1. chowson@dmu.ac.uk PSA Nuturing voices 14-15 September 2010 Creating Spaces For often unheard voices in HE: Teaching Black perspectives and working with Black and ethnically minoritised people in HE Carlton Howson & Craig Pinkney De Montfort University Youth and Community Division

2. chowson@dmu.ac.uk PSA Nuturing voices 14-15 September 2010 Context/ background Education legacy – impact on Black (BEMP) Education legacy – impact on Black (BEMP) HE experience HE experience Location – population Location – population Diversity – University Diversity – University Policy – widening participation Policy – widening participation Professional formation/values – anti- oppressive practice Professional formation/values – anti- oppressive practice

3. chowson@dmu.ac.uk PSA Nuturing voices 14-15 September 2010 MySpace

4. Research Methods Key Decisions Qualitative research paradigm Qualitative research paradigm External facilitation External facilitation Process/outcomes, ends/means Process/outcomes, ends/means Students dialogue groups Students dialogue groups Biography Biography Case studies Case studies

5. chowson@dmu.ac.uk PSA Nuturing voices 14-15 September 2010 Underlying Principles Freirian principles of dialogue Freirian principles of dialogue Purpose or process is transformative Purpose or process is transformative Technologies of participatory development Technologies of participatory development Issues concerning critical research practices Issues concerning critical research practices Critical Race Theory Critical Race Theory YCD – social justice YCD – social justice

6. chowson@dmu.ac.uk PSA Nuturing voices 14-15 September 2010 Arising Issues Emergence of need to negotiate Emergence of need to negotiate Risk of ‘ domestication ’ Risk of ‘ domestication ’ Recognition of shifting boundaries Recognition of shifting boundaries Need to sustain notion safe space Need to sustain notion safe space Engage together in a process of discovery Engage together in a process of discovery Crosby in Deer Richardson, L. and Wolfe, M. Principles and Practice of informal education, Oxon: Routledge Falmer. (2005: 59) Crosby in Deer Richardson, L. and Wolfe, M. Principles and Practice of informal education, Oxon: Routledge Falmer. (2005: 59)

7. chowson@dmu.ac.uk PSA Nuturing voices 14-15 September 2010 Three themes that emerge from discussion Learning Contracts Learning Contracts Mentoring systems Mentoring systems Radical Curriculum Radical Curriculum

8. chowson@dmu.ac.uk PSA Nuturing voices 14-15 September 2010 Issues ‘race’, identity &exclusion Discrimination Discrimination Inter racial racism Inter racial racism Sense of belonging - Isolation Sense of belonging - Isolation Cultural obligations that mitigate against attendance at university or completion of work Cultural obligations that mitigate against attendance at university or completion of work Societal perceptions of Black male students (i.e. aggressive) Societal perceptions of Black male students (i.e. aggressive) People look at you differently without realising People look at you differently without realising

9. chowson@dmu.ac.uk PSA Nuturing voices 14-15 September 2010 The “ silent ones ” I am prepared to initiate some change in the university and its approach towards students, because I am in touch with the "silent-ones", who speak to me about how they truly feel but do not have enough confidence in the initiatives that are being created. I feel if we all work together, things will improve for all the students. I am prepared to initiate some change in the university and its approach towards students, because I am in touch with the "silent-ones", who speak to me about how they truly feel but do not have enough confidence in the initiatives that are being created. I feel if we all work together, things will improve for all the students.

10. chowson@dmu.ac.uk PSA Nuturing voices 14-15 September 2010 Making space for voices that are not heard Part of our task as informal educators is …to ask why certain voices are not heard Part of our task as informal educators is …to ask why certain voices are not heard Jeffs, T. & Smith, M. (1999:40), Informal Education- Conversation, Democracy & Learning. Derbyshire: Education Now Publishing Cooperative. Jeffs, T. & Smith, M. (1999:40), Informal Education- Conversation, Democracy & Learning. Derbyshire: Education Now Publishing Cooperative.

11. Education As Oppressor As Oppressor As Liberator As Liberator As Transformer As Transformer A system that can neutralise and conform difference A system that can neutralise and conform difference

12. Role We need to encourage our students to be complex thinkers, going beyond the choice of binary opposites We need to encourage our students to be complex thinkers, going beyond the choice of binary opposites Rather embracing the idea of multiple options, the complex challenges, developing skills Rather embracing the idea of multiple options, the complex challenges, developing skills This is a significant role for student and tutor This is a significant role for student and tutor

13. chowson@dmu.ac.uk PSA Nuturing voices 14-15 September 2010 How can I rise? Anger over race. Anger over race. Race over anger. Race over anger. Questions I ask, Questions I ask, But no one to answer. But no one to answer. Your judgments of me, Your judgments of me, Limit my outcomes. Limit my outcomes. Your assumptions of me, Your assumptions of me, Broaden my experience. Broaden my experience.

14. chowson@dmu.ac.uk PSA Nuturing voices 14-15 September 2010 If I told you my race If I told you my race Am I validated into your racist institution? Am I validated into your racist institution? Or am I a disgrace, Or am I a disgrace, On this attempt to better our situation? On this attempt to better our situation? When you preach equality, When you preach equality, I still feel the presence of this oppression. I still feel the presence of this oppression. I know I anger you, I know I anger you, But I will continue to ask this question. But I will continue to ask this question.

15. chowson@dmu.ac.uk PSA Nuturing voices 14-15 September 2010 You claim you want to understand You claim you want to understand My problem My problem But you have a problem when I open the gates But you have a problem when I open the gates To my experience. To my experience. My friend I cannot offer you an understanding, My friend I cannot offer you an understanding, But I can offer you knowledge of my experience to effectively challenge. But I can offer you knowledge of my experience to effectively challenge. My experiences can arm you with the awareness of the abandoning of my very existence. My experiences can arm you with the awareness of the abandoning of my very existence.

16. chowson@dmu.ac.uk PSA Nuturing voices 14-15 September 2010 I share with you now how I feel, I share with you now how I feel, This is not for pity but to illustrate how the struggle is still very real. This is not for pity but to illustrate how the struggle is still very real. Like you I be born and then crawl, Like you I be born and then crawl, But when I try to rise in this political world I fall. But when I try to rise in this political world I fall. These laws are put forth heavily brushed in this word ‘equality’. These laws are put forth heavily brushed in this word ‘equality’. This is an insult to my existence because this allows these fools to ignore our pain and our humility. This is an insult to my existence because this allows these fools to ignore our pain and our humility.

17. chowson@dmu.ac.uk PSA Nuturing voices 14-15 September 2010 This humility that they forced upon us, This humility that they forced upon us, This humility that is still very much amongst us. This humility that is still very much amongst us. Because we fight a battle on pre-established false grounds. Because we fight a battle on pre-established false grounds. We fight a war with ‘invalid’ arms. We fight a war with ‘invalid’ arms. I say ‘invalid’ not in vain. I say ‘invalid’ not in vain. I say it because we are unaware of this institutionally racist game. I say it because we are unaware of this institutionally racist game. When we are in school being ‘educated’? When we are in school being ‘educated’? Now can you say you understand? Now can you say you understand? How we are alienated? How we are alienated?

18. chowson@dmu.ac.uk PSA Nuturing voices 14-15 September 2010 Because if you have not experienced like I... Because if you have not experienced like I......if you have not struggled as I,...if you have not struggled as I, You saying you understand is a true full on lie. You saying you understand is a true full on lie.

19. chowson@dmu.ac.uk PSA Nuturing voices 14-15 September 2010 Anger over race. Anger over race. Race over anger. Race over anger. Questions I ask. Questions I ask. But no one will answer. But no one will answer. Written by Babita Kumar 19.11.2007 Written by Babita Kumar 19.11.2007

20. References Crosby in Deer Richardson, L. and Wolfe, M. Principles and Practice of informal education, Oxon: Routledge Falmer. (2005: 59) Crosby in Deer Richardson, L. and Wolfe, M. Principles and Practice of informal education, Oxon: Routledge Falmer. (2005: 59) Donnison, D. (1998) Policies for a Just Society, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan Donnison, D. (1998) Policies for a Just Society, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan Freire, P. (1972) Harmondsworth: Penguin. Freire, P. (1972) Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Harmondsworth: Penguin. hooks, b (1992) Black Looks, race and representation, Turnaround hooks, b (1992) Black Looks, race and representation, Turnaround Jeffs, T. & Smith, M. (1999:40), Informal Education- Conversation, Democracy & Learning. Derbyshire: Education Now Publishing Cooperative. Jeffs, T. & Smith, M. (1999:40), Informal Education- Conversation, Democracy & Learning. Derbyshire: Education Now Publishing Cooperative. Richardson, B. (2005) Tell it like it is: How our schools fail Black children, Trentham Books Stoke on Trent. Richardson, B. (2005) Tell it like it is: How our schools fail Black children, Trentham Books Stoke on Trent. Thomas, J. (1993) ‘Doing Critical Ethnography’. Sage: California Thomas, J. (1993) ‘Doing Critical Ethnography’. Sage: California