Tag: Race (Page 4 of 5)

We invite each of our new team members to write a blog post to introduce themselves to the King’s community. Introducing, Lauren Blackwood (she/her), EDI Project Officer, and her piece on self care, white guilt and fragility.

It is frequently the case that Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) professionals of colour (and people of colour (POC) generally) face unique challenges in the workplace. Namely, POC experience numerous facets of resistance, avoidance, and in some cases violence (individual and institutional) when engaging white people in conversations about race, specifically racism. These experiences can have an adverse effect on POC (and other groups who face marginalisation and discrimination). Considering this, it is important to ensure that EDI professionals of colour prioritise self-care where possible during, and following, these instances.

As defined by DiAngelo, White fragility is “a state [in white people] in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviours such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. These behaviours, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium” (2011, 54). Conversations which challenge racial dynamics and hierarchies are not yet normalised. But what is normalised is the often-unquestioned dominance of white people, as well as institutions (e.g., education systems, the media, political order), and other environments in the cultural and political West primarily catering for white comfort by reinstating the white racial equilibrium. Thus, the discomfort which stems from challenging racial privilege is oftentimes unfamiliar (55). Both this definition and its explanation are transferable and may be used to describe the responses minorities generally (e.g., LGBTQ+ individuals, disabled people, neurodiverse people) experience when calling out or calling in colleagues, friends, or family etc., regarding their privileges.

The effects of white people exhibiting this fragility and guilt on POC include our own feelings of guilt that we have ‘made’ another feel this way; feeling unsafe within the environment and amongst the given company; being seen as, and consequently being made to feel, ‘lesser than’ due to the side-lining of our racial experience and the prioritisation of the dominant party’s feelings. Oftentimes, these effects can be at the expense of the health and wellbeing of POC (Williams et al. 2019, 114). Though it may be said that EDI professionals have opted for a career and working environment which can go hand-in-hand with encountering these instances, we are still human beings whose feelings, experiences, and health are valid and important.

Due to these potentially damaging effects, and the validity of these experiences and feelings, it is important that POC working in EDI engage in self-care. Self-care following occurrences of white guilt and fragility can come in many forms, for instance, by creating and accessing safe environments. Whether this environment is at home or with colleagues – discussing the experience you have had without judgement is valuable, and instead receiving reassurance that dismantling and challenging racism (both covert and overt forms) is OK and necessary to dismantle oppression. Secondly, surrounding yourself with people who humanise you and in turn validate your feelings and existence as a POC. Thirdly, remembering that you cannot dismantle oppression and decolonise institutions on your own nor can it be done overnight, so it is in the interests of both the task and yourself to take time out to prioritise yourself before returning to the job.

As advice for those exhibiting white guilt and/or white fragility – I believe that in order to be influenced to enact change in your work and home environments, relationships, and within one’s self and counterparts, this guilt needs to be recognised and embraced rather than overlooked or evaded. Feelings of guilt concerning racial privilege may be used as encouragement to engage in constructive conversations concerning race and unlearning prejudices. By understanding and recognising these feelings of guilt and fragility, genuine concern about changing one’s behaviour can begin. In collectively changing this behaviour, we can foster a safer and more accessible environment for POC, whose oppression and consequential marginalisation unfairly benefits and privileges white people.

Bibliography

DiAngelo, R. (2011) White Fragility. The International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, 3(3).

Williams, D.R., Lawrence, J.A., and Davis, B.A. (2019) Racism and Health: Evidence and Needed Research. Annual Review of Public Health, 40, pp.105-125

For Wellbeing Month, Race Equality Network member Mariam Ghorbannejad writes about being part of a network and affecting positive change. You can find out more about the Race Equality Network  as well as Proudly King’s,  Elevate: King’s Gender Equality Network, Parents’ & Carers’ Network and Access King’s: Disability Inclusion Network on the Diversity & Inclusion webpages.  

Being a Londoner of mixed (Persian/Scottish) descent, I am used to ticking the ‘mixed’ or ‘other’ box on equal opportunities classification forms, whether that be in medical registrations, job applications or employer monitoring processes. There is no box that I neatly fit into; I am in that grey space that is different but undefined. This can be frustrating, although, given I am in my thirties, I have become somewhat accustomed to this rather rudimentary way of categorising individuals into pre-defined recognisable and distinguishable groups.

Not only does this box-ticking exercise make me feel frustrated that in this day and age, in modern Britain, we are still being asked for this information but that somehow it is recorded and not much is actually done to address any imbalances that exist.

This has an impact on my life in numerous ways; it affects how I view my own identity and on my well-being. When the opportunity arose to become a core member of the Race Equality Network at King’s, I jumped at the chance.

The purpose of King’s Race Equality Network (REN) is to promote and advance race equality at King’s. It seeks to provide networking opportunities and support both the personal and professional development of all members. As a network, we aim to create a space for identifying and tackling cultural and diversity issues around university policies and practices through supporting the implementation of King’s Race Equality Action Plan.

Our objectives include: valuing the importance of building a community that embraces relational power, transparency, knowledge sharing, respect and equality, supporting the implementation of actions outlined within King’s Race Equality Action Plan and promoting and represent the interests of BME staff and students amongst others. We also aim to develop tangible and practical solutions for changing the way in which race is discussed at King’s. We engage and work collaboratively with both internal and external stakeholders who share our ethos. We would like to create a cultural shift within the university towards open and honest conversations about race.

I have personally faced many occasions in which my name has led to judgement of my command of English, something I found quite astounding in contemporary British society. As someone of mixed heritage, I feel compelled to be part of the REN team in order to address issues of equality of access to opportunities (for both staff and students), inclusion (a sense of belonging and everyone feeling welcome) and diversity of the student/staff body and curriculum.

Working alongside others whose vision for race equality at King’s is similar to mine is exciting, empowering and has a tremendously positive effect on my emotional, psychological and mental well-being. I am motivated by my core beliefs and am happy to share this passion with the team members who are all equally passionate about making a positive change.

For Black History Month, we organised a number of events including a tribute to celebrate the life of Harold Moody, a black Medicine graduate at King’s, who finished top of his class in 1910. Harold was a Jamaican-born physician who campaigned against racial prejudice. We celebrated his legacy in a panel discussion involving Sarah Guerra, Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, current and former BME King’s students, chaired by Professor Evelyn Welch, Professor of Renaissance Studies, Provost & Senior Vice President (Arts & Sciences). Another successful event, attended by over 300 students, was the rapper Akala who came to perform and responded to questions from the audience on race afterwards. He was able to give an honest and articulate account of issues that are still exist within society.

I have been inspired by the enthusiasm shown by REN core members who are all working diligently to bring about positive change within the university. I am also pleased that senior staff are taking notice and that recommendations are being drafted. My own personal well-being has benefitted enormously and I strongly believe any change will be positive for the entire student and staff population and that future generations will benefit, too.

Alex Prestage is Diversity & Inclusion Manager at King’s, with responsibility for managing the university’s Race Equality Charter Award; King’s is proud to have maintained a Race Equality Charter Bronze Award since the charter’s launch in 2015, in recognition of our commitment to progressing race equality for staff and students. Below, Alex reflects on the important role volunteers play in maintaining and progressing our work around Diversity & Inclusion at King’s within the context of Black History Month.

UK Black History Month, marked each year in October, celebrates Black histories and recognises contributions that are often hidden or erased. Across King’s this year we’re hosting a varied and exciting programme of events celebrating the contributions of King’s Alum Dr Harold Moody, tackling the issues of reparations and decolonisation at King’s, and screening a veritable plethora of films touching on Black history and race equality.

In the spirit of the month, I’d like to take the opportunity to personally and publicly recognise the contribution of a group of individuals to race equality, and Black history, at King’s: The Race Equality Writing Group (REWG). Between 2017 and early 2019 REWG convened to work in collaboration across King’s to further race equality for staff and students via King’s engagement with AdvanceHE’s Race Equality Charter.

REWG are a diverse group of staff of different ethnicities, nationalities, genders, beliefs, (dis)abilities, working patterns, caring responsibilities and personal/professional backgrounds – they’re academics and professional services, Black and white, and all of them leaders. Many of the team volunteered their time, on top of their day jobs, in order to positively impact race equality at King’s for our wider staff and student community.

When the group first convened in 2017, the task before them was looming: to lead an organisation, like King’s, further along the path to race equity; not an easy task, nor a responsibility that was taken lightly by any of the team! Over the year and a half, REWG collated and analysed mountains of qualitative and quantitative data to better understand the nuances of race equality at King’s split by ethnicity, faculty, directorate, undergraduate, postgraduate, UK national, non-UK national, full-time, part-time – the list goes on! From this insight and further consultation with staff and students, REWG established and articulated four priority issues for King’s to address in order to progress race equality and create a more inclusive university. Talah Anderson, D&I Project Intern, reflected on these issues earlier during Black History Month.

Simply identifying and sharing these issues was not enough – it was for REWG to develop a visionary action plan that would address staff and student concerns and feedback in a long-term, sustainable manner. This required a fine balance of creative problem-solving, blue sky thinking, and pragmatism; one that I believe REWG struck – challenging King’s to increase investment in race equality work and working closely with colleagues across the university to apply race equality perspectives and lenses to existing projects and work.

By the end of February 2019 REWG had engaged over 1,400 staff and students via surveys, focus groups, action planning workshops in an institution-wide conversation about race. To achieve this as a mixed group of volunteers with no prior history of collaborating (or in some cases working on race equality!) demands recognition; all too often responsibility for resolving Diversity & Inclusion issues falls to those who fall victim to them. As such, it’s important for us, as a university and for those of us who practice Diversity & Inclusion in various capacities, to recognise the efforts and achievements demonstrated by our staff and students like REWG.

Earlier this month, REWG’s endeavor to further race equality at King’s, their achievements both personal and collective were recognised by King’s Awards – Race Equality Writing Group have been shortlisted for the Inclusive Workplace Award. Please join me in congratulating each of REWG members; I’d like to thank each of the following for their hard work, and wish them luck at the Awards Ceremony on 21st November:

• Syreeta Allen (Director of Student Success, Interim)
• Evelyn Welch (Senior Vice Principal and Provost Arts & Sciences)
• Sarah Guerra (Director of Diversity & Inclusion)
• Renee Romeo (Senior Lecturer Health Economics and IoPPN Race Equality Network Co-Champion)
• Richard Salter (Director of Analytics)
• Paloma Lisboa (Director of Operations)
• Natalie Armitage (Case Management Consultant)
• Lucy Ward (D&I Coordinator)
• Helena Mattingley (Head of D&I)
• Evelyn Welch (Senior Vice Principal and Provost Arts & Sciences)

Activist and journalist Marc Wadsworth on his work celebrating unsung heroes.

We learnt about white Crimean war heroine Florence Nightingale at school. But the hidden history of her black contemporary, Jamaican-born nurse Mary Seacole, who was just as noteworthy, had to be unearthed by black scholars. A statue of Seacole was put up outside St Thomas’ Hospital after years of campaigning.

There are many such untold stories. I’ve tried to tell a couple of them. In 1998 my biography of Indian Shapurji Saklatvala, a communist who became Labour MP for Battersea North in 1922, was published. Then I made two films about volunteers from the Caribbean who fought in the Second World War. My late Jamaican father was one of them.

First was the documentary Divided by Race, United in War and Peace, which got a cinema screening in 2014. Then, with the BBC, I made Fighting for King and Empire: Britain’s Caribbean Heroes. It has been broadcast half a dozen times, including last month.

In 2011, I took a master’s in contemporary British history at King’s as a mature student, breaking new ground as the first to get on a course at the university using a scheme for people without an undergraduate degree. It’s called Accreditation of Prior Learning. I wish King’s would trumpet its existence, so more people like me could be students and benefit from our world-class university.

I did a guest lecture in the history department, based on my dissertation, The Rise and Fall of the Labour Party Black Sections 1983-1990, for which I got a distinction. The lecture was a privilege rarely afforded to alumni.

My book, Comrade Sak, Shapurji Saklatvala MP, a political biography, was part of the portfolio of work I put to professors to get accepted onto the course.

There is activism going on to redress the lack of diversity in lessons. For instance, the Why is my curriculum white? campaign that is to be applauded. It ‘aims to decolonise and critically challenge course content and perspectives offered through the accepted Western white canon of knowledge’.

Black students and scholars mustn’t just whinge about the absence of black history in lessons, and the under-representation of teachers who look like us, they must do something about it.

Black History Month gives us a useful annual platform, even though many of us believe the subject should be promoted all year round.

I’m delighted to have been given the opportunity by the Race Equality Network at King’s to speak about a hidden history; that of Jamaican-born Dr Harold Moody, who graduated from the university in 1910, finishing top of the class.

No one I spoke with at King’s knew about Moody. He was affectionately known as ‘the black doctor’ in Peckham, south London, where he practiced as a highly respected GP, way before the NHS. A pioneer, Moody founded Britain’s first civil rights movement, the League of Coloured Peoples, in 1931. I proudly spoke at the unveiling of a plaque commemorating him earlier this year.

The long-overdue Dr Harold Moody, a King’s College hidden history reclaimed event will be in Bush House Lecture Theatre 2 BH (S) 4.04, the Strand, starting at 6.15pm on 23 October. It includes a drinks reception and is free to attend.

I hope you’ll spread the word and come along.

So, it’s Black History Month (Let’s not get into the fact that having only one month is something that we’re supposed to be grateful for!).

I can get a bit jaded. I recently spoke at a conference full of public servants – police, firefighters, healthcare workers, etc. The speakers were dynamic, informed and frankly great. However, I left a bit depressed. I had heard nothing new or nothing I didn’t already know, and I caught myself in my own arrogance. It’s easy in my job to get tied up in the day to day – I know we can only ‘fix diversity’ if we fix systems and processes, but it can make you forget why you do it in the first place.

On the way home from the conference I was pondering why we still needed to repeat these things. How do people not just know them? I remembered what had ‘activated’ me, and I know it was becoming empowered. As regular readers know, I am a TV addict, particularly, a Shonda Rhimes addict. Now I was brought up on the Eli Pope philosophy of “you must be twice as good as them to get half of what they have”.

As I continued to educate myself, I found that a text that had a huge impact on me was Windrush: The Irresistible Rise of Multi-Racial Britain. This text helped me understand how and why my parents raised me as they did and how we all reacted to a variety of social scenarios we had no control of.

My philosophy as I got older however, became more Olivia Pope (and yes, of course, I do imagine myself as her – when I was growing up there were next to no black female TV characters let alone leads), who said: “We know who we are, who we will always be, and we have a choice, we can hide in the shadows, or we can stand in the light”.

That education led me to grow and recognise who I am and what my strengths are. I was able to see the different types of oppression I had been letting rule my life – from society’s expectations and norms, to my parents’, and to my own internalised ones. It led me to decide to do something, to reach my potential, and to help remove the barriers that prevent others from doing so.

I was particularly reminded of this when I caught the last day of Get Up, Stand Up, at Somerset House. It described itself as ‘a major new exhibition celebrating the past 50 years of Black creativity in Britain and beyond. Beginning with the radical Black filmmaker Horace Ové and his dynamic circle of Windrush generation creative peers and extending to today’s brilliant young Black talent globally, a group of 110 interdisciplinary artists are showcasing their work together for the first time, exploring Black experience and influence, from the post-war era to the present day.’

The whole exhibition was a great mix of provocation, reminiscing and empowerment through art, and it really spoke to me. It was also interesting to me when I went to find resources or information about this amazing man, Horace Ové, next to nothing was available! I would highly recommend these podcasts – they will make particularly good listening this Black History Month.

Anyway, back to the conference and my jadedness.  What I remembered is, that’s the work and that’s the journey. We don’t learn about all of our histories and contributions consistently, and so our diversity issues in the workforce and in Higher Education persist. These conferences ignite new sparks for some and lead others to empowerment and to take action. Black History Month does the same. It enables celebration, reflection, activism and progress. I am glad that for my children, they will not, like me, grow up unknowingly believing that Black History doesn’t exist.

As ever, there are many events across the month being held across King’s, as well as London.

Tyler John has joined the team as one of the new Diversity and Inclusion Project Interns. As part of their induction, we’ve asked them to write a blog post about something important to them. 

As October brings a celebration of Black History Month, I thought I would use this digital canvas to paint a picture of what Blackness and being ‘Black’ means to me.  

Being Black is historically unchartered territory for me, as a white-passing, mixed-race person. My dad is a black man, whose heritage is both white British and Black Caribbean, and my mum is 100% White British. This roughly means that I am 75% White British, and 25% Black Caribbean – as it happens, using percentages to define one’s identity is relatively impossible!  

Growing up in a mixed-race family, I have been surrounded by People of Colour my entire life. As a child, being Black meant nothing more to me than having brown or black skin, and as a result, Blackness was something I couldn’t experience or get involved in. Though I have two brothers with the exact same racial makeup as myself, my white skin (compared to their brown skin), alienated me from the identity they were able to share with the rest of my family – they were Black and I was white.  

Though I am older and, one could say, wiser now, the importance of visible race is still so pervasive to my understanding of Blackness. How could it not be, when the colour of one’s skin has huge implications for their everyday experience? Black men are consistently the most likely demographic to have a fatal encounter with the police (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2019), and black women earn on average 40% less than white men do (Lean In, 2019). The fact is, my white skin means I will never experience these disadvantages, and this is a privilege that cannot be ignored. However, does it make me any less Black? 

Yes, and no. Having darker skin is a huge factor in the lived experiences of People of Colour, affecting how you exist and move through the world, and because of the colour of my skin, there are experiences, sentiments and feelings inherent to being Black that I can never share. However, as I have now learned, and as I continue to try and teach myself, being Black is so much more than the colour of one’s skin.  

To me, being Black is a multi-dimensional and intersectional experience. It exists in the places we live, the food we eat, the music we listen to, the art we consume, the clothes we wear, the history we have lived through, and ultimately, how we engage with these things. Though I may have been one of the only white-skinned people in my family, I’ve spent enough summers making roti with my Granddad and listening to soca at family parties to understand that being Black doesn’t solely reside in the way we look, but also in the way we live our lives.  

This is a continuing journey for me as an adult. At every opportunity, I find myself desperately keen to absorb things outside of the white-centric cultural hegemony and expose myself to things that will not only diversify my understanding of race but too, my understanding of my own racial experience. I am a gay, mixed-race, working-class person, and every day, I discover something new about what this means. Will I ever have a perfect understanding of myself and the things that make me who I am? No, probably not, but I’m so excited to explore as much as I possibly can.