Westminster continues its commitment to create lasting change in its stand against racism in all its forms, through involvement, inspiration, innovation and allyship. In the two years since setting out its Black Lives Matter Commitments, the 15-point plan is now firmly established within the University community with students, colleagues, alumni, business and higher education partners all playing their part.
One of the Commitments demonstrates this impact visibly. Recognising that Black history should not be relegated to a single month of recognition, the University initiated the first, ground-breaking Black History Year rolling programme of activities. This involves Black historians, musicians, executives, writers, artists, thinkers, academics and alumni.
“The idea for a Black History Year programme at Westminster came at a troubled time for the entire globe, which was still reeling from the shock of the murder of George Floyd whilst in the grip of a pandemic,” explains Dr Deborah Husbands, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, and Co-Chair for the University's Black and Minority Ethnic Network and Lead for the Black History Year Steering Group.
“As a collective effort, our response was to provide a platform that could continue to showcase the experiences of a particularly marginalised population, bringing attention to their resilience and fortitude, with the aim to emphasise what unifies us all; namely, respect, courage and compassion in the face of challenges,” Dr Husbands continues.
Another one of the Commitments taking shape is a collaboration between students and colleagues to remove bias and improve balance in learning. The Pedagogies for Social Justice podcast and Decolonising the Curriculum Toolkit are co-created by students and colleagues and encourage critical thinking. A curation of materials examining racial bias, systemic racism and anti-racism compiled by Library teams and users makes cultural histories, literature and experiences accessible to all.
The University embodies the Commitments in its research endeavour too. The Black Music Research Unit has retold the story of Black British Music, helping Art and Design at Westminster achieve 100% ‘world-leading’ impact in the recent Research Excellence Framework.
A new PhD Pathways initiative has been designed to provide peer to peer support for students from underrepresented backgrounds. Three Black PhD researchers received full funding to start their PhD in the School of Social Sciences in 2021-22. Extending that to the entire University, ten doctoral studentships funded by the Quintin Hogg Trust were created for UK students from the backgrounds least represented in academia – Black British, Pakistani British and Bangladeshi British – to start in September 2022.
The University has funded research and has run workshops for senior leaders to address awarding gaps through authentic assessment and improved student support.
The employability team runs a series of career initiatives, including the annual Inclusive Futures Fair, featuring employers from the UK and Europe seeking diverse talent.
Other initiatives well underway include being part of Union Black, a new project run by Santander Universities UK in partnership with the Open University and FutureLearn to provide learners with an increased understanding of the origins and experience of Black British history and culture, and a critical appreciation of the concepts of intersectionality and race as a social construct.
Recognising the gaps between vision and lived experience, the second phase of the University’s organisational development programme launched in January 2022, with a new positive mentoring scheme for Black and Minority Ethnic colleagues. The further development of the University’s Report and Support platform means students and colleagues can disclose and report harassment and unwanted behaviour, in a safe way, supported by processes that enable intervention.
The University continues to provide a platform for conversations and cross-institutional exchange. Its landmark Westminster Conversations series has run since 2021. During its 2022 conference, ‘Toward An Anti-Racist University’, a panel of Westminster PhD students presented their paper on the topic of Researching While Black. Professor Dibyesh Anand, Co-Chair of University’s EDI Committee, says: “We have embarked on a journey to challenge prejudices, celebrate diversities and make the universities intersectionally inclusive, and these Conversations are integral to that.”
Embedding the Black Lives Matter Commitments at Westminster is not simply a collection of tasks. “Progress to date tells a story of constructive allyship and agitation: of a process that is provoking change, refreshing leadership commitment, pioneering structural transformation and supporting an enhanced sense of belonging for colleagues and communities,” explains Professor Alexandra Hughes, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement and Employability.
Many challenges remain. As Professor Hughes affirms: “The implementation of our 15 Commitments is critical to our wider work on equality, equity, diversity and inclusion: itself a core priority, and one that is woven throughout our institutional strategy, Being Westminster.
“We are determined to continue to deliver against the Commitments, building on current initiatives and growing in new directions. This work, at Westminster, enriches and empowers the lives of us all.”
Learn about our upcoming Black History Year events which are open to everyone.
