October is Black History Month in the UK. Traditionally Black History Month has drawn attention to, and celebrated, the continued achievements and contributions of Black people in the UK and around the world. Black History Month also provides a time to reflect on what has gone before and to learn from the past. 2020 saw the Black Lives Matter movement gain in visibility and support, however the reality is that 2021 has not seen the scale of change that many would have hoped for. At Northumbria this year, we’ve been marking Black History Month for our staff with a commitment to provide opportunities in October and beyond, for us all to learn and/or talk more about Black histories and to do more to address the disparities that persist today. The Students’ Union have also arranged a range of events and opportunities for our students to get involved and celebrate Black histories and cultures.
Events and activities initiated during this Black History Month to encourage learning and conversations include:
A guest lecture in October for staff and postgraduate students by Jeffrey Boakye, author, broadcaster, commentator, educator, journalist and teacher. Jeffrey has a particular interest in issues surrounding education, race, masculinity and popular culture. His session for Northumbria encouraged staff to consider how we dismantle societies constructions of race, to recognise where our blind spots are, and to consider the spheres of influence that we have.
We have two sessions planned for staff and students in November by Dr Beverley Prevatt Goldstein who is an Advisor with the North East of England African Community Association and coordinator for the African Lives in Northern England Project. Beverley has recently edited a booklet that celebrates the history of Black lives in Northern England, it explores the presence and success of people of African descent in the North East and helps to dispel the myth that the North East is exclusively white and monocultural.
‘Represented Reading - Minority is Not an Identity’ is a new collection of general interest fiction and non-fiction literature which showcases voices and stories from marginalised and under-represented authors. The collection has been collaboratively developed by the University Library and Northumbria Students’ Union and is funded by the VC’s Diversity and Inclusion fund. Print copies of relevant books are held in the City Campus Library Basement and Coach Lane Library Learning Cafe.
There are also new training opportunities for staff and students. Our students and staff have free access to a new online course which is designed to challenge racial myths and biases in Britain through the lens of Black cultures and develop a commitment to lasting change. The course, ‘Union Black: Britain’s Black Cultures and steps to anti-racism’ is funded by Santander Universities and developed in partnership with the Open University and FutureLearn. The course introduces participants to constructions of race, labels, myths and anti-racism. Staff also have access to learning material which explores racial bias in the workplace. ‘Understanding Race Bias’ has been developed by Skill Boosters in partnership with Professor Binna Kandola. The course takes a bold look at the nature of 'modern racism' and its influence in the workplace, and sets out steps that we can all take to ensure that our decisions are free from bias and that we behave in an inclusive manner that promotes true equality.
