Racism is an issue which has been swept under the rug for hundreds of years.
From slavery, colonisation and segregation to now – it’s easy to imagine that we’ve left racism in the past. But sadly, in almost every area of society, that is not the case.
A common, and often overlooked, form of racism is implicit bias. Implicit bias simply means that, due to the society you have been raised in, you have a slight tendency towards prejudice. This can be easily demonstrated by the classic test of having one male and one female applicant to a job, with identical qualifications, and the male being more frequently chosen. The same is the case for ethnic minorities – who can face issues when competing with equally talented or even less talented white peers. In 2016, The Guardian revealed that British ethnic minorities were 5-15% less likely to be employed after graduation than their white counterparts. In a study published in 2018, the Department for Education found that at most qualification levels, white people were more likely to be employed than people from other ethnic groups.
But how does this relate to university life? Simply put, universities and the academic world are no strangers to implicit and even explicit bias against minorities. Black and Asian students are under-represented in university offers, and some of the leading universities in research (Russell Group Universities) have even been accused of unfairly rejecting ethnic minority applicants. Oxford and Cambridge have been scrutinised for their lack of ethnic minority representation and intimidating climate, with MP David Lammy accusing them of ‘social apartheid’. Notably, some minority students at the University of Oxford have joined the ‘Rhodes Must Fall’ campaign to remove a statue of Cecil Rhodes, who created the blueprint for the Apartheid Regime in South Africa.
In 2018, several universities have been criticised for their response to racism. Nottingham Trent University student Rufaro Chisango locked herself in the bathroom after being terrified by chants of “we hate the blacks” in her university halls. Students at the University of Exeter have complained about racial abuse in the form of slurs. This comes after a “Rights For Whites” sign prompted an investigation at Exeter Uni in 2017, and a group of 5 students were suspended for posting comments like ‘bomb the mosques’ and ‘we need a race war’ in a WhatsApp group. Chris Omanyondo, a student who faced racial slurs, said he felt compelled to speak out after the university had swept previous incidents of racism under the carpet. Countless other ‘respected’ universities like Warwick, Durham, Birmingham, De Montfort (Leicester) and Aberdeen have reported incidents of racism. Most severely, a student at the University of Surrey was brutally attacked by a group of racists and left unable to walk.
Though in many famous cases perpetrators have been brought to justice, this often comes as too little too late. The repetition of racist acts on campuses across the country, with an increase of 60% in the past two years, is symptomatic of a larger problem than just random acts.
Recent research suggests that half of UK students have witnessed racism at university, yet the rate at which these incidents are reported remains very low. The reason for this is likely to be a combination of fear that nothing will be done, simply being “used to it” or fearing repercussions upon themselves. Speaking out about racism always has been, and probably always will be, difficult. Being tastefully referred to as ‘playing the race card’, it is easy to imagine why somebody might fear being told they are ‘overreacting’ to racially motivated abuse.
NUS president Shakira Martin believes that universities are more concerned with their reputation than the comfort of their ethnic minority students, leading to a poor learning environment and sometimes even damaging student performance. NUS Black Students officer Ilyas Nagdee believes that minority students don’t believe that perpetrators of racism will be held accountable and that universities must take ownership and recognise racial issues rather than trying to maintain the idea that they are liberal and tolerant places.
Baroness Amos, the first black woman to become a head of a UK university, told the BBC that gaps in representation for minorities needed to be addressed to overcome deep-seated prejudices and stereotypes. On top of day-to-day racism, and discrimination in the application processes, there is a 16% pay gap between white and ethnic minority academics, directors and senior officials in the UK.
It is clear that on campuses across the UK not enough is being done to combat racism. Poor responses to racially motivated attacks and abuse make up only the tip of this problematic iceberg – with everyday racism, underrepresentation, pay gaps and implicit bias often going unmentioned. It is important that universities begin to recognise their own biases and seeking out ways to eliminate that.
One way universities could address racial issues is by offering scholarships and priority places for ethnic minority students, just as women are given an extra boost and support in fields like engineering; an example of this is Reading University’s recent decision to extend scholarships to young refugees. However, this means nothing if it is not accompanied by providing adequate support and community for ethnic minority students. Having policies such as the safe space policy allows students to speak out about their experiences of racism in a non-threatening environment. Addressing the important mental health issues within minority communities, especially at university, would be a great step in the right direction.
With the rise of white pride and the alt-right, it is important that people are held accountable for prejudicial views instead of them being treated as “an opinion”. Dangerous ideologies can be encouraged to exist if universities remain complacent and prioritise the feelings of racists and their own reputation over the comfort of minorities. This echoes the Rhodes Must Fall campaign – we need to stop normalising the idea of racism. To many, it might appear as just an “opinion”, but to ethnic minorities it can be the difference between living in safety and living in danger, it can be the difference between high pay and lower pay, it can be the difference between getting accepted or getting rejected. Universities need to more openly celebrate diversity and stop tolerating racism, especially as the political climate becomes less tolerant.
If you have experienced or witnessed racism at university, your personal tutor, union, student reps, or any trusted member of staff should be your first port of call. However, if you feel that your complaint is not being handled correctly, you can get in touch with the following places;
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