Page 71 - Future Leaders Magazine

INCLUSION

“Black and white
histories in this
country go far back
together and are

intrinsically linked,
so why are we still
saturated in works by
predominantly white

education makers?”

of the Eurocentric colonial kyriarchy”.
Essentially moving the curriculum on from
a whitewashed, Eurocentric paradigm, to
a new paradigm of looking at the past and
its effect on how we understand history,
politics and society today.
‘Black’ and ‘white’ histories in this
country go far back together and are
intrinsically linked, so why are we still
saturated in works by predominantly
white education makers? Why are ethnic
minorities essentially written out of
history and curricula at many educational
establishments? Is it to continue racial
disparity and disillusionment?
Curriculum is a highly political
institution – what our establishments
choose to teach us, how to teach it and what
to omit play major roles in our formation of
values, and our understanding of societies.
Therefore just like governmental politics,
The contents of Future Leader Sofia Akel’s History we should be questioning what we’re offered
and ensuring that it reflects the interests of
degree omitted the contribution of black people, the general population.
In 2016, I brought the campaign to
so she decided to do something about it Lancaster University. We decided to hold a
campus-wide, cross-departmental debate,
which led to the auditing of some course
uring my undergraduate History at Lancaster University. ‘Why is modules and teaching styles. Following
degree a friend told me about My Curriculum White?’ requires looking this, a nationwide student news magazine
a National Union of Students reflexively at the curriculum, learning to picked up the campaign, and my team and I
D campaign called ‘Why is ask questions such as why certain topics are organised a separate teacher-training event
My Curriculum White?’ which aims to made available, while others are omitted. In in which a module based on the campaign
decolonise education at a university level. other words, why course content more than was unveiled.
I was immediately interested as I was often reflects white dominance and under- In a few months, we ignited an important
beginning to grow frustrated with my represents black people. dialogue across campus to be acted upon
History degree’s lack of diversification in the The campaign aims to by various departments, winning
content that was delivered and its omission create a voice for those us the student union ‘Campaign
of BME voices. For example, we studying who are under-represented of the Year’ and ‘Ethnic Minority
regional history, which ignored the fact that by the education system, Campaign of the Year’ awards.
the region of my university used to be the thus diversifying the We were met with a lot of
fourth biggest slave port during the height curriculum. In the words backlash and ‘blocks’ set to
of the transatlantic slave trade. of Nathaniel Coleman, who prevent us from achieving
Additionally, to my knowledge, not a ran/founded this movement our goals, but I relied on my
single BME person was hired to work in at University College London personal experience of being
my history department, in fact a Greek (UCL), the campaign is a young black woman living
history teacher once admitted that he “felt it to “mobilise a in the UK, to help launch the
like a minority” in the department, which I social movement most successful student-
suppose, says it all. I decided to launch the around the led campaign on campus
campaign during my final year of BA Hons unifying symbol in recent years. FL

2017-18 | FUTURE LEADERS 69