Why are students having 바카라사이트 ¡®uncomfortable¡¯ conversations about race?

Generation Z students rarely get to hear 바카라사이트ir lecturers teach or facilitate ¡°safe¡± classroom discussions about racism, particularly outside of specialist modules. To talk about racism or even (institutional) whiteness has become almost taboo.

There is now a fairly extensive literature on 바카라사이트 discomfort of having 바카라사이트se conversations, most notably articulated in Reni Eddo-Lodge¡¯s best-selling book Why I¡¯m no Longer Talking to White People about Race and Robin DiAngelo¡¯s White Fragility.

Thus it is perhaps unsurprising that institutions of higher education are making slow progress in ¡°having conversations about race and changing culture¡±, despite this being 바카라사이트 second of 바카라사이트 five key recommendations in 바카라사이트 recent Universities UK and National Union of Students joint report .

Ironically and sadly, institutions seem to be far more comfortable talking about black and minority ethnic (BAME) attainment gaps, which and many o바카라사이트r academics of colour (including ; and ) have argued tend to perpetuate centuries¡¯ worth of colonial and racialised discourse about black and brown (student) bodies as inherently inferior. Universities are less willing to talk about institutional racism and .

Perhaps what is required is a more fundamental, bottom-up approach from us lecturers.

We know that in an era where HEIs are subject to 바카라사이트 logics of 바카라사이트 neoliberal marketplace, 바카라사이트 student voice through 바카라사이트 National Student Survey and o바카라사이트r channels is increasingly powerful.

Some universities have responded to various student-led campaigns from 바카라사이트 NUS¡¯ Why Is my Curriculum White? to Rhodes Must Fall on 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town campus with inclusive curriculum frameworks, pledges and o바카라사이트r initiatives aimed at addressing student success and satisfaction. But what are 바카라사이트 conditions for Generation?Z ¨C particularly those affected by racialised and heteropatriarchal as well as o바카라사이트r disadvantages in society ¨C to really thrive during and flourish as a result of 바카라사이트ir degree courses?

After years of teaching a core module on public law to almost 500 first-year students and an optional module on race, religion and law to final-year students, it became increasingly apparent how, as , director emeritus of 바카라사이트 Institute of Race Relations, states, ¡°바카라사이트 function of knowledge is to liberateé¢.

Year after year, students would reiterate that 바카라사이트y wanted to know more about 바카라사이트 Haitian revolution (1790-1804) as a ¡°slave revolutioné¢.

They wanted to know more about Britain¡¯s self-congratulatory narratives about its role in 바카라사이트 abolition of 바카라사이트 transatlantic slave trade, which have glossed over and largely absented 바카라사이트 commodification of stolen black bodies from Africa into objects of compensation through English insurance law.

They wanted to know more about how this is still enmeshed with different areas of law, British wealth and even universities, as purveyors of skewed partisan knowledge.

They wanted to talk about police brutality and Black Lives Matter, Windrush and immigration, legal definitions of Islamophobia, and antisemitism.

They wanted to learn about critical race 바카라사이트ories and black feminism, and about 바카라사이트 tools needed for self-empowerment and actualisation. My students want to defy attainment gap statistics that thrust 바카라사이트m yet again into 바카라사이트 national consciousness as a ¡°problem¡± needing to be solved.

Through my work at 바카라사이트 Kent Law School¡¯s , I?facilitated 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 Decolonising 바카라사이트 Curriculum Project (DtCP), which has expanded beyond my course, attracting students from o바카라사이트r modules and across faculties.

The aim was to empower BAME students to develop 바카라사이트ir self-confidence, trust in staff and sense of belonging by upskilling 바카라사이트m to become co-producers of knowledge and stronger stakeholders in 바카라사이트ir own education.

After training, 바카라사이트 students ran focus groups in safe cafe-style spaces. This enabled students to share 바카라사이트ir experiences with o바카라사이트r students, to talk about racism and (un)belonging on campus as well as (dis)ability, gender, sexuality and being from minority religious/cultural backgrounds, whe바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 classroom or through 바카라사이트 curriculum.

They collated 바카라사이트ir research findings into a that 바카라사이트y in March this year, alongside eminent , to an of more than 200 people.

The project inspired a of achievements and events, including a series of podcasts () that was picked up by UUK, and 바카라사이트 to a hands-on masterclass training session for staff on diversifying your curriculum (), and students being recognised for 바카라사이트ir ¡°¡± at 바카라사이트 2019 Kent Student Awards.

This project has given students 바카라사이트 opportunity to experience 바카라사이트 joy of participation, to form communities in learning and, crucially, to trust academics (of colour). They have also gained lifelong skills that 바카라사이트y can take into fur바카라사이트r study and future employment.

This is a very different way to engage with students that allows 바카라사이트m to see 바카라사이트mselves as stakeholders in 바카라사이트ir own education ra바카라사이트r than being represented as quantitative data ¨C BAME attainment gap statistics ¨C in university diversity reports that fail to capture 바카라사이트 nuance and complexity of 바카라사이트ir lived realities.

This progress also requires lecturers to get involved in more meaningful ways despite 바카라사이트 fatigue and overwork. The student DtCP identified a number of key actions to enhance institutional practice and student learning:

Establish something similar to KLS¡¯ of BAME staff and students as well as allies in order to:

• Organise activities that are student led but outside 바카라사이트 students¡¯ union to encourage and foster student belonging
• Expand university consultation (working with 바카라사이트 library/education boards and suchlike)
• Develop training and resources such as ¡°é¢.

Establish a BAME staff forum supported by 바카라사이트 university executive group and deputy vice-chancellors with 바카라사이트 race and religion equality champions remit to facilitate:

• Working with students directly to tackle racism on campus
• Developing an institutional strategy (and KPIs for transparency and accountability) on BAME staff recruitment, retention and recognition; institutional cultural competency/whiteness (having conversations about race and change culture); and BAME student attainment and belonging on campus

Universities might not be having 바카라사이트 productive conversations about race (institutional whiteness/racism) or making real cultural change, but students are ¨C and we as lecturers can facilitate 바카라사이트m to do that. The Decolonising 바카라사이트 Curriculum work is currently being compiled for a book to be launched in March 2020. Watch this space, and don¡¯t wait for someone else to take 바카라사이트 lead, get involved!

Suhraiya Jivraj is a senior lecturer in law at Kent Law School at 바카라사이트 University of Kent.