Statements

UEA Statement from Vice-Chancellor David Richardson, Carlene Cornish, co-chair of the Vice-Chancellor’s Taskforce on Tackling Racism at UEA, and Aaron Campbell, Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer of UEASU

What occurred immediately after the EURO2020 finals, drew sharp attention to the everyday reality of racism and microaggression which Black people face in our society. England footballers Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho took pride in representing their national team and worked tirelessly throughout the rounds, focussed on getting England to the finals of this major tournament, which in itself was a rare achievement. Yet, they have and still face horrendous, utterly unacceptable racial abuse for missing the penalties. Sadly, their racialised experiences embody the common reality that there is often no margin for error for Black people, especially within sport.

At UEA, we understand that racism hurts deeply. It causes profound emotional scars, humiliation and intends to strip Black people and ethnic minorities of their dignity and self-worth. Therefore, we have begun extremely important work to stamp out any form of racism and microaggressions towards Black and ethnic minority students and staff. Accordingly, the Vice Chancellor’s Taskforce and the different Race Equality Charter working groups are working collaboratively to address racial inequality. As a Taskforce, we are establishing a UEA community built on a sense of belonging and respect. Likewise striving for a university which creates a safe environment where ALL students and staff members across racial, social and gender divides can flourish and feel valued.