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These are the weekly newsletters I have been producing on issues that matter to Black Students in education, employment and in wider society. These include concrete actions on what you can do and how you can get involved.
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13/4/12 - Register to vote! Get active against the BNP! Some of you may already know that I grew up in Oldham where the British National Party (BNP) were really active. The BNP used both formal and informal means to inflict the unregulated and hate-filled terror of fascism that exists across Britain and Europe against whole sections of Black and other communities, including Jewish, Muslim and LGBT people. Even as an 11-year-old child, when I saw the first letter bomb smash through my family home’s front door, I understood the gulf that stands between the violence and threats which underline the BNP’s philosophy and the type of society that progressive anti-fascist people, like my family and others in our community wanted to build. Continue reading 30/3/12 - International Students Against Immigration Changes During the general election campaign in 2010, David Cameron’s Conservative Party threatened to reduce net migration (the difference between the number of those going out and those coming) into Britain from "hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands." Now, in 2012, the reality of this pledge is coming to light as the Con-Dem coalition government pursues its highly controversial goal which disproportionately impacts on international students, of whom a large percentage are Black, as well as on skilled and unskilled migrant workers. Continue reading 16/3/12 - Act against Black student unemployment Government cuts hit young Black workers hard Employment figures out last week have drawn sharp focus on the terrible impact that the Con-Dem Government’s economic policies are having on young and Black people and students in Britain today. Buried within the figures is the startling revelation that youth unemployment rates for Black people has increased at almost twice the rate as for white 16-24-year-olds since the start of the recession in 2008. Young Black men are also the worst affected of all, according to a gender breakdown, contained within the data supplied by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Continue reading 9/3/2012 - Students organizing and uniting against being priced out of education The failed policies of successive governments – which have injected market values into education – has been pursed with even more vigour by the current Tory-Lib Dem administration which has forced ever more commercialisation of higher education, draconian cuts to educational budgets, the abolition of Education Maintenance Allowances (EMA), and massive hikes in students’ course fees. The sum of these policies has had a detrimental and disproportionate impact on the access to opportunities for Black students, among other groups, not least making it much harder for working class people, especially young Black people, to get to college or university, and to achieve a good quality education in the hope of improving their prospects of a decent life. Even when Black students do manage to get a college or university qualification, the dire employment situation means that many will be forced into temporary, low paid work and risk a life of insecurity and exploitation. Continue Reading 2/3/12 - Keep campaigning; keep winning! Over the past year I've been encouraging and campaigning for Black students to stand in elections up and down the country. With the 2012 election season in full flow and a large number of Black students standing in many unions, the hard work is clearly paying off! I'm excited and inspired that I've been able to support you with practical resources that give advice on how to stand for election, how to develop effective campaign strategies, help with writing election speeches and manifestos, and other training. It’s an honour to help ensure Black students are able to stand and be elected because as a full time Black students' union officer in Manchester, and member of the Black Students' Committee, I know how tough it is to undertake this journey. It’s also very inspiring to see so many Black students put themselves forward for election and each and every one of you must be congratulated because your action is an inspiration to others. Critically, the need to improve Black representation is also clear because where Black people are elected into roles of influence, the quality of other Black peoples’ lives and experiences is improved simply because there’s a better understanding of the Black communities’ needs and aspirations. Continue Reading 27/2/12 - Solidarity with Palestine is a matter of Black principles Since the beginning of Israel‘s occupation of Palestine the repression of the Palestinians has grown progressively worse. Despite the clear rules of international law that apply when a country occupies another, and the supposed safeguards that are in place to protect civilian populations, which include students, the reality on the ground is very far from respecting the rule of law. In practical terms this means that education has virtually ground to a halt, basic healthcare services are dangerously inadequate, the economy has been devastated, jobs have been lost, livelihoods destroyed, and hope for a just and peaceful solution in the near future ebb away. Arbitrary detentions of youths, the trials of civilians in military courts which hand down harsher sentences, the failure of Israeli security forces to protect Palestinian citizens against lawless and illegal settlers are common place. While the settlers, who occupy large parts of Palestinian territory in the West Bank and Gaza (despite rulings of international courts) act with near impunity because they are deemed to be citizens of Israel (and therefore enjoy full civil rights), their Palestinian neighbours, living cheek by jowl but under occupation, are subjected to martial laws. Continue Reading 17/2/12 - Tackling cuts to defend Black women and young peoples’ rights Employment figures out this week have drawn sharp focus on the terrible impact the Con-Dem government’s economic policies are having on Black, women and young people, in Britain today. Women made up 66 per cent of 50,000 new people claiming unemployment benefit; there was a record increase in people working part-time who want full-time jobs, and there was a record increase of 22,000 young people, aged 16-24, without a job. This takes the youth unemployment rate to 22.2 per cent. In a sign of the times – reflecting the fact that student hardship is at record levels – this figure included young people in full-time education who are looking for work. It is unsurprising to those of us who are Black students and women that unemployment rates are at their highest for 16 years. The sad reality is that Black women and young people, in particular, face entrenched economic inequality. Women are both poorer on average than men and face particular barriers to achieving economic independence. Continue reading 10/2/12 - Take action against banks that fuel inequality and Black exclusion As the public sector union, UNISON, uncovered today, it is Black and women workers who are more likely to lose jobs when local councils take reckless decisions to cut public services. This situation is fuelled by banks (including publically owned ones!) refusing to lend money. The result is that our banking system continues to fail us. Nothing drives this message home harder than the ‘bonus season’ which is currently in full flow in all its obscene glory. As youth unemployment soars and average real wages drop, £1million bonuses remain the norm in many ‘too big to fail’ banks. At the same time, the wealthiest few in this country, those with the most means, are allowed to avoid paying their fair share of taxes to the tune of billions of pounds each year. Clearly, despite the Tory Prime Minister’s claim, we are not in this together! Continue reading 3/2/12 - LGBT History Month The late Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., said: “I still hear people say that I should not talk about the rights of lesbian and gay people and should stick to the issue of racial justice, but I remind them what Martin Luther King said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.' I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King's dream to make room at the table of brother- and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people.” February is Black History Month in the USA, celebrated since 1926. It is also Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) History Month in Britain, celebrated since 2005. This month of two histories is a chance to draw lessons from the contributions Black and LGBT people to our collective development. Continue reading 27/1/12 - Commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day - 'Speak Up, Speak Out' I grew up in Oldham where the British National Party (BNP) were really active. The BNP used formal and informal means to inflict the unregulated and hate-filled terror of fascism that exists across Britain and Europe against whole sections of Black and other communities, including Jewish, Muslim and LGBT people. Even as an 11-year-old, when I saw the first letter bomb smash through my family home’s front door, I understood the gulf that stands between the violence and threats which underline the BNP’s philosophy and the type of society that progressive anti-fascist people, like my family and others in my community, wanted to build. Thankfully, my parents got me active in fighting to live free from fear and oppression. We engaged in building alliances with other Black and white anti-racists and anti-fascists in our community and together we drove the BNP out of elected office and off our streets. Continue reading 20/1/12 - Increasing Black Representation Despite Black students being more than 20 per cent of NUS’ membership we continue to be among the least represented groups in many unions’ democratic and social structures, and seriously under-represented across the further and higher education student movement. The reality is that until students’ unions redress this under-representation Black students will continue to miss out on academic and welfare support, remain on the fringe of union activities, and will fail to realise the full benefits of being in a union, and potentially fail to meet their full potential. Continue reading 13/1/12 - Breaking down barriers to disability equality As someone who has experienced living and studying with a disability I know that the challenges facing Black disabled students are really tough. Often our disabilities are not even discussed let alone addressed so it unsurprising that disabled people remain one of the most marginalised groups within society. The current Tory government's attacks on Disability Living Allowance for young people, its attempts to curb mobility allowance and other enabling resources, as well as the reduction in health services are just some indications of how disabled students are paying the price of austerity measures that are designed to drive down the national debt - regardless of the cost in terms of human suffering or increase in inequality. At the same time, the wealthiest few in this country, those with the most means, are criminally allowed to avoid paying their fair share of taxation to the tune of billions of pounds each year. Clearly we're not in this together! Continue reading 6/1/12 - 18 years on - Justice Delayed ; Justice Denied. Action to challenge racism on campus In a week where 23-year-old Anuj Bidve was remembered at a candle-lit vigil in my local area after he was shot dead in an unprovoked racist attack, we have also seen two of the people who murdered Stephen Lawrence finally be punished for their heinous crime. Stephen was an 18-year-old student who was murdered in 1993. His murder investigation was marred by fundamental errors that prevented any suspects to be successfully prosecuted until now. Even then, the case was only possible because of Stephen's parents - supported by committed anti-racists within the Black and white communities - who fought for justice and against racism in the police service and wider society. Sadly, Stephen is one of too many young Black students who has suffered racially motivated attacks. Continue reading |
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