bmestudentofficers-blog

[bmestudentofficers-blog]

Network Baselines

Many officers have complained about feeling like they are far behind compared to other universities. BME officers have not been around as long as Women officers, some unions don't even have a position and we only have one full-time sabbatical officer in the country. This shows how much further we still have to go so don't worry!

Here are 10 ways you can develop your network

A BME/BAME/Black students’ officer who can convene the network. Many unions still don't have a BME or Black students officer. We will write a separate post on steps you can do to try and achieve this.

Write a constitution: this sets the purpose. An example can be found here and here 

Develop annual objectives and a baseline plan of activity. Create this at the beginning of the year based on your manifesto. This can be adapted throughout the year to include ideas from students and committee members.

Develop a communication plan so you can let students know about your activities. We will have a separate post on this with examples. 

Ensure you have a budget and access to resources

Develop mechanisms for reporting and accountability (with agreement on whom they are accountable to). Ways you can achieve this is though monthly or termly open meetings for all BME students. Provide food or follow with a social event to ensure it's a fun event.

Elect or select a committee or working/project group to help execute activities/plans, this can be students and/or staff. 

Support of a sabbatical officer (if the convener is not a sabbatical themselves). Sabbatical officers are able to take concerns to institution management, book rooms and organise meetings with staff. Work closely with your sabbatical contact. We will post about common issues and ways you may resolve them.

A main contact to provide staff support and an understanding of other staff resources available to them.

Training opportunities should be provided to your and your committee. This can be in the form of a handover period but also other forms of training such as allowing you to attend NUS liberation training and NUS Black Students' Campaign Conferences.

[bmestudentofficers-blog]

Common words

5 common words that we often think we know the meaning of but struggle to put into words. Dictionary definitions are written by people in power and typically white, middle-aged, middle-class men. I have tried to therefore go deeper than the dictionary meanings.

Liberation (and why is it different to equality)

Describes the work we undertake to redress present and historical experiences of marginalisation and/or oppression people face. 

BME Networks are often liberation sections which represent an opportunity for students to challenge and campaign against discrimination, oppression and inequality faced by themselves or others and work to defend and extend their rights. BME Officers aim to ensure that their institutions’ and unions’ actions do not unfairly exclude, neglect or discriminate against any section of the student body, and also encourage extracurricular activities to promote community and cooperation amongst students. (source)

The difference between equality and liberation is that equality is the goal we are fighting to achieve and that liberation is our means of getting there. (source)

Racism 

Racism is the term given to the discrimination and social prejudice experienced by People of Colour (POC) (source) . It is not simply discriminating against someone because you think your race is superior to theirs but includes structural and institutional power. 

“Reverse racism” is not a thing but we’ll hopefully have a post covering this. White people cannot face racism, though they may experience prejudice/discrimination because they hold institutional power.

Mircoaggression

Commonplace daily verbal, behaviour or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicates hostile, derogatory, or negative slights and insults towards marginalised groups by member(s) of a dominant group. E.g. a person of colour born and raised in the UK is complimented for speaking “good English”. (source)

Intersectionality

A term that was coined by American professor Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989. The concept already existed but she put a name to it.

Intersectionality has since become an analytical tool for looking at how different power structures interlink, function and impact on people’s experiences in feminism and other liberation movements. (source) 

For example, a women of colour doesn’t experience just racism or just sexism but both at the same time. We will have posts specifically about how to ensure your networks are intersectional. 

Self-definition

Many liberation networks do not decide who can and cannot join certain liberation groups. Instead they rely on the concept of self-definition; that is individuals deciding whether or not they consider themselves to be part of a certain group. (source)