40 Living Black at University Commission Report 2022/23 41 40 Living Black at University Commission Report 2022/23 CREATING MEANINGFUL CHANGE 5.1 White Allyship: 41 will you stand up? 5.2 Creating a business 43 case for change 5.3 Case study: 46 University of Kent 5.4 What next for the sector? 48 As I stood up, my mind was filled with a thousand questions. 'How can I talk about racism when I’ve never experienced it?' 'Am I appropriating someone else’s experience?' 'Am I taking an opportunity away from a Black colleague?' 'What if I get it wrong?' But the alternative was to remain seated while a grave inequality continued to play out on my watch, and I didn’t want to do that. So I stood up. As a White person, I recognise that I will never have the lived experience of racism and discrimination that Black colleagues and students have. But I also know that I have a responsibility to use this privilege to help create positive change. This involves actively listening to and learning from the perspectives of Black colleagues and students, and using my position to amplify their voices. It also means taking action, even when it feels uncomfortable or challenging. As an ally, I have a responsibility to stand up and lead the charge on creating a more equitable and inclusive community, one that supports better mental health and a sense of belonging for Black students in their accommodation. I must do this in the knowledge that I will inevitably get things wrong at times, and that I must be willing to both take feedback from Black colleagues and students, and educate myself. This is hard – it’s hard to lead when you’re constantly doubting yourself. But what’s harder than this is experiencing racism. So instead, I’m going to talk about the work that we as White people need to do to help our Black students and colleagues. First and foremost, we need to summon our courage to (speaking frankly) get over ourselves – push past the discomfort and do the right thing. As a close second, we must educate ourselves so that we don’t place the burden of our education solely on our Black colleagues and friends. Then we need to stand up and create change. 5.1 WHITE ALLYSHIP: WILL YOU STAND UP? Jenny Shaw Higher Education External Engagement Director at Unite Students