News

Black at Sussex event at the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton

On 11 October, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Culture, Equality & Inclusion) David Ruebain emailed all staff. You can read the message below:

Dear colleague,

In this month’s update I want to highlight:

• Black History Month
• ‘Inclusive Sussex: In Conversation’ event on 1 November
• Staff survey and equalities work
• EDI team - new members

I will also be sharing a roundup of a number of other important developments here at Sussex.

Black History Month

October is Black History Month. Whilst it is important that Black history comes to the forefront at this time, it’s important that our work to recognise Black history and more broadly our activities to meet our Antiracist Sussex commitments continue throughout the year. Our focus is on seeking to ensure that antiracism is embedded into everything we do. With that in mind, I’m pleased to highlight some of the actions underway that are helping us achieve this.

• Union Black antiracism programme

The Union Black training we offered earlier in the year as part of a pilot scheme is available once again for staff and students. You can now enrol on either the full six-hour course, or a shorter one-hour session. Union Black focuses on aspects of Black British history and experience, whilst opening up interesting conversations around broader structural racism and identity. I would strongly urge you to try the course and please do sign up.

• Black at Sussex programme launch

We recently held our first Black at Sussex event at the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton. The event was a wonderful evening exploring approaches to archiving, drawing on themes of power, gaze, and the significance of Black photographers, with fascinating reflections on the experience of several alumni at a venue set up by esteemed Sussex alumnus Len Garrison. You can read more about the event and view a photo gallery. Gavin Mensah-Coker, Lecturer in English Language in the School of Media, Arts and Humanities, has been instrumental in the development of Black at Sussex, and the programme was the focus for his TEDx-style talk during our 60th Reunion Alumni weekend.

During October, the School of Engineering and Informatics will be showcasing the contributions of Black trailblazers. We also welcome choreographer Seke Chimutengwende to the ACCA today and tomorrow (11 and 12 October) for performances of It Begins in Darkness, which uses ghosts as metaphors for how histories of slavery haunt the present. Earlier this month, Brighton and Sussex Medical School also held a Black History Month event exploring menstrual health and human rights.

Inclusive Sussex: In Conversation with Dan Gillespie Sells

As I mentioned last month, I’m delighted that we are hosting our first ‘Inclusive Sussex: In Conversation’ event, featuring musician and songwriter Dan Gillespie Sells along with staff and students, at the ACCA on Tuesday 1 November at 6pm. Dan is lead singer of The Feeling and he composed the music for the hit musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie about a young drag queen, which was subsequently made into a film. Focusing on liberation and storytelling, the event is open to staff, students and the wider community. Make sure you book your place.

Staff survey and equalities work

Our autumn staff pulse survey is open now until Friday 21 October and I encourage you all to take part. Survey responses, including the demographic data at the end, allows us to see where specific groups may be experiencing challenges or inequalities. Your responses are entirely confidential – we look for high level issues and patterns that we can work to fix.

EDI team – new members

I’m delighted that two new colleagues have recently joined the EDI team:

• Lindsay Horler, EDI Consultant, will have primary responsibility for the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, working with the LGBTQI+ Equality and Inclusion Self-Assessment Team and leading on work relating to staff LGBTQI+ matters.
• Keira Woodroofe, EDI Consultant, will have primary responsibility for the Disability Confident Scheme, working with the Disability Equality and Inclusion Steering Group (DFISG) and leading on work relating to staff disability matters.

Our EDI team will introduce themselves fully in a news update later in the autumn and in the meantime, I wish Lindsay and Keira the best in their new roles.

Other news

• The allyship and listening programme which I have mentioned previously will be piloted in three sessions next month, starting with the University Leadership Team and then with colleagues from Media, Arts and Humanities, and Library Services. We will then evaluate the pilots with a view to developing the programme further.
• Important progress has been made with our IT systems which will allow us to remove deadnames from the records of our transgender students. A similar exercise is underway to address this in the many systems staff access, and we will share a further update on this shortly.
• Our Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Staff Network is meeting on 18 October for a ‘Boundary and Meander’ event followed by lunch. Colleagues are warmly invited to attend the event, which will be an opportunity to reconnect and discuss ways to make the best of the network and the opportunities it provides. Find out more and register.
• Information on gender neutral and same sex bathroom availability is now shown on the campus webpages, with updated campus maps coming soon.

With good wishes,

David Ruebain
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Culture, Equality & Inclusion)

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