Juliana Ojinnaka – Chair, UCU BMSC
“The very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being.”
– Toni Morrison
As an education union, we have a pressing responsibility to combat racism. Under normal circumstances, this obvious statement would not need to be restated. However, we are currently living in a world that is regressing into a troubling era of hostility and violence against those who are considered “the Other.” In addition to our professional duties, it is
our responsibility to work together in solidarity to create and maintain an environment where Black staff and students feel safe and secure. Everyone should be able to follow their educational and career development without being affected by discrimination in any form.
For our union to effectively organise and counter threats faced by Black members, the approach needs to be strategic, inclusive and unapologetically anti-racist.
- Acknowledge and name the problem
We should recognise institutional racism within our educational institutions and our union itself. We should not use vague language such as “diversity issues” to safeguard against the vulnerabilities facing Black members, we should name racism where it exists. This means publishing all data on racial disparities in employment within our institutions, promotion, disciplinary actions and leadership representation.
- Build structures led by Black members
It is important to ally with all who want to fight racism, but it is essential for Black members to have leading roles. Depending on numerical strength, we should establish networks or committees for Black members, with clear roles, budgets and autonomy to organise, manage campaigns and contribute directly to union policy. We should argue for proportional representation of Black educators at all levels of leadership and in decision-making bodies. - Political education and anti-racism training
UCU should provide compulsory anti-racism training for all union staff, representatives and the training should be open to members. This shouldn’t be limited to unconscious bias workshops but a thorough structural analysis of racism, which is essential for our collective understanding and action. It should incorporate political education about colonialism, structural racism and Black radical traditions as a core aspect of union work. - Challenge racism in the workplace.
We must proactively support Black members facing racism, whether from management, colleagues, students, or parents. Utilise the union’s legal, organising and campaigning resources to address racist incidents and policies, such as discriminatory recruitment practices or the implementation of biased disciplinary or observation measures. We must insist that colleges and universities audit racial disparities in pay, promotion, exclusions and
disciplinary actions. - Campaign around Issues Affecting Black Communities.
UCU should resist the number of student exclusions, police police presence on site, surveillance and discriminatory curricula. We should regularly update and publicise materials on decolonising the curriculum and campaign for culturally appropriate mental health support. Our branches and regions could collaborate with community organisations focused on anti-racism and Black liberation to support these activities.
- Transform UCU
We must audit and change internal processes that exclude or marginalise Black members (e.g. election and selection processes, meeting accessibility and union culture). Set targets and accountability structures for leadership diversity, especially now that we are in the process of electing and selecting members for committees and subcommittees. Address and confront racism within the union when it occurs, including from fellow members.
- Use the Union’s Power
Utilise strikes, protests and campaigns to highlight and oppose racism. Racism is not just a workplace issue, it is a health and safety issue too. As a union we should support broader anti-racist movements, from Black Lives Matter to campaigns against immigration raids.
“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we have to be anti
racist” – Angela Davis