University of Bradford joins partners in launching anti-racism campaign

The University of Bradford has joined West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership (WY&H HCP) and the West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) alongside nearly 500 organisations and community allies to launch the area’s anti-racism campaign Root Out Racism.

In doing so the University reaffirms its commitment to being an anti-racist university. Taking firm action on racial discrimination is embedded in its vision, mission, values, and its  University Strategy,  ensuring that the University’s education, teaching and learning, research and general experiences for staff and students adopt an anti-racist stance.

The University recognises the significant social and economic challenges of our region. It therefore seeks to work collaboratively with key partners to remove the barriers to higher education that students from under-represented groups face, to bring about tangible, positive change for students, communities and businesses.

The University’s Access and Participation Plan forms a key element of its overall strategy to position it as a sector-leader in creating and sustaining the necessary conditions for inclusive learning and development. To achieve this strategic ambition, it has adopted an overarching, system-wide structural equality and inclusion approach to remove barriers within the University and the region to eradicate all access and participation gaps and create equality.

Its Decolonising UniBrad workstream is central to the delivery of its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. The work is building an anti-racist institution that allows all to succeed, and which celebrates our rich diversity and heritage. It shifts the burden and conversation away from one of deficit, blame and shame, to recognise that racial inequality has been built over centuries on the dominant western and northern hemispheres and patriarchal interpretation of values and merit.

Decolonising UniBrad will support the university to be a fully inclusive and socially progressive university by tackling racial discrimination and disadvantage on a structural, cultural and individual level.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Shirley Congdon said: “The University of Bradford is committed to dismantling and eliminating racism. We recognise effective leadership at executive and governing body to be a pre-requisite to building and maintaining an anti-racist organisation.  We as a leadership team are proactively listening to and validating the experiences and perspectives of our racially minoritised staff and students and continuing our work on critical reflection and self-education, fervent action, and transparent humility through learning partnerships which is a key part of our personal and professional development.”

Root Out Racism is part of an ongoing commitment to tackle structural and institutionalised racism, as well as addressing health and social inequalities across the area.

You can register to join the movement at http://ow.ly/lWB250FBmYt. To find out more, including how to access the free resources, visit https://www.wyhpartnership.co.uk/rootoutracism or follow on twitter @WYHRootOutRacism