Marking the beginning of a new series of blogs called ‘Moments that Matter: Lessons in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion’, we’ll be reflecting on examples around the world (both offline and online) of real, impactful, and meaningful change to share our learnings, reflections and best practices. Our first blog post of this insightful series will reflect on the launch of our Network for Racial Justice (NRJ) Research Project ‘Tackling Racism, Exclusion and Racial Injustices’.
The NRJ is a staff affinity network group at City St George’s, specifically for People of Colour (PoC). Fostering a safe and inclusive space for its members, the NRJ is dedicated to amplifying the voices of PoC and driving meaningful, systemic change to achieve equity and racial justice. Launched in 2020, the NRJ Research Project explored the lived experiences of staff of colour at legacy City, focusing closely on belonging, discrimination, exclusion and racism. This research project fostered an opportunity for PoC to share their lived experience within HE but specifically at legacy City in a way that allowed for their stories and voices to be amplified. The launch event was an opportunity for both internal and external colleagues to engage with the findings and recommendations, reflect on the importance of and need for this research and discuss the key emerging themes: a systemic effort, racism at City, promotion and progression, and the psychological impact of discrimination and racism.
On Tuesday 26th of November, City St George’s invited leaders, experts and the wider community to join the official launch of the Network for Racial Justice (NRJ) Research Project. This powerful gathering brought together academics, researchers, EDI professionals and advocates committed to addressing structural racism and its impact on People of Colour (PoC) within Higher Education (HE) and wider sectors. This event created a space for meaningful conversation surrounding both the findings and recommendations from the important study on ‘Tackling Racism, Exclusion, and Racial Injustice at City: The Lived Experience of Staff’. This event was enriched by the presence of the NRJ Research Project members, who were in attendance, and a wonderful panel discussion with speakers who offered both their insights and personal testimonies which amplified the importance of this research. Sharing their valuable insights and contributing meaningfully to the broader discussions, we were pleased to be joined by the following colleagues:
- Professor Elisabeth Hill, Deputy President and Provost
- Godfrey Allen, independent member of City St George’s Council
- Helen Langley, Project Manager and founding co-chair of the NRJ
- Professor Jessica Jones Nielsen, Assistant Vice President (EDI)
- Lauren Regan, Digital Literacies Coordinator and Peer Researcher for this research project
- Dr Ohemaa Nkansa-Dwamena, Principal Investigator for this research project and Race Equity Implementation Committee co-chair
- Professor Susannah Quinsee, Vice-President (Digital and Student Experience, Senior Diversity Ambassador for Race Equity and chair of the University’s Race Equity Advisory Board
Key Lessons in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
- This launch event and the findings highlight how staff across the University, at all levels such as senior leadership, line managers, and staff members, are responsible for taking actions to actively address racial inequities and structural racism.
- It’s important to reflect on what can be learned from this event, and similar events in the sector such as the University of London’s Racial Justice Conference: Bridging Divides, Building Equality, to better understand how systemically embedded these issues are within various sectors. This event served as a reminder that racism and exclusion persist in various forms, particularly within institutions like universities and more broadly, education as a system. The NRJ Research Project Launch was not only an inspiring event but a call for meaningful action and change within the sector.
- The significance of feeling ‘seen’ for PoC was evident throughout this event, with findings emphasising the importance of diverse representation, belonging, and psychological safety. When creating sites for inclusion and diversifying representation, it is crucial to consider how invisibility and hyper-visibility can shape lived experiences for PoC. Invisibility allows for the further marginalisation of diverse voices and lived experiences by silencing or minimising their perspectives. However, hyper-visibility can create an equally harmful work culture that fixates on the actions of PoC less positively by placing PoC at the core of scrutiny. Feeling seen and represented in higher education is crucial for PoC as it fosters inclusion, validates their experiences, and enhances their sense of belonging. Opportunities to foster a genuine sense of belonging can be established and maintained through staff affinity networks, such as the NRJ and the Race and Ethnicity Network (REN).
Colleagues within City St George’s Office for Institutional Equity and Inclusion (OIEI) would like to extend their deepest appreciation to the research team, the Network for Racial Justice, and the participants whose lived experience, transparency, and vulnerability have shaped this research. We would also like to thank those involved in shaping and supporting this launch event and for capturing the essence of the event through photography and filming. We hope this blog inspires readers to consider how they can contribute to tackling racism in their own spaces. Together, we can challenge exclusion and build a society that values equity, diversity and belonging and create more Moments That Matter.
You can learn more about City St George’s EDI work and read the NRJ Research Project booklet here.
What did you learn from attending this event?
Have you recently attended any other Moments That Matter events?
We encourage you to share your reflections in the comments!
#MomentsThatMatterEDI