national pride fuels opposition to the foregrounding of colonialism and historic slavery, especially when Britain is seen to be unfairly targeted.