Josephine Kwhali eloquent take on unconscious bias (Kwhali, 2017) has finally made my confusion about unconscious bias clear in my head. What I have always struggled with, is how can we be unconsciously racists in today’s society. Are we hiding behind this excuse? Are we purely racist but are too ashamed to admit it? Supposedly intelligent people from higher education, inundated with communications from social media, papers, books, articles on this subject and we still treat people differently based on their skin colour. How is that possible? 

Paul Freire suggests that education is the key to enacting social justice (Freire 2006). Freire claims that education provides venues for students to achieve freedom, both intellectual and physical—the “indispensable condition for the quest for human completion” (Freire 2006, 47). This, he says, should be a primary pedagogical goal of all educational activities. But how is this possible with the power that teachers hold and their potential unconscious bias? This term of power, needs to be challenged and transformed according to Freire  (Freire and Faundez 1989). In his own words, “It is impossible to think of education without thinking of power . . . the question . . . is not to get power, but to reinvent power” (cited in Evans, Evans, and Kennedy 1987, 226). We as teachers have this power and we need to be able to use it in the right, inclusive way and not hide behind the unconscious bias.

In Pedagogy of the Oppressed (2006), Freire further explains the role that identity plays in the shaping and implementation of education. One of his most important arguments is that students’ identities need to be taken into account in all educational settings. They should not be approached as if everyone in the classroom, including the teacher, is starting from the same place in terms of social status and identity. Teachers’ and students’ identities are thus tied to one another in an interlocked relationship (Rozas 2007).

This has lead me to conclude that one of the most important aspects of my teaching is learning about my audience. Listening, learning, engaging and understanding the students and then relating the subject I’m teaching to these students. Every aspect of my teaching needs to be relatable to them, to make it meaningful and applicable. We share the power and we need to start from the same place of social status and identity to build a strong and meaning relationships and offer a safe place for students to learn. 

Another concept that struck me whilst learning and reflecting on racial inequalities and conscious or unconscious bias, is the Contact hypothesis: (Allport 1954). Based on this idea, if two individuals or groups interact in a positively structured environment, they have the opportunity to re-evaluate their relationship and possibly one-time enemies can become acquaintances or even friends. When people are able to deconstruct and even eliminate the negative stereotypes about each other, the conflict between them can be resolved. One real life example of this is my son and his bully in school. The school and parents have worked hard to educate the boy and his family about the negative misconceptions they have. Over time through affirmative contact the boy and his family have overcome these negative perceptions and the two boys turned out to become best friends. They play football together, they chat all the time and are even going to go to the same secondary school. The parents have also worked through their misconceptions and have built a meaningful relationship with my son and us. The positive structured environment of the school and education for both groups has proven the Allport’s Contact hypothesis. 

Reading through Shades of Noir I was struck by the alarming data. I will be using the text to further improve my teaching practice and show my the path to the right way, more inclusive way of being and subsequently teaching. It is a powerful tool to dip in and out.

Josephine Kwhali Ted talk video “Witness Unconscious Bias” 2017 [online] _[Accessed 23 June 2023].

Freire, P, (1972), Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York, Herder and Herder 

Shades on Noir (SoN)

Wander what happened to Aalimah tutor (SoN, 2015)? I hope it wasn’t just do the anti-racism and equality training and go back to your job. We need to dig deeper and get more personal. 

What has happened to our society, when our beliefs are seen as threats? Education is crucial here and we are doing a great job with the younger generations, but the Generation X and Millennials have missed out on this and are fuelled with social media aggression towards other religions. Fear of unknow! We, as a society have forgotten what society is. We used to live as communities and feed off each others’ differences and uniqueness. Our generations have been taught to be individuals, competitors, rootless in the strive of individual monetary success. All to the determent of communities. 

Aalimah’s tutor needs to be given one to one sessions where they start seeing people as what true definition of people is. People with feelings, desires, motivations. People who love and get hurt. This session could be in a shape of Aalimah’s tutor meeting a person of faith and getting to know them. Being made to ask questions to learn about each other differences and the beauty of that. UAL Anti-racism Action Plan is a detailed document, but if we do not humanise it and have additional support then just online tutorials, we will not see a real change. 

Reading the Religion in Britain: Challenges for Higher Education, what struck me is how Christian UK really is with all the bank holidays and celebrations. I grew up in catholic country and everyone there was of the same religion. Now I live in a multicultural society but I’m still faced with Christian celebrations and events. To be more inclusive I choose a topic of one of my courses projects to be a development of the modesty womenswear range. The uptake on this project has been great and not just from the Muslim students. Seeing how a little act of inclusivity can affect the students’ motivations and results proves how much more needs to be done. 

Higher Power: Religion, Faith, Spirituality & Belief – Raman Mundair’s Guru Nanak and the Realm o Chlorophyll Cathedrals Mundair chronicles her evolving relationship to religion and spirituality, from her introduction to Sikh religion at home, to her encounter with Christianity in school life and later experiences with Buddhism. What struck me deeply is that living compassionately and being mindful daily not just improves the lives of others but our own too. I strive to behave in such a way in my teaching and private life. We are teacher have a responsibility to create safe spaces for students to learn and flourish. My example of modesty range is such a simple way to make students feel like they belong. 

Furthermore, in the Reith lecture Kwame Anthony Appiah on Creed, Appiah emphasizes the importance of respect, dialogue, and understanding between different faiths, urging us to embrace a pluralistic outlook that celebrates diversity and promotes peaceful coexistence. We are all different and that is what makes are so special and interesting. This is my daily moto. We need to celebrate who we are and create spaces for students to be able to do the same. 

Shades of Noir Case Study – Faith [online]. Available at https://issuu.com/shadesofnoir/docs/shades_of_noir_case_study_-_faith_[Accessed 21 May 2023].

UAL (2021). Anti racism and Action Plan [online] UAL. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0032/296537/UAL-Anti-racism-action-plan-summary-2021.pdf [Accessed 21 May 2023].

‘Religion in Britain: Challenges for Higher Education.’ Stimulus paper (Modood & Calhoun, 2015) [Accessed 21 May 2023].

Kwame Anthony Appiah Reith lecture on Creed, available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07z43ds [accessed o21 May 2023]

I watched the film by Christine Sun Kim. What an inspiration piece about the fluidity of learning and the power of  bigger picture. Struggling with my own disability and my acceptance in the society has been a long and difficult road. Watching the film has made me flip it on its head and look at it from both, left and right brain prospective. I’ve been diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD at 46 years old. Being brought up in a communist country where everyone was supposed be the same, everyone is in a uniform and needs to fit in the “acceptable” box. I wasn’t acceptable. I didn’t stand a chance. I was an outsider, stranger, weirdo, stupid. Finally getting some answers and piece of paper telling me that I’m not a weirdo, stupid was nice, but only nice. The help I’ve got from student services was, dare I say it, a bit pointless. Slow, not personalised and plainly waste of time. There is so much information on the https://www.arts.ac.uk/students/student-services/disability-and-dyslexia, but nothing happens. We are so good at writing policies and making sure the processes are there, but the help is slow and if the disability student doesn’t chase it, nothing happens. 

#disabilitytoowhite created by Vilissa Thompson is a great reminder how we have failed as a community and a society to be inclusive and accepting. What it means to be of colour and disabled. The first step in creating a better community is knowledge and awareness and then acceptance. The evidence is there, in my 20 years working in the industry, hardly seeing any recognition for disability, let alone the disability from non-white employees. The time is now to raise the awareness and what a better way to do it, then through social media. The reach is huge and the impact is even bigger. 

Reading the article by Khairani Barokka, “Deaf Accessibility for Spoonies: Lessons from Touring Eve and Mary Are Having Coffee” I came across a term spoonie for the first time. When we talk and think about disability, we hardly ever talk about the tiredness. That invisible element of disability and how we should all be aware of it and accommodate for it. Spoons being a metaphor for energy, it is so appropriate you use it to define people you have limited number of spoons each day. A key lesson I learned from Barokka is the importance of clear understanding of your audience. One size doesn’t fit all and we need to adaptable and flexible. 

I’m an adult that has dealt with my inability to properly read and write for over 4 decades, but the 18 year olds today stand no chance. Some students wait for 6 months to be assessed, when they are well into their 1st year of studying with many assessments deadlines come and gone. 4 months after being diagnosed, I’m still waiting for the Study Needs Assessment from SFE. What hope there is for young students, who are not members of staff and studying on PgCert course. I’m very hyper and sometimes appear manic. I have spoken to my manager what things I need to be able to function in the working environment. This has been dealt with due to my own accord and confidence. When it comes to me being a student, nothing has been done apart from getting an ISA. Most of us don’t need more time, we are all individuals and need personal assessments. I’m still waiting for mine. I’ll probably finish my PgCert before I get one. 

Reading the Journal from Shades of Noir (SoN) around Disability, the Academic Truth by Anonymous her/she struck me. The vulnerability the disability creates. More then anything this passage rung the truth and made me weep with sadness. Mine and everyone else who is in the same position. But what does it mean when my peers build walls and masks that means often we can’t rach each other with the one thing we are all supposed to have in common…. humanity? (considering) human being collectively (benevolence) (SoN, p.90)

Going back to the film. What a beautiful way to look at disability. If only we could use all the senses. To hear, see, smell. The bigger picture. 

Bibliography

Selby, the (2011). Christine Sun Kim – 10min. Vimeo. Available at: https://vimeo.com/31083172

UAL (2020). Disability and dyslexia [online] UAL. Available at: https://www.arts.ac.uk/students/student-services/disability-and-dyslexia [accessed 20 May 2023]

Shades on Noir, available at: https://issuu.com/shadesofnoir/docs/disabled_people [accessed 20 May 2023]

Vilissa Thompson (2017), #DisabilityTooWhite available at: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/confronting-the-whitewash_b_10574994?guccounter=1 [accessed 20 may 2023]

Khairani Barokka, ‘Deaf Accessibility for Spoonies: Lessons from Touring Eve and Mary Are HavingCoffee’ [accessed 20 may 2023]