Rise Against Racism

In an increasingly racist climate in society, Black students have an ever-important role to play in ensuring that racism is actively confronted and curtailed.

Over the past year I have worked closely with Unite Against Fascism (UAF) to mobilise students against the BNP. This has included organising and speaking at meetings, conferences and demonstrations, and helping students to co-ordinate campaigns in target wards in the run up to the May 3 local elections.

I have worked with the National Assembly Against Racism (NAAR) against the attacks on multiculturalism, and with Liberty and the British Muslim Initiative to defend freedom of culture, religion and thought.

For the third year running the NUS Black Students’ Campaign joined the Mayor of London and the Student Assembly Against Racism (SAAR) to run Student Rise initiatives on campus. I worked closely with Lee Jasper, the Mayor’s director of equalities, to develop joint work to support Black students.

I have also worked with the Anthony Walker Foundation to look at joint educational initiatives to tackle racism among young people, and I have lent our support to the Justice for Jay Abatan family campaign which is demanding justice for his murder. I have also worked with Student Action for Refugees (STAR) to raise awareness of the plight of asylum seekers through training workshops and information.

This year I convened the NUS Anti-Racism Campaign and organised a national conference. Unfortunately though I had to launch a national campaign to prevent the NUS from rejecting anti-racism issues at NUS Annual Conference when its steering committee – unconstitutionally – threw out a large number of motions on this issue. I successfully protested against this disgraceful decision and, with the support of many Black and white students and their unions, we forced the NUS to reinstate the motions.

I have used the past year to forge strong links with Muslim organisations like the Muslim Council of Britain, to engage students in combating Islamophobia. I have been involved in media work to tackle issues that have dominated the national press, such as negative perceptions of ‘radicalised’ students, given support to Islamic societies on campus, and defended the right to choose whether or not to wear religious dress. I have also provided one-to-one support to union officers on how to engage and support Muslim students.

I have supported many Black students facing racism on campus – including those students facing racist harassment and intimidation, inequality on their courses and discrimination from their students’ unions.

I also helped students organise a protest outside the office of Channel 4 because of the station’s failure to tackle racist bullying of Shilpa Shetty, the Indian contestant and eventual winner of Celebrity Big Brother.

Equality in Education

Disgracefully, Black students continue to face discrimination throughout the education system including higher exclusion and drop out rates, greater discrimination in admissions to ‘elite’ universities and more under-marking when anonymous marking is not in place.

Black students are disproportionately affected by rising student debt as we face higher unemployment and less equal pay than our white counterparts after graduation, even when we have higher qualifications.

I have put the needs of Black students at the heart of NUS’ education campaign this year which has included the mobilisation masses of Black students at the NUS demonstration against fees. I have also secured agreement that Equality in Education will be a key campaign focus of NUS’ work next year, and that all barriers to education are actively challenged.

I ran a wide consultation with Black students to produce a submission to the Education and Skills Select Committee inquiry into ‘The sustainability of higher education: purpose, funding and structures’.

I made a submission on behalf of NUS Black Students’ Campaign to a parliamentary consultation on ‘New Charging Regimes for Immigration and Nationality Fees’ to support the needs of international students.

I have worked closely with the University and Colleges Union (UCU) on engaging further education college students; celebrating Black History Month on campus, and campaigning against the cuts in funding of free English lessons for speakers of other languages (ESOL).

I have represented NUS on the Equality Challenge Unit’s higher education race action group to tackle discrimination in education, and alongside Diversity Solutions Consultancy I have raised student awareness of the requirements for colleges and universities in the Race Relations Amendment Act to challenge racism.

I have helped organise and run workshops on tackling racist bullying on campus and am in the process of organising a careers day for Black students.

International Peace and Justice

Black people make up the majority of the world’s population and it is right that we empathise with and offer solidarity to our sisters and brothers across the globe.

I have made commemorating the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act a key priority for the Campaign. Working with the trade union UNISON; the British Museum; Greater London Authority; Rendezvous for Victory, and Pan-African Youth and Students International I launched an Early Day Motion in Parliament calling for an annual day of remembrance of slavery. I spoke at an event in Parliament alongside Baroness Amos, Kofi Klu and Gloria Mills on why we must correct the historical lie that Wilberforce was the main driver behind the abolition of the slave trade instead of the heroic resistance of enslaved people themselves. I also organised and facilitated numerous events including a planning day for bicentenary activities and produced a bicentenary campaigns pack with materials to run events on campus.

This year I have also built links with students in South Africa and Lesotho to tackle HIV and AIDS. I have supported them in developing a national student movement and facilitated meetings with representatives of Action for Southern Africa (ACTSA). I have campaigned for the right of women in Zimbabwe to access sanitary products and encouraged students to get involved with the Jubilee Debt Campaign against unjust monetary rules imposed on Black countries by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

I have worked with the charities War on Want and Action Aid to promote trade justice in majority Black countries.

I have worked with the Stop the War Coalition and CND to organise student opposition to the occupation of Iraq, threats to Iran and the British government’s plans to develop new post-Trident nuclear weapons.

During the summer I addressed tens of thousands of people at the national demonstrations calling for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon. I mobilised many students for this and other demonstrations against war and occupation.

I have helped organise a successful Palestine Solidarity Campaign national student day school where I chaired a session with the former MP Tony Benn.

I have co-organised a speaker tour of 16 colleges and universities with Student friends of Venezuela to promote the incredible social progress taking place there under President Hugo Chavez’s leadership.

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