#BlackLivesMatter and anti-racism

While we hear about racial injustice as something that is often US based, we know that it's something black people in Britain have to live and fight with every single day too – including at universities and schools.

The UK has a long history of racial injustice, oppression and discrimination. We all have a duty to learn about systemic racism, to recognise the experiences of black people, and to stand up and fight against all forms of racism.

It’s critical that as individuals and as a collective we recognise our positions of privilege, use our platform to break down barriers, and normalise important conversations about race.

We see this work as an integral part of who we are at Middlesex. We are already doing a lot. We need to do more. We need you to be part of this change.

• We’re proud of the work that our students and staff have done over the years to challenge hate crime and hate incidents more widely, through programmes such as the Changing the Culture Initiative


• We have set up a robust reporting procedure to ensure we can call out racism when we see it, safe in the knowledge that our diverse university community will be behind us, supporting us. If you or any other student experience any form of hate crime or hate incident, the Care and Concern team are here to support you


• Each year, the University and MDXSU celebrate black culture and success during Black History Month, helping us all to understand that black people are at the heart of British history and society


• We continue to support and listen to our black students and staff, including our Black Students’ Liberation Group and African-Caribbean Society, and ensure their voices are heard across our campus, community and beyond


• We held our first ever Black Lives Matter Forum over the summer where over 250 students and staff joined


• We have compiled some powerful resources relating to the Black Lives Matter movement to make sure that we better educate ourselves and others around it.

• We will be working hard to achieve the standards and award of the Race Equality Charter Mark, awarded by Advance HE in summer 2021


• We will run a series of events, forums and panels to give our community more opportunities to share their stories and experiences of racism


• We will utilise our expertise to make a difference in the wider world by creating a diversity tool kit manual and videos for the Met Police to educate officers about the many different cultures in London.

• We will be utilising the principle of reverse-mentoring to ensure that our senior university leaders get to learn from the experiences of our black students


• We will be installing diversity champions in all university departments


• We will be making changes to our curriculum to ensure that it is as inclusive and diverse as our #TeamMDX community


• We will be doing a lot more to promote all of the above anti-racism work that our amazing students and staff are doing, including the promotion of existing support networks and initiatives that you can join.

Educate yourself and others around you

If you don’t know about systemic racism, one of the most important things you can do is learn something about the situation.

Read up on why people are protesting and check out the many links being posted on social media.

We have compiled a number of different books, podcasts, videos and courses about anti-racism on UniHub.

Listen to experiences of racism

Be open to learning.

If we make mistakes, we mustn’t be defensive nor deny them, but instead accept and learn from them.

Recognise and celebrate black culture and success

Take an active role in celebrating black culture and success, not just during Black History Month but all year round, helping understand that black people are at the heart of British history and society.

Get involved

Join one of our societies or networks.

Call it out and report it

If you witness or experience any form of racial discrimination or harassment, we encourage you to tell us so we can do something about it.