These are extraordinary and challenging times, but hopeful ones, too. In response to the Black Lives Matter protests, we have received many requests from staff and students who want to be more engaged in building an actively antiracist school that addresses systemic inequalities and supports BAME staff and students, many of whom have been working to make these changes for a long time. We still have a lot of work to do, and there are deep structural inequalities in academia—for example, fewer than 1% of UK Professors are black while 85% are white, BAME attainment gaps are stark, and for the most part our curriculum still privileges the voices, narratives and histories of white people. As a start, we want to share resources for those who are interested in learning about and participating more in the pursuit of racial equality, at the university and beyond. Below is a link to an essay on white privilege by Peggy McIntosh, a link to multimedia resources and readings on anti-racism (mainly in the US context), and a list of sources focused on UK contexts, including a Guardian article from 9 June by Professor Olivette Otele, professor of the History of Slavery at the University of Bristol.

These are not comprehensive lists, but are intended to offer ways into thinking about race and justice, privilege and power, solidarity and community. 

We hope to offer more opportunities to discuss this material and work together on these issues soon.  

---

School of Humanities EDI Committee

Resources