WIMCW releases open letter after collecting testimonials of racism at Lancaster University

‘We need meaningful action and a clear and coherent strategy for building an anti-racist university’


Why is My Curriculum White has released an open letter to Professor Schofield and Professor Bradley for Lancaster staff and students to sign demanding the university take action against racism on campus.

They request short, medium and long term action for the university to undertake and set in place plans to rectify past experiences of racism.

The open letter comes as a result of WIMCW and Fabiha Askari collecting anonymous testimonials for student’s experiences of racism at Lancaster University following Sa’ad Mustafa’s experience.

via @wimcwlancuni Instagram

The letter begins by setting their aims; they want Lancaster University to “take a stand against racism on campus and to affirm your commitment to building an anti-racist university.”

After collecting anonymised testimonials of racism from Lancaster University students, WIMCW said: “It is all too clear that Lancaster University is falling short when it comes to tackling racism on campus. From the normalisation of usage of horrific racist slurs to the dismissal of racially-motivated assault, recent cases are evidently not isolated incidents and racism on campus is a deeply-rooted structural problem that needs immediate and transformative action to address.”

The letter states that racism on campus will only “get worse” and this is “not acceptable.” WIMCW said: “Words and promises of action at a later date are no longer enough: we need meaningful action and a clear and coherent strategy for building an anti-racist university in the short, medium, and long-term.”

The short term action they request is for the university to “acknowledgement that there is a serious problem with racism at Lancaster University and a commitment to taking action to rectify this”.

They also want this to come with “apologies for recent cases of racism which the University has sadly fallen short in dealing with”.

via @wimcwlancuni Instagram

Regarding medium-term action, WIMCW requests “an overhaul of the inadequate reporting systems currently in place, and we would eventually like to see the provision of externally-developed anti-racism training offered to all students and staff”.

Even though the Racial Equality Charter (REC) process is underway, they stated how most current students will have graduated by then. WIMCW said: “Immediate action is also needed to ensure that Lancaster University is not a place where racists feel emboldened and protected. Current students are at immediate risk of facing racism which is continually perpetuated by the existing inadequate structures, and so urgent action is needed to tackle this”.

The letter went on to say that the Students’ Union “have also fallen short when it comes to providing a genuinely anti-racist space and this is both unacceptable and incredibly unfair on the students this organisation represents.

“The existing structures for challenging racism, alongside existing reporting mechanisms, are hopelessly unfit for purpose and radical change is needed from both the University and the Students’ Union.”

The letter concludes: “The University and the Students’ Union have failed us”.

Fabiha Askari, Labour Councillor for the University and Scotforth Rural Ward Lancaster, said: “As recent cases have highlighted, there is a real and serious problem with racism at our university. We’ve written this open letter to university management and the Students’ Union to show them that students are standing together against racism and, importantly, against inaction from those with the power to make a difference.

“We want immediate and meaningful action to make campus an anti-racist space and to make it clear that there is no place for racism of any form at Lancaster University. By signing this letter, students, alumni, and members of the wider Lancaster community are telling management that enough is enough. We’re calling on them to do better and to show that their commitment to tackling racism extends beyond just words.”

A Students’ Union spokesperson said: “If any students feel let down, then we want to hear from them about how we can better represent them. We will continue to work with Lancaster University along with the student community to ensure a partnership approach to tackling racism. 

“We want all students to feel represented by their union. Everyone should feel safe within our Lancaster community, and as part of our efforts to achieve that we are now a third-Party Hate Crime Reporting Centre.

“So while we do not recognise the description in the open letter of what the Students’ Union is doing and has done over the years to represent the needs of minority students, we recognise that it is an ongoing struggle and that we can and must do more. 

“To do that we will carry on working with our students, Lancaster University and other partners to ensure everyone has the very best experience at Lancaster. 

“If anyone experiences racism at Lancaster University we want them to know we are there to support them, and they can report it and get support by visiting the students’ union or emailing [email protected].”

A Lancaster University spokesperson said: “As a proudly diverse and international university, Lancaster has always been clear in its commitment to take meaningful action on the issue of racism which is abhorrent. It runs contrary to our shared values and will not be tolerated on our campus. However, if one person experiences racism on our campus then this is completely unacceptable – and as a community we need to take shared responsibility for speaking out and reporting inappropriate behaviours, words or actions we see directed towards others.

“Race inequalities are a significant issue within the higher education sector. In recognition of this we signed up to the Race Equality Charter in April 2021 which aims to improve the representation, progression and success of minority ethnic staff and students within higher education.  We want long-lasting and deep-seated change. However, as we identify issues we will implement change.

“This includes listening to concerns and continually working on a number of levels to make sure we learn and improve.  The senior leadership team, including our Vice-Chancellor, will be hosting a listening event with our students to hear directly from them about any concerns, challenges and suggestions they have about their experiences at Lancaster University so that, where needed, additional action can be taken.

“We look forward to working in partnership with the Students’ Union, and the broader University community, to improve wherever possible, ensuring our values are upheld and that every member of our community has the very best experience at Lancaster.”

To sign the open letter and to show support, click here.

The Students’ Union has been contacted for comment.

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