Black Lives Matter in higher education: conversations about race to transform the lived experience of Black (African-Caribbean) staff in UK universities

Abstract

Academia in the UK is diminished by a lack of representation of academics from Black (African-Caribbean), Asian and South-East Asian communities. Based on data for 2019–20, only 18 per cent of academic staff at universities in the UK were from global-majority communities. This article will propose positive actions to promote greater representation and leadership opportunities, with a specific focus on Black (African-Caribbean) academics and professional staff. It will underline the importance of solidarity and collective voice to effect change, informed by the lived experience of Black staff thriving and surviving within the White spaces of UK universities. By emphasising the value of the lived experience, the article will conclude that equal representation of colleagues from Black (African-Caribbean) communities is essential not only to support student experience but also to recognise the knowledge, skills and human rights of Black (African-Caribbean), Asian and South-East Asian students and staff.