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.
