24th January – 3rd May, 2005

Jan 2005

24th – Attended the Mayor of London’s Holocaust Memorial Day exhibition launch at City Hall, London
26th – Attended the Parliamentary Mental Health Select Committee hear evidence from the 1990 Trust
27th – Attended event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day at the University of London Union
28th – Co-ordinated NUS’ National Tsunami Day of Action – events in students’ union across the UK helped raise more than £10,000 for those affected by the disaster
28th – Casework meeting with Black student
29th – Attended the Defend Zimbabwean Asylum Seekers protest at the Home Office, London
29th – Met with student organiser for BBC Children In Need to look at joint initiatives for the future
30th – Muslims Students Awards at Queen Mary University, London
31st – Meeting with AGCAS, the Black graduate recruitment group looking at under-representation in jobs
31st – Meeting with the NUS Black Students’ Committee at Leeds University

Feb 2005

1st – Spoke at Richard Hale School about NUS, Black students, anti-racism and higher education
1st – Addressed the launch event of Leeds University Students’ Union anti-racism group
1st – Attended Stockwell Primary School Governors’ meeting to talk about race inclusion policy in schools
2nd – Attended MIND mental health vigil in Trafalgar Square in alliance with the 1990 Trust
2nd – Chaired session on civil liberties at the LSE, with Mrs Babar Ahmed and Victoria Britten, playwright, as part of the Student CND, Stop The War and FOSIS teach-in
3rd – Carried out casework for Black student
3rd – Attended Equality Challenge Unit reception at Royal Academy
4th – Spoke at the SOAS LGTB history month event about ‘The Threat of the BNP’
7th – Attended meeting with AGCAS – Black grad recruitment working group – in Essex
8th – Chaired volunteers’ selection meeting for the Anglo-American Winant Clayton Volunteers Association – seven Black people were among the 13 people finally selected to go to America
9th – Question Time debate with politicians at Mowbray School in Tower Hamlets
9th – lead workshop on university admissions, finance and diversity to sixth form students
10th – Attended NUS Regional Conference at Thames Valley University – presented Black Students’ Campaign to delegates
10th – Attended Unite Against Fascism steering committee meeting at TUC Congress House
11th – Wrote article for Asian Voice magazine
12th – Went to Newcastle for NUS Int’l Students’ visa charges picket of Labour Party Conference (event got cancelled – low turn out)
13th – Attended official opening of Chinese New Year event in Trafalgar Square
14th – Ran NUS Black Students’ Regional Conference event in Birmingham
14th – Attended Mayor’s LGBT Forum meeting at City Hall, London
15th – Supported Dawn Butler in West Ham, trying to become the third Black woman MP
15th – Attended urban regeneration planning meeting in Lambeth – addressed needs of young Black people
16th – NUS interfaith event cancelled – only 3 (NEC) members had signed up to attend
16th – Meeting with the National Assembly Against Racism, in Aldgate
16th – Ran NUS Black Students’ Regional Conference event at Birmingham University
17th – Attended NUS NEC meeting at University of London Union
17th – STAR (Student Action for Refugees) and NUS Anti-Racism Day of Action – spoke at Redbridge College event
17th – Co-ordinated NUS Black Students’ Regional Conference event at Leeds University
18th – Campaigned in Portsmouth University to help elect new Black president
18th – Spoke at debate with Swedish socialists on minority workers’ rights in employment
21st – Ran NUS Black Students’ Regional Conference event in Glasgow
21st – Wrote piece on Nelson Mandela endorsing the NUS Black Students’ Handbook
21st – Attended NUS SWD Conference in Blackpool
22nd – Co-facilitated NUS Black Students’ Campaign Clubs and Societies’ training day
23rd – Ran first-ever NUS (Wales) Black Students’ Regional Conference event in Cardiff
23rd – Attended Movement 4 Justice rally in Brixton against racism in local government
24th – Campaigned at University of Surrey’s NUS referendum, and supported a Black president to get elected
24th – Attended NUS Annual Reception in Parliament to launch Education Manifesto
25th – Wrote articles for TUC youth magazine on Black students in education and fascism
26th – Chaired session on the rise of the far-right in Europe at the Unite Against Fascism national conference in London
28th – Spoke at University College Winchester Black Students Meeting, Winchester
28th – Met with charity ActionAid to discuss Bollocks to Poverty and Aids Campaign
28th – Spoke at ‘Building a Voice Through Cultural Harmony’ event in Newham

March 2005

1st – Attended NUS NEC meeting on finances in Coventry
1st – Attended NUS National Council in Coventry
2nd – Attended NUS Lobby of Parliament - for further and higher education students
3rd – Attended Swansea University event with Welsh CRE and NUS Wales Black Students Officer
4th – Campaigned for yes to NUS affiliation referendum at Newcastle University
5th – Ran diversity training for Black students/welfare officers at Cambridge University
6th – Got motion passed for first-ever NUS Scotland Black Students Officer in Edinburgh
7th – Supported Black students running in the Leeds University students’ union elections
8th – Radio interview on BBC1 Xtra on Black students in education and racism
9th – Campaigned for Black student to get elected as Coventry University Union president
9th – Attended Politics of Power event with Operation Black Vote and Rev Jesse Jackson
10th – Meeting with James Lloyd and Pauline re NUS Black Students’ Conference in HQ
10th – Meeting with National Assembly Against Racism in Aldgate
10th – Radio talk-in at Goldsmiths College – alongside Goldsmith’s new Black Officer
11th – Campaigned for a Black student to become president of Portsmouth University
11th – Wrote NUS Black Students’ Campaign newsletter for NUS National Conference
12th – Attended the Brixton BME Community Representatives’ Conference in Lambeth
13th – Attended NUS Compositing event, London
14th – Attended Council for Assisting Refugee Academics Conference, South Bank Uni
14th – Spoke at the Salford Uni anti-racism debate on the rise of fascism and the BNP
15th – Gave lecture at Cambridge University on diversity in education to trainee teachers
15th – Attended the Black Governors’ Network meeting, Stockwell
16th – Trained Keighley College union on getting a students’ union up and running and to co-ordinate the campaign against Nick Griffin who is standing for the BNP
17th – Sorted out Committee travel warrants, materials for National Conference and the NUS mailing
18th – Met with ACFEST about the weekend event for African and Caribbean students
18th – Attended the Equality Challenge Unit working party on Extremism on Campus meeting
19th – Attended Stop the War Coalition’s ‘Get the Troops Out’ demonstration in London
20th – Ran a stall and spoke at ACFEST in Birmingham at the Academy
21st – Sorted national NUS mailing, promoting Black Students’ and Imaan Conference and anti-BNP
21st – Met with Merrill Lynch Bank to discuss sponsorship for the NUS Anonymous Marking campaign
22nd – Casework meeting with a Black student
22nd – Attended NUS USI (North of Ireland) lobby of Parliament against tuition fees
22nd – Meeting with Channel 4 about documentary on Black school exclusions and low attainment
23rd – Spoke at the NUS Scotland Liberation training event in Paisley on Black students and anti-racism
24th – Met with Department for Trade and Industry to discuss Black graduate unemployment in key sectors
25th – Attended Africa Remix reception in the Exhibition Hall at the South Bank
29th – Campaigned against the BNP in Barking
30th – Meeting with the National Assembly Against Racism in Aldgate
30th – Casework meeting with a Black student
31st – Packed materials for the NUS National Conference in Blackpool
31st – Meeting with Home Office about volunteering and citizenship agenda for FE students

April 2005

1st – Wrote and sent out model motions for NUS Black Students’ Conference
2nd – Spoke at TUC Youth Conference in Newcastle on the rise in racism, and the needs of Black workers
2nd – Facilitated workshops on Unite Against Fascism, Tackling Social Inequality and Increasing Diversity
2nd – Lead the NUS Black Students’ Steering Committee training in Leeds
3rd – Campaigning against Nick Griffin and the BNP in Keighley, Yorkshire
4th – NUS NEC briefing meeting in Blackpool
5th – 7th – NUS National Conference in Blackpool: ran excellent, high-profile stall; spoke on the BNP and fighting the far-right, as well as keeping racism out of the general election. Organised and chaired a Unite Against Fascism fringe meeting with Black, Jewish, Muslim, disabled and LGBT reps speaking as well as NUS president, Kat Fletcher
8th – Interview with the Independent newspaper on the war in Iraq
8th – Meeting with Home Office in London about policing and criminal justice reform agenda
10th – Campaigning against the BNP in Barking
11th – Casework meeting with Black student
12th – Meeting with the National Assembly Against Racism in Aldgate
12th – Campaign meeting with Oona King MP in Bethnal Green to defend her place in Parliament
14th – Attended Queen Mary University Diversity Fair
14th – Attended the London Civic Forum meeting at City Hall, London. Discussed the Olympic bid and involving Black communities, as well as civic engagement in community affairs
15th – Took part in workshop at the Department for Education and Skills on diversity in further education
15th – BBC Radio 4 interview on the Chancellor’s pre-election budget and what it meant for students
18th – Organised NUS Black Students’ Conference details: accommodation, transport, catering etc
19th – Casework meeting with Black student
19th – Meeting with the National Assembly Against Racism in Aldgate
20th – Attended the TUC Media Project Advisory Group meeting in London - tackling under-representation in the media
21st – Attended launch of Stirling University’s new Black Students’ Officer and about engaging with NUS
22nd – Sorted out the NUS mailing – materials about Conference, motions deadlines and registration forms
23rd – Campaigned against the BNP in Barking
25th – Met with Oona King MP about supporting needs of the Black student community in Tower Hamlets
25th – Worked on preparations for NUS Black Students’ Conference, in HQ
26th – Casework meeting with Black student
27th – Visit to Queen Mary University students’ union who are facing take-over efforts by the management
27th – Catch up with admin work in office, in HQ
30th – Facilitated workshop on LGBT Muslims at the Imaan Conference in London

May 2005

1st – Spoke at the Unite Against Fascism May Day rally in Trafalgar Square. Addressed 40,000 people on the need to fight the BNP, defending the Black community against racist attacks, Islamophobia, asylum rights and the NUS’ Get the Vote Out campaign
1st – Spoke at the Bournemouth University UAF gig
2nd – Campaigning against Nick Griffin and the BNP in Keighley, Yorkshire
3rd – Campaigning for Black student standing in election at Leeds University Union
3rd – Organised and chaired NUS Black Students’ Committee meeting in Leeds

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