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Over half of all Black students experience racism while in halls, study says

Students reported the use of racial slurs, spitting and physical violence


Over half of Black students have experienced racism while in halls, according to a new report by Unite Students.

54 per cent of Black students surveyed said they have been a victim to some form of racism, while 64 per cent of students said they have witnessed racist incidents.

“These experiences ranged from insensitivity around things like hair or food, to the use of racial slurs, to spitting, shouting and physical violence,” detailed the report.

Several students involved in the report also spoke of segregation within university halls, going onto suggest that this may have been intentional.

One student said described how it felt as if “all people from Asian backgrounds have been grouped together.”

Another student said: “My block was known as the block for Black people from London. I think it was probably intentional because there was also a block with mainly White students.”

Commenting on the report’s findings, National Union of Students Vice President Hillary Gyebi-Ababio said: “For a long time, the experiences of students in student accommodation have been overlooked and disconnected from the broader university experience. This is particularly true for Black students, who often speak of high levels of racism in and at university, including in their accommodation.

“More needs to be done to support Black students across higher education. This is a good opportunity to look at how we can truly tackle racism at every level of the university experience.”

Director of the Higher Education Policy Institute Nick Hillman said: “The impact of racism on the non-academic aspects of student life has been largely ignored to date. That is why this report is so vitally important. Where you live, who you live with and how safe you feel in your accommodation are crucial to student success.”

UEA vice chancellor and chair of Universities UK advisory group to tackle racial harassment in higher education Professor David Richardson said: “Everyone in the university community has the right to a safe and positive experience free from racism, however sadly we know there is still a long way to go to ensure this is the case.

“This report makes an important contribution to our understanding of the scale of the challenge, and it is deeply worrying to see the proportion of students who report being a victim of racism in their accommodation. It’s another reminder that we must keep collectively working on tackling racism throughout higher education.”

Featured image: Shutterstock / fizkes (Edited)

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