Dr Deborah Husbands, Stephen Bunbury and Professor Dibyesh Anand, have written an article for Times Higher Education (THE) Campus, on the importance of Black History Year (BHY) and how to make it a reality.
The article discusses how while Black History Month (BHM) is an important time to put a spotlight on Black people’s histories, it is too short to create a significant impact, with often the reality being that once BHM is over, Black histories and cultures can be pushed into the background.
Based on this, members of the BME Colleague Network at the University of Westminster embarked on creating Black History Year and were supported by senior leaders. The programme showcases the University’s commitment to Black histories reflecting the richness of the University – past and present.
It's a celebration of Black history, stories, lives, politics, creativity and achievement, and is a chance to learn from and share space with, amazing Black historians, musicians, executives, writers, artists, thinkers, academics and alumni.
Speaking on the importance of BHY, the authors write: “The University of Westminster’s Black and Minority Ethnic Network became concerned about this one-month approach because it constrained the celebration of Black people’s achievements without sufficiently recognising the injustices they were experiencing. This limited focus could also diminish the significance of their experiences, effectively recolonising histories through tokenistic posturing.”
They go on to explain how other institutions and organisations can follow this framework, making it accessible to all. They highlight that to create a BHY programme a team must start by “exploring the history of racialised communities” to lay a foundation to build content and initiatives. They also point out that it is key to keep measuring the impact and sustainable outcomes throughout the year to establish what has the most significant effect on the community and other projects. Finally, they add that to ensure the success of the programme, senior leaders must provide support throughout every step.
Deborah Husbands is a Reader in Psychology, leads the Black History Year programme and is a Co-chair for the BME Network; Stephen Bunbury is a Senior Lecturer in Law, Co-chair for the BME Colleague Network and programme lead for Black History Year Create; Dibyesh Anand is the Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Employability and Global Engagement, all at the University of Westminster.
Read the full article on Times Higher Education’s website.
Find out more about Black History Year in an interview with Deborah Husbands.
Find out more about Westminster’s commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
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