Black History Month Blog
Representational Networks Assistant; Black History Month 2021 update
Con Bolt, Representational Network Assistant- Winchester Student Union
Hi everyone!
My name is Con, I am the Representational Networks Assistant this year, I have decided to write this Blog in order to introduce myself to the students who may not know me and to discuss my role and what I am doing for Black History Month.
What do I do?
I am a paid member of staff working part-time at the Union as well as working towards my degree in Primary Education. I am not elected and so I work largely behind the scenes and offer my support to campaigns that the Sabbatical Team are running- such as our Black History Month events.
My role consists of helping our Representational Networks to run- whether they need events help, budgeting or campaign I am their first point of call, I work closely with Dan Hepburn- VP Activities and Holly Crowther- Activity Groups Co-Ordinator to ensure that we support the Networks in the best way possible.
What are Representational Networks?
These are specialised groups for students who are underrepresented in university, from LGBTQPIA+ students, BAME students, Mature/Part Time students, Commuters, International students, Islamic Students and students with disabilities/medical conditions, we support them all. Representational Networks also run events that engage the wider student community such as BOP, food taster events, Pride marches and trips away, we’d love to see you getting involved!
Do I have any plans for the year?
Yes! One of my main goals in the role is to ensure that all of the Networks have a Welfare Rep, mental health is a huge issue on campuses nationwide and I would like our Networks to be equipped with the tools needed in order to support their members.
I am working closely with Tiffany Burnett- Student Engagement Manager to help finalise Student Guides for our under-represented groups as well as analysing data in order to monitor our achievement/attainment levels of these students.
Equally I would love to plan a bigger Diversity Week and engage a lot more students to allow us to show what we really have on offer, as well as continuing my self-education on issues surrounding underrepresented students such as The BAME attainment gap, LGBTQ+ education, De-colonising the Curriculum and much more!
Black History Month and beyond-
This Black History Month we as a Union have been planning ways to elevate and empower Black Voices/History, as well as educating ourselves and wider student network about Black History and what we can do throughout Black History Month and beyond.
What are the SU doing?
Each week we have been showing movies that celebrate Black History or explore it from a different perspective.
On Tuesdays we have been hosting our Big Fat Quiz with AT LEAST one round dedicated to Black Culture and History- these have been hugely successful, and students have commented on the fact that they have been able to learn things about the Black History that they previously did not know.
On Friday 15th October we launched our Elevating Black Voices Campaign- an opportunity to share a Black Icon that has impacted our lives! – we have had some amazing icons shared, from Marsha P Johnson to Barack Obama and so many more!
Check out our Instagram highlights to see who our students are celebrating this Black History Month.
22nd October is Show Racism the Red Card day, an opportunity for our sports teams to show solidarity to their Black members by wearing red in order to promote an awareness that racism on the field is a huge issue that needs challenging.
#IPLEDGE- a scheme proposed by our StARs team. “To celebrate Black History Month, we wanted to create a space for our StARs to make pledges this month to better their understanding of Black History and Culture”.
Podcast: myself and Charis McCobb (SU President) were so lucky to be joined by Olalekan Saliu from ACS to record our Not Just BOP Podcast- we discussed all about Black History Month and what we can do to be better as a Union, including talking about Black icons we wanted to share- Olalekan’s story about his mum was so touching! Make sure you keep an eye out for the Podcast and tune in to hear what we had to say!
What can we do to be better Allies to the Black Community?
Being an ally is easy- it is all about education. Pick up a piece of Black literature, listen to Black Voices and understand that we are all people on the same journey, at the same University, during the same crazy year. Celebrating Black History does not mean elevating Black voices above White voices- it means brining them to the same level, listening actively and not passively and doing your part to create a better understanding about Black culture.
Beyond October
Though Black History Month is hugely important in order to show a visibility to Black History I want to stress that it DOES NOT limit our conversations about Black History- it is everywhere, Black people don’t stop existing after October and so we shouldn’t stop educating ourselves, empowering Black people and elevating Black Voices to ensure that we are showing solidarity and alliance beyond Black History Month.
We are so lucky to have ACS – our African Caribbean Students Network, they are hugely engaged with the wider student body and I was fortunate enough to speak with Olalekan Saliu- Chair to discuss what he thinks we can do- Ola mentions that education is the most important part of equality, he stressed the importance of kindness and not making assumptions based on the colour of someone’s skin- ensuring that we all look out for each other and continue to be decent members of the Winchester Community.
Thanks for reading-
I finally would like to reflect on what this month has taught me. We all make mistakes- celebrating anyone other than ourselves can be difficult but it is so necessary. I hope that we can continue to work with our students to Empower, Educate and Elevate Black History throughout all aspects of our Union.
Thank you,
Con 😊
