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I envisage my research in two separate ways which are very much interconnected. I study the lived experience of Black Brit-ish academics working in universities in England. The second part of my research is looking at coloniality in academia and the ideological and epistemic aspects of knowledge production.  

Through my research I’m demonstrating the importance of linking these two academic conversations. A lot of the current research either looks at decolonising education or the lived experience of Black academics from a critical race theory perspective. I am highlighting the gap between the two, which needs addressing. 

A core aspect of my research is analysing the structures that perpetuate inequalities within institutions and their continued reproduction. It's important to hold institutions accountable for their current structures, as well as the past. From my perspective, and the stories shared by my contributors, it should be seen as a structural  issue. Currently there is a tendency to position race and racial discourse as something individualised and interpersonal. 

I use narrative methods and storytelling within my research, using the concept of Ubuntu as a research methodology.  I have discussed this methodology further in a separate paper, highlighting how it is Ubuntu-inspired rather than purely Ubuntu. Rather than following Western-centric ideas of research project format, I have drawn from Ubuntu to inspire my storytelling sessions. This approach means both I and my contributors bring our own narratives, promoting strong relationality between us and subverting some traditional power dynamics.  

Drawing on my own cultural heritage as a Zimbabwean Ndebele person has allowed me to challenge the normative way of doing doctoral research, that draws on the Eurocentric canon. An Ubuntu-inspired methodology is rooted in relationality, connecting the researcher and contributors of the research. By disrupting power structures within my research, I am also demonstrating the practical application of my research. 

My thesis highlights how institutions reproduce racialized inequalities in a structural and entrenched way. Therefore, offering recommendations to institutions, which is the standard practice, feels counterproductive to my argument. Instead, I strive for a nuanced conversation about the experiences of Black British academics, drawing on an anti-colonial perspective which everyone can engage with across the institution. 

One of the biggest challenges is being underrepresented as a Black academic. Talking about entrenched coloniality, for me, is the inherent majority presence of white academics within the space. This means that being a researcher on campus can feel  isolating. Fortunately, there are platforms like Leading Routes for Black academics and students, however writing about something you experience can be very difficult.  

I want to foster solidarity between Black academics, I hope my work provides a sense of shared experiences and will promote change. There is a difficult tension for Black academics as to whether we are reproducing or dismantling the problematic systems through our inclusion within this current academic system. Scholar activism is therefore central to my work.  

Publishing two papers has been a great accomplishment. The first "Using Storytelling in Ubuntu Inspired Research to Explore the Experiences of Black British Academics in England." and the second “They keep putting me on the race things”: Raceification of Black Brit-ish academics within the EDI industrial complex. I have also presented at various universities which has been a great opportunity to share my research. 

I am an academic content facilitator with the Widening Participation team. It has been enriching to talk to young people about their futures, including thinking about their education and the wider societal reasons behind its importance. I try to approach widening participation in an intentional way, equipping young people with knowledge about education as a tool for liberation, as much as it is a tool for perpetuating systems of oppression. 

I am a member of the Black At Sussex steering group, an initiative to promote and celebrate Black visibility on campus. The group has recently moved to an exclusively Black steering group, which has given the community more ownership, and it is now evolving into something more galvanising and sustainable. 

Throughout my PhD, one of my achievements has been teaching. Coming from education as my discipline, I've always had an interest in education and critical pedagogy. Therefore, I am interested in continuing to teach in the future, alongside conducting research. 

I endeavour to be involved in supporting or setting up platforms for Black and marginalised academic scholars. Facilitating these support networks as an academic would be fulfilling and allow me to utilise my experiences, skills, and expertise.