Introduction

The response to George Floyd’s killing by Minneapolis policemen has ignited widespread protests throughout the US, the UK and globally. #BlackLivesMatter, a Black-led movement demanding police accountability and justice has galvanised multi-racial anger and frustration over the repeated killings of Black men and women and structural racism. At the University of Bath, we recognise that we are witnessing a pivotal moment that will reshape our relationship with Black lives, and will have profound implications for our collective future.

Whilst many of us might feel disgust over acts of racism, covert or overt, we might not have necessarily had the lived experience of racism directly. As a result, this can make it hard to understand what racism is and be able to demonstrate support for those it impacts daily. The current conversations around Black Lives Matter are woven into an environment where microaggressions, (defined as, verbal, behavioural, and environmental indignities that are often unintentional, but communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial insults), are often a daily experience for many of our Black and BAME colleagues and students.

We can all help to create a more inclusive community to end the pain, hurt and exhaustion that our Black community is feeling. This resource page can help us to understand how to respond to inappropriate comments, how to be a good ally, and how we can all help to combat racism whether covert or overt within our university.

If you have 30 minutes we recommend watching this video 'The Remains of Slavery' about Bath and Bristol.

Being an ally

Actively listen

Avoid assumptions
Listen with empathy
Don’t talk over the individual
Listen more talk less
Give your full attention
Check the lens that you are listening through
Listen, hear, understand, and then act

Avoid rationalising bad behaviour

Don’t explain away someone’s bad behaviour
If you feel you’re making excuses, you probably are
Try to listen, understand, and support

Educate yourself

It’s not the victim’s responsibility to educate you
This does not just fall to a small group of us, this is everyone’s responsibility
Take your time and energy to educate yourself
Seek out a diverse community to understand different points of view
Recognise your social conditioning
Take yourself out of your echo chamber

Believe

Remember just because you don’t experience it does not mean it does not happen
What someone is going through is very real to them
We all experience and see life through a different lens – open your eyes to different lenses
The emphasis has to be on your impact not your intent

Speak up! Not over

Don’t talk over those you are trying to support
Amplify rather than overshadow
It is not enough to be offended and simply refrain from a behaviour, be actively anti-racist
If you see it, hear about it or know about it – speak up!
Tell the bullies their jokes, comments, approach is not welcome
Use inclusive language
Self-reflect more, check your unconscious bias and behaviours

Be respectful

Saying you are an ally does not make you one, actions do
Limited interaction isn’t enough
Be a prosocial bystander, not passive
Don’t expect kudos or thanks
Understand this is the right thing to do, and how it fits with your values

Understand your privilege

Know that there are some things you will never experience
Recognise there are situations you will never have to think about
Understand that you don’t have to walk in others shoes daily experiencing what they can not change, in order to see it and take action
Acknowledge that privilege is not something you choose but does come with unearned benefits

Mistakes happen

We’re human, mistakes happen
Recognise it, own it
Apologise, but don’t make it about you
Apologise without caveats
Move on and learn from it.

Responding to inappropriate comments and behaviours

Inappropriate behaviours, comments, microaggressions, and structural discriminators are often invisible to the majority and entrenched in our culture and society. They sneak up on us, both as victims and in our own minds and mouths without us being aware. When faced with challenging conversations about movements such as #BlackLivesMatter or any form of discrimination, it can be difficult to know what to say, how to support and what to do.

Examples could include: Verbal abuse, insults, inappropriate jokes, ridicule, unwanted physical contact, leering, coercive, menacing behaviour, isolation, micro-aggressions, inappropriate advances, power play, inappropriate / outdated language, overt and covert discrimination.

Here are a few suggestions of how you can help:

Remember the four D’s:

Direct Action - directly intervene, for example, by asking the person to stop immediately or call out negative behaviour, explaining why it is not OK.

Distraction - indirectly intervene, for example, de-escalating by interrupting or changing the subject or focus. Useful where the direct approach may be harmful to the target or bystander.

Delay - wait for the situation to pass and check in with the individual. Take action at a later stage when you have had time to consider.

Delegation - inform a more senior member of staff, someone with social power or authority.

Or you can approach the situation in one of the following ways:

Number 1

Present another way of viewing the situation

Confrontation does not always mean saying “You’re wrong.” A more subtle form of confrontation can be saying “That’s not always right.”

When a microaggression sneaks into your everyday conversation, a gentle redirection regarding why a given statement is not altogether true or factual can be helpful.

Shift and open the conversation ever so slightly, some examples of how you can start that conversation include:

I experience that like...
I’ve heard it explained like...
That could also mean...
That could also be experienced through...

Number 2

Challenge the microagression

A challenge can simply be saying “That’s not my experience, and it’s not the experience of many other people.”

Language you can use to challenge microaggressions include:

I’ve heard/experienced the opposite...
Some people would tell you...
I’m not sure that reflects my experiences...
I have felt differently when...

Another good way of challenging microaggessions is to ask questions:

Where have you heard that?
Who have you talked to about that?
Do you think there are other opinions about that?
How might someone disagree with that?

Number 3

Express your disagreement

Simply say, “That’s not right.” No further explanation is necessary.

We are often faced with an endless number of microaggressions — not just sexist ones, but ones that challenge a multitude of your own identities and the identities of people you know and care about.

You are not a full-time educator. You can express your disagreement and simply say, “I am not interested in having this conversation right now, but it’s important for you to know that I am not okay with what you just said.”

You have taken time and effort to do your homework. So can they.

Number 4

Educate and explain why you disagree

You are not going to reverse years of social conditioning in one conversation, however, it is an opportunity to plant a seed of dissent; over the years, that seed can grow as more information is provided to counteract the inappropriate messages we receive daily.

It is important to remember: Good people can (and do) engage in microaggressions. People you love can (and do) engage in microaggressions.

That doesn’t make it hurt any less. It also doesn’t make these conversations any easier. But challenging them can help create more honest communication with those around you.

At the very least, it can help them understand where you’re coming from and establish boundaries around certain topics.

Number 5

Change or redirect the conversation

You may not always feel comfortable directly challenging microaggressions. You may not be in a space where you feel like it would be helpful, either for the person you are confronting or for yourself.

If you hear a microaggression, you always have the option to indirectly confront it by simply changing the topic. This doesn’t have the same level of satisfaction or impact as intervening, but it can stop a comment from turning into an inappropriate conversation.

Let’s talk about...
Did you hear that story about...
What did you think when...
I’ve always wondered...

It might feel awkward at first, but redirection can be effective when you feel like other conversations might simply escalate.

Number 6

Nothing

Just like you are not a full-time educator, you are not required to intervene at every microaggression you witness. There will be times when you will choose to do nothing. That might depend on the environment you are in, the power differentials in the conversation, your own level of comfort, and your own level of burnout. That’s okay.

Our ability to challenge every day microaggressions is what helps create a shift in our culture. That shift will happen gradually. However, the weight of it does not fall solely on your shoulders.

Do your part, but also know that we are creating this shift together. Sometimes we will succeed, sometimes we will falter, and always we will continue forward.

Building empathy

Watch this short video - Brené Brown on Empathy

Personal tips for us going forward

Use the reflective journal prompts available from equality, diversity and inclusion
Familiarise yourself with the inclusive language guide created by equality, diversity and inclusion
Commit to doing the anti-racism training and University of Leicester Hate Crime training
Seek out anti-racist educators and trainers. Attend their classes, courses, workshops – there are plenty online. Self-reflect and act
Curate from the resources below, anti-racism education and follow through with your responsibility to it
Show up – meetings, events, and conversations.
Financially support BAME work and organisations
Uplift, centre, pay and elevate BAME / BME leaders and teachers
Uphold your commitments to living a life of integrity for your anti-racist views
Watch resources from our regulators, such as this from the Office for Students

Further resources for you to educate yourself and explore

Articles

Books

The University library has a dedicated recommended book list: Black Literature and Culture, which is continuously being added to, and can be accessed here.

Below is a collated list of all recommended reading.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A dying colonialism / Fanon Frantz
Always outnumbered, always outgunned / Mosleey Walter
American Street / Zoboi Ibi Aanu
Annie John / Kiincaid Jamaica
Are Prisons Obsolete?/Angela Davis/2003
Back to Black : retelling Black radicalism for the 21st century/ Andrews Kehinde
Barracoon: The Story of The Last Slave by Zora Neale Hurston
Becoming / Michelle Obama
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Between the World and Me/Ta-Nehisi Coates/2015
Biased by Dr Jennifer Eberhardt
Black and British: A Forgotten History – David Olusoga
Black British feminism : a reader
Black Feminist Thought/Patricia Hill Collins/2000
Black Marxism: The Making of Black Radical Tradition/Cedric Robinson/1983
Black Skin, White Masks/Frantz Fanon/1952
Black, white, and in color : essays on American literature and culture / Spillers Hortense J.
Blackness in Britain /
Brit(ish) by Afua Hirsch
Common Ground/J. Anthony Lukas/1985
Dear Martin / Stone Nic
Death and the king's horseman / Soyinka Wole
Diversify by June Sarpong
Don't Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri
Einstein on Racism and Race/ Jerome Fred
Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower/Brittney Cooper/2018
Freedom Is A Constant Struggle by Angela Davis
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
Go tell it on the mountain / James Baldwin
Half of a yellow sun / Adichie Chimamanda Ngozi
Heavy: An American Memoir/Kiese Laymon/2018
Homegoing / Gyasi Yaa
Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall
How to Argue with a Racist by Adam Rutherford
How to Be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
I Am Not Your Baby Mother by Candice Brathwaite
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings/Maya Angelou/1969
Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India by Shashi Tharoor
Invisible man / Ellison Ralph
Just Mercy/Bryan Stevenson/2014
King of kings : the triumph and tragedy of emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia / Asfa-
Wossen Asserate
Knowing Otherwise: race, gender and implicit understanding / Shotwell Alexis
Lucy / Jamaica Kincaid
Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad
Medical apartheid : the dark history of medical experimentation on Black Americans from
Colonial times to the present / Harriet A Washington
More than Enough by Elaine Welteroth
Mouth full of blood : essays, speeches, meditations / Moorison Toni
Muhammad Ali : his life and times / Hauser Thomas
Native son / Ricdhard Wright
Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire - The Sunday Times Bestseller – Akala
No win race / Bardowell Derek
Not in our lifetimes: the future of black politics/ Dawson Michael C
Overcoming Everyday Racism by Susan Cousins
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence by Derald Wing Sue
Raising our Hands/Jenna Arnold/2020
Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love, and So Much More/Janet
Mock/2014
Reproductive justice : an introduction / Loretta Ross
Resisting racism : race, inequality, and the Black supplementary school movement /
Andrews Kehinde
Seeing Race Again by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw et al.
Sister Outsider/Audrey Lord/1984
Slay in Your Lane by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené
So You Want to Talk About Race/Ijeoma Oluo/2018
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Superior: The Return of Race Science by Angela Saini
Swing time / Zadie Smith
The Bluest Eye/Toni Morrison/1970
The book of night women / James Marlon
The Clapback: Your Guide to Calling Out Racist Stereotypes by Elijah Lawal
The conservationist / Nadine Gordimer
The Fire Next Time/James Baldwin/1962
The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla
The human genome diversity project : an ethnography of scientific practice/ M'chark
Amade
The lonely Londoners / Samuel Selvon
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in The Age of Colorblindness by Michelle
Alexander
The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century/Grace
Lee Boggs, Scott Kurashige, and Danny Glover/2011
The parable of the talents / Octavia E Butler
The Warmth of Other Suns/Isabel Wilkerson/2010
The wise mind of H.I.M. Emperor Haile Sellassie I /
The World That Made New Orleans/Ned Sublette/2008
Think Like a White Man by Boule Whytelaw and Nels Abbey
This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color/Roasrio Morales/1984
To Exist is to Resist - Black Feminism in Europe
Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race/Debby Irving/2014
What Does It Mean to Be White? Developing White Racial Literacy by Robin DiAngelo
What is race? who are racists? why does skin colour matter? : and other big questions /
When They Call You A Terrorist by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele
White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
White Privilege: The Myth of a Post-Racial Society By Bhopal, Kalwant
White Rage/Carol Anderson/2017
White teeth / Zadie Smith
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations
About Race/Beverley Daniel Tatum/2017
Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
Wide Sargasso Sea / Jean Rhys
Women, Race, and Class/Angela Davis/1981
Wretched of the Earth/Frantz Fanon/1961
Your Silence Will Not Protect You by Audre Lorde
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi

How to be an ally/ally-ship

How to be an ally (scroll through the images by clicking the right arrow button on the image):

Videos

Movies/Documentaries

13th/Ava Duvernay/2016 - Netflix
American Son/Kenny Leon/2019 - Netflix
Sorry To Bother You/Boots Riley/2018 - Hulu
Get Out/Jordan Peele/2017
Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975/Göran Olsson/2011
Clemency/Chinonye Chukwu/2019
Fruitvale Station/Ryan Coogler/2013
I Am Not Your Negro/Raoul Peck/2017
If Beale Street Could Talk/Barry Jenkins/2018 - Hulu
Just Mercy/Destin Daniel Cretton/2019
King In The Wilderness/Peter Kunhardt/2018 - HBO
See You Yesterday/Stefon Bristol/2019 - Netflix
Blackkklansman/Spike Lee/2018
Selma/Ava Duvernay/2014
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution/Stanley Nelson Jr./2015
The Hate U Give/George Tillman Jr./2018 - Hulu
When They See Us/Ava Duvernay/2019
The Death and Life Marsha P. Johnson (Netflix)
Dear White People/Justin Simien/2017 - Netflix
When They See Us/Ava Duvernay/2019 - Netflix
Black Lives Matter: Rivers of Blood - 50 Years On The story of multicultural Britain through the eyes of several generations.

Websites/blogs

Podcasts

Toolkits

https://cers.leeds.ac.uk/projects/the-anti-racism-toolkit/

Online training

http://www.centreforhatestudies.com/

Organisations

Information on Black Lives Matter and how to support the movement from around the world:

Supporting campaigns

Knowing your rights

https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/advice-and-information/

Social Media

Twitter thread of UK based people, projects and organisations that support Black people
Antiracism Center @antiracismctr (Twitter, Instagram)
Audre Lorde Project @audrelorde (Twitter) @audrelordeproject (Instagram)
Black Women’s Blueprint @BlackWomensBP (Twitter) @blackwomensblueprint (Instagram)
Color of Change @colorofchange (Twitter and Instagram)
Colorlines @colorlines (Twitter) @colorlinesnews (Instagram)
The Conscious Kid @consciouskidlib (Twitter) @consciouskid (Instagram)
Equal Justice Initiative @ejl_org (Twitter and Instagram)
The Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights @civilrightsorg (Twitter and Instagram)
NAACP @naacp (Twitter and Instagram)
Showing Up for Racial Justice @ShowUp4RJ (Twitter) @showingupforracialjustice (Instagram)
Sistersong @sistersong_woc (Twitter and Instagram)
United We Dream @unitedwedream (Twitter and Instagram)
Rachel Cargle @rachel.cargle (Twitter and Instagram)
Osheta Moore @oshetamoore (Instagram)
Layla F. Saad @laylafsaad (Instagram)

if you have any additional resources that you have found useful, please email diversity@bath.ac.uk and we will include them.

How to be an anti-racist and white ally

This guide has been collated by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team.