Last week we shared this short statement across our social media platforms:
Black Lives Matter. It’s a simple fact. We stand in solidarity with those protesting around the world in response to the murder of George Floyd and police brutality, and who are calling for racial justice everywhere.
Student Hubs exists to support young people to be better connected to their local communities and to work collaboratively to make lasting positive change. However it is also important to recognise that we are all members of the global community, and just as we ought to act on behalf of those at home, we must think of what we can do to help those over the globe. As part of this we need to acknowledge the nature of the injustices and inequalities we seek to change, and understand how they are influenced by a number of different factors, including race and ethnicity. This is part of the fabric of everyday life for everyone in all nations, whether it harms us or helps us, is direct or indirect, and whether we notice it or not.
To the black members of our communities: we stand with you.
To the non-black members of our communities: it is up to us to hold ourselves and those in our networks accountable. Research and learn about issues, listen to those with lived experiences, and take action in any way you can. You can find some resources on where to get started here:
We stand by this statement and believe that we should all be taking the time to educate ourselves and take action where we see injustice in our communities. As an organisation working with students, we believe we have a role in making sure those we work with have access to the resources and spaces they need to consider and tackle issues surrounding racial injustice in their communities. For Student Hubs, our next step tackling injustices is an internal one.
We did not want to rush to release a statement on all the things we are doing to combat issues of diversity and injustice in the spaces we occupy. We believe that this isn’t the time for us to act in a performative manner. Instead, we want to take this moment as an opportunity to step back, reflect, learn and interrogate our practices. We want to ensure we are committing to making sustainable change, and that takes time.
We will be using this time and space to reflect on the privilege we have benefited from, identify where we haven’t succeeded in supporting a diverse and inclusive space and what we can learn from where we have made progress. We will be examining how we can hold conversations in our communities, champion students to drive the direction of Student Hubs and work with community leaders in Higher Education and the charity sector on our practices. By doing so, we will create an action plan of what we’ll do next.
As ever, we remain committed and driven to supporting students to be active citizens in their communities, and to curating a workplace that is supportive and rewarding for all. We look forward to going on this journey and are excited to bring you with us.