Reflections on anti-racism this Black History Month
Hear from Jill Stevenson, RGU's Director of Student Life, who is sharing her reflections on becoming anti-racist this Black History Month.
Becoming anti-racist
Throughout my 23-year career in higher education and sport, the promotion and enhancement of equity, inclusion and the celebration of diversity have been fundamental to every professional role and voluntary position I have held. From my time as Ethics Manager at sportscotland in 2003, to my current roles as Director of Student Life at Robert Gordon University and Chair of AMOSSHE, the UK Student Services Organisation, I have always sought to design and deliver everything I do through the lens of diversity.
Back at the start
Back in 2003, my promotion to Ethics Manager at sportscotland was an exciting and challenging promotion, but the aspect of the role I was most intimidated by was having to lead on anti-racism work. This was not because I didn’t want to do it or think it was important or the right thing - quite the opposite. But I was deeply afraid I didn’t know what to do and that I would get it wrong. I was frightened of being called a fraud, an imposter, and being asked what do you know – as a privileged white woman - about being racially discriminated against? Or even worse, saying the wrong thing and being called out for it.
21 years later, despite plenty of uncertainties remaining alongside reflections on how I could have done things differently, I feel more comfortable in challenging racism and knowing that I have a legitimate role in doing so. Here are some reflections on what helped me along the way.
Embrace the fear: I accepted that I might get things wrong. That was an uncomfortable prospect, but I wasn’t willing to do nothing. You might make mistakes. I certainly did. But we are all human and it’s ok to make mistakes so long as we learn from them.
Do the work: No-one should have to go out of their way to help you to understand what racism is and how it manifests in UK society. It is not the responsibility of your Black friends or colleagues to be a mouthpiece or an educator. They may wish to do that at times, and if they do, consider yourselves lucky to have the privilege of listening to lived experience. But that should never be an expectation.
There are hundreds of books, films, podcasts and articles which will help you to better understand about concepts such as the social construction of race, white privilege, and how to become more confident in being anti-racist. Books such as Caste and Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race were hugely influential and illuminating to me. My learning style means that I prefer to learn from short article and podcasts, so I follow various thought leaders such as the inspirational and powerful John Amaechi.
So, read. Listen. Educate yourselves. Do the work. And it might be uncomfortable, and it will make you shine a mirror on yourself. But sit with the discomfort and ask yourself why you feel uncomfortable. What can you do to change that?
Be anti-racist: It was a pivotal moment when I learned the important difference between being “anti-racist” as opposed to just “not being racist.” It is, of course, the former that we all need to be if we are going to eradicate racism. John Amaechi defines this beautifully. He says that “Anti-racism is the idea that the way to combat ignorance and malice and bile is to stand vociferously against it. You don’t have to do it callously, but when you spot incivility, injustice or micro-aggression, you intervene.”
To me, being anti-racist is about two things:
- Taking action, some kind of action, when you spot racism or racial injustice.
- Working out the best way to do this. As with all interventions, they need to be safe. Intervening doesn’t have to mean getting angry, grandstanding or physically intervening. It might be about having a word with a friend after the event, reporting behaviours to a senior colleague, or sharing information that highlights why that behaviour was racist. But do something. And be prepared to use the words “racist” and “racism” where they are warranted.
Be a leader: I firmly believe that being in a leadership position provides me with both a responsibility and a unique platform to influence others. If you are fortunate enough to become a leader in any walk of life, embrace the responsibility of being a role model. People will listen to what you say when you are a leader. So, say things that help to make the world a better place. Say things that can help inform and enlighten others and call them to action. It is only then that we will become an ally. Like “leader”, “ally” is not a title that I or anyone else can bestow upon ourselves. We cannot fake authenticity or allyship. We have to do the work.
Seek out opportunities to engage: I actively sought out opportunities to work with Black and global ethnic majority (GEM) colleagues. In 2021, I co-chaired an AMOSSHE conference on anti-racism for student services leaders with a great Black colleague and peer Student Services Director, Rotimi Akinsete. I also had the privilege of interviewing Professor Sir Geoff Palmer, the first black professor in Scotland and Chancellor of Heriot Watt University. He told me about his life and the challenges he has faced in becoming a professor, and we had an open and honest conversation about what we as Student Services leaders can do to tackle racism and promote racial equality. Since then, I have led and supported several other events on anti-racism.
Explore intersectionality: I have tried to harness how being a woman could help in my journey to become anti-racist. I remembered the times that I have been discriminated against, harassed or treated as less than equal because I am a woman, and I reflected on how that made me feel: angry, humiliated, frustrated, upset, scared. And then I thought about how that would be compounded further if I was Black or from another GEM background. I read statistics that told me Black and Bangladeshi women were more likely to experience poverty and its effects than either white women or Black and Bangladeshi men, and the impact of intersectionality became clear. That helped me get better at checking my own privilege and understanding that there are experiences that I will never truly understand as a white person. But I know it is my responsibility to try to learn as much as I can about what those experiences are.
Pay Black speakers for their time: If you do invite people of colour to talk at an event, or write an article for you about their experiences, then pay them for that work. People who have experienced racism are tired of constantly doing extra work to explain what racism is and how it feels, or to challenge unacceptable behaviour. If they are willing to give up their time to help you and others better understand how to help eliminate racism, then we must recognise and reward that time.
What gets measured gets done: There are plenty of good intentions in universities and other big, complex organisations. But everyone is busy. So, it is up to leaders to make tackling racism an institutional priority. Is it clear in the organisational values and the strategic objectives? Is there a realistic, targeted, evidence based and measurable strategy that sets out exactly what steps will be taken to achieve that aim? Without that, laudable aims will fall short of real impact.
Harness the power of storytelling
There is a plethora of research about persistent inequalities in society and between groups of people in higher education, for example the 2019 EHRC report Tackling racial harassment: Universities challenged or recent HESA data which shows that under 1% of professors in UK universities are black. This is all very important and useful, but in my experience, it only goes so far.
Following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, I chaired a series of focus groups to invite students and staff to help shape our new university strategy on anti-racism and race equality. I invited our Deputy Principals to attend so that they could hear the lived experiences that our students and colleagues were willing to share. The impact was profound, much more so than reading another research report would have been. To this day, one of them still shares a powerful anecdote we heard that day when a Black student told us that every Black member of their sports club had been stopped on different occasions by the local police force when out in the town. I could see the lightbulb going on in his mind in that moment, and that prompted him to want to do the work.
Do not underestimate the power of storytelling.
It is incumbent on all of us who are in a position of privilege to remember that it is the responsibility of those who perpetrate and witness racism to make the changes necessary to eradicate it. So, ask yourself, what have you done today or what can you do tomorrow to end racial injustice or educate yourself about how to be more confident in doing so?
Do the work. It can be a little or a lot. Just do the work.
Two other helpful introductory resources from John Amaechi are What is white privilege? and Not-racist v anti-racist: what’s the difference?
