Portrait of Tosin by Eddie

Black at Sussex is a five-year, university-funded programme launched in 2022 to transform the Black student and staff experience at the University of Sussex. Now in its third year, Black at Sussex continues to evolve and expand its impact. Rooted in community-led collaboration, creativity, and structural change, it supports a growing legacy of Black excellence.

The Black at Sussex programme champions a bold and inclusive approach. Over the past year, the initiative has evolved further to expand its reach and the variety of initiatives supported—from the poetic to the community focused—celebrating Black culture while never losing sight of the racial inequalities Black students and staff face.

Highlights include:

• a new all-Black steering committee to ensure that the experience of those making decisions on proposals and the future direction of Black at Sussex resonated and spoke true. We said farewell and thank you to previous committee members and welcomed a new cohort. Please visit the website to see who they are. 
  
  
• new, clearer objectives to help clarify exactly what Black at Sussex is and does. The steering committee refined the focus to three clear objectives:

-  Celebrate Black culture among current and former students and staff
-  Establish and develop collaborative partnerships with Black-led organisations, internally and externally
-  Promote the university to Black students and staff

• ringfenced funding opportunities to ensure that the University can explore and develop more collaborative partnerships. The decision was taken to ringfence some of the grant pot to specified activities which include;

-  internal research-based applications from students and staff
-  external applications from Black-led organisations
-  guest lecturing fund

To put forward a proposal please visit the website.

• updated website and social media following a branding and identity exercise. Black at Sussex now has a visual identity that better represents the targe audience and essence of the initiative. Once this was complete we engaged with the student connector programme to build, launch and manage a new Black at Sussex Instagram page.
  
  
• completed and supported proposals. The Black Brilliance in Business initiative, which ended in April, was exceptionally well received. Since then we have agreed to support:

-  Blacademia, a month-long project showcasing Black academics
-  BLK Brighton, who are producing a content calendar of Black events and services locally
-  Brighton BASH Carnival workshops in conjunction with BARCO, the Black Anti-Racism Community Organisation, delivering the fifth annual carnival celebrating Black culture. 

Looking ahead

Building on this momentum, 2024/25 isn't quite over and we will have some exciting new projects to share from existing proposals currently being discussed. As we move into 2025/26 we are excited to see with the promotion of the ringfenced opportunities the diversity of proposals we will receive. 

These initiatives speak to the core of Black at Sussex: fostering a thriving and representative environment where Black students, staff and alumni feel seen, supported, and central to the University’s identity.

Join and support the work

Black at Sussex is guided by a dedicated Steering Group made up of Black members from across the University, ensuring representation and accountability. Staff and students are encouraged to connect with the programme—whether through events, research, or proposing new ideas.

To get involved, contact Bud Johnston or visit https://www.sussex.ac.uk/black-at-sussex/. 

Photos: Eddie Otchere’s portraits of Sussex alumnus, Black Brilliance in Business 2025 event

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