{"id":2093,"date":"2021-10-29T10:43:27","date_gmt":"2021-10-29T09:43:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/itl\/?p=2093"},"modified":"2021-11-12T11:09:10","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T11:09:10","slug":"5-things-to-read-in-black-history-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/itl\/2021\/10\/29\/5-things-to-read-in-black-history-month\/","title":{"rendered":"5 things to read in… Black History Month"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"FreddieOctober marks Black History Month in the UK and has been celebrated annually since 1987.\u00a0Whilst it may have started as a way of remembering important people and events in\u00a0Black history, it has become a\u00a0celebration of Black British achievement and an opportunity for our society\u00a0to unite in learning anti-racist lessons for the present and the future.\u00a0For 2021, the\u00a0Brilliant and Black<\/a>\u00a0event served as the University\u2019s keynote celebration of Black History Month.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I have capitalised \u2018Black\u2019 in the context of\u00a0social-identity\u00a0as\u00a0this\u00a0falls\u00a0in line with other University of Manchester communications. However, it is important to\u00a0recognise the debate surrounding this grammatical choice and\u00a0I\u00a0would recommend Professor Kwame Anthony Appiah\u2019s article,\u00a0<\/span>The Case for Capitalizing the\u00a0<\/span>B<\/span><\/i>\u00a0in Black<\/span><\/a>, as a good introduction to some of the issues present within the discourse.\u00a0Being alert to such debates should facilitate, rather than stifle, conversations on issues of racism and decolonisation, helping to make our classrooms a safe place to raise such matters.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Anti-racist practice for digital and online learning<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n

In this presentation for\u00a0<\/span>REMOTE<\/span><\/a>, Jessica Rowland Williams challenges\u00a0the\u00a0misconception that digital learning\u00a0is the Higher Education sector\u2019s answer to inequity. Disparities exist within digital learning methods, with a growing body of evidence showing that online environments do not prevent individuals from being judged on their race or gender.\u00a0To achieve\u00a0<\/span>anti-racist practice for digital and online learning<\/span><\/a>, institutions must start with an exploration of existing inequities present in its learning spaces \u2013 both online and on campus.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Please\u00a0note:\u00a0access to this article requires a Times Higher Education account. Sign up is free.<\/span><\/i>\u202f<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Britain\u2019s first Black Professor<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n

Sir William Arthur Lewis<\/span><\/a>\u00a0joined the Victoria University of Manchester in 1947. Lewis was made a full professor in 1948 and in doing so became Britain\u2019s first Black professor. During his time at Manchester, Lewis developed some of his most important concepts about the patterns of capital and wages in developing countries. In 1979 his work was recognised with a Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics, won jointly with Theodore Schultz.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Earlier this year,\u00a0the University supported colleagues who\u00a0<\/span>wished to apply for 100 Black Women Professors Now<\/span><\/a>, a 12-month accelerator programme for\u00a0Black female academics working in UK higher education institutions. The University committed to a number of\u00a0fully-funded\u00a0places on the programme.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Black Lives Matter and the Student Voice<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n

Following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests took place across the UK and the world.\u00a0<\/span>A report from AdvanceHE<\/span><\/a>\u00a0investigated the actions taken by UK universities in response to the BLM movement, including responses to the critiques raised by their own students and staff. Published four months ago, the aim of the report is to ensure that universities do not lose the momentum gathered during the peak of the BLM movement last summer and take steps to implement further anti-racist initiatives.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Developing Stamina for Decolonising Higher Education<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n

Simply adding\u00a0authors from ethnic minority backgrounds\u00a0to reading lists\u00a0can be viewed as tokenistic and fails to address the pillars of colonialism that underpin our knowledge. As Dr Sharon Stein puts it\u00a0<\/span>in her OpenLearn post<\/span><\/a>, \u201cwe cannot just read ourselves out of colonisation, nor into decolonisation\u201d.\u00a0For it to be effective, decolonisation work in Higher Education (and beyond) must be uncomfortable for those people who have traditionally benefited\u00a0from its structures. To build a stamina for decolonisation work, there must be a willingness to learn to sit with and hold what is difficult, uncomfortable and painful. It might be attractive to set an end goal for decolonisation initiatives and work towards this, but it is the integrity of this process which is truly important.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The role of universities and employers in allowing Black graduates to thrive<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n

Universities play a vital role in preparing\u00a0students\u00a0for the transition to the labour market. Whilst the BLM movement challenged Higher Education providers to look inwards and challenge any racism present within,\u00a0<\/span>Professor Tristram Hooley argues that it is just as important to think about what happens when students leave university<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0To prepare students for entering diverse organisations, Hooley posits that universities must facilitate learning\u00a0about racism and inequality in the workplace and how to challenge it.\u00a0Employers are an important ally to universities on this matter and should push each other to do better on issues of racial justice.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Related<\/h1>\n

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Recognising the power of academic advising and diversity in the curriculum<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a>
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Black History Month - October 2022<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a>
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5 things to read on... student partnership<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>
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