As the representative for students of colour across the country, I am constantly inundated with calls, messages, and alerts about racist incidents occurring on university campuses. Some of these incidents, like Loughborough’s slave auction, Manchester’s Confederate flag display, and Warwick’s banana “prank,” become viral stories that make rounds on social media. But these events are just the tip of the iceberg; countless other incidents never reach the public eye.
Rufaro Chisango’s recent ordeal at Nottingham Trent is the latest example of the racism that still pervades academic institutions. While the video she shared on Twitter is undoubtedly shocking, it is unfortunately not surprising that students continue to face such reprehensible behavior. Rather than focus on individual incidents, we must examine the underlying issues that allow such racism to thrive.
University administrations too often fail to address scandals on their doorsteps, preferring instead to focus on public relations campaigns and “diversity” photoshoots. They ignore or downplay complaints of discrimination to maintain their public image as bastions of multiculturalism. They may even censure students of colour for protesting against far-right activists on campus. And when students do report racist behavior, they are often subject to lengthy, bureaucratic procedures that amount to little more than lip service.
This environment of inaction perpetuates a cycle of discrimination that affects students of colour every day. Until universities take effective action to combat institutional racism, students will continue to rely on social media to share their experiences with the world. But they deserve better than that, and it is our responsibility to demand better from our educational institutions. As a representative for African, Asian, Arab, and Caribbean students, I am committed to fighting for their rights to a safe and inclusive academic environment.
