Malcolm Richards, Senior Lecturer in Education, Malcolm.Richards@uwe.ac.uk
Black studies is an interdisciplinary academic field that primarily focuses on the study of the history, culture, and politics of the peoples of the African diaspora and Africa and extends knowledge and experiences to include contributions as dynamic as ancient African histories to world civilisations. There remains growing frustration over the absence of black studies across the UK higher education sector, citing significant concerns that broader range of knowledges is excluded from the academy, which counters initiatives which respond to the disproportionate outcomes for marginalised student and staff communities.
Led by Malcolm Richards (Senior Lecturer in Education) and facilitated through UWE New Starter Research Scheme (2023-2026), this project seeks to establish a Network for Black Studies in Education research across Britain with UWE. This exciting project brings together ongoing and new interdisciplinary projects across UWE ECRG (Education and Childhood Research Group), alongside the Equity in Education strand, principal partners, and wider educational communities to foster deeper understanding around research which focuses upon philosophical, intellectual, pedagogical, creative, and transformational experiences of peoples of African descent in education across Britain.
The aim to establish a globally recognised Network for Black Studies in Education research at UWE. This project brings together ongoing and new interdisciplinary projects at UWE and with principal partners and wider educational communities to foster deeper understanding around the broad range of research which focuses upon philosophical, intellectual, pedagogical, creative, and transformational experiences of peoples of African descent in education across Britain, to better understanding and connect universities to the communities they serve.
Project priorities:
- Identify, examine, and strengthen valuing of theories, research, and pedagogical practices from Black Studies in Education scholarship.
- Contribute to collaborative production and advancement of Black Studies in Education scholarship in the areas of research and pedagogy, curriculum development.
- Engage UWE staff and students, research partners and local-global educational communities by sustaining accessible and inclusive spaces for critical dialogue surrounding issues of race, racism, identity, culture, indigeneity, social justice, and more.
- Facilitate and encourage networking and collaboration with study programs, UWE staff and students, research partners and community organizations to better understand the field of Black Studies in Education, research, pedagogy, and practice.
- Curate and archive local-global knowledge production and exchange and active research partnerships on issues of importance across the field of Black Studies in Education in Bristol, and beyond.
Through the development of a virtual campus (site in development), we will engage audiences inside and outside the academia through a diverse programme of collaborative research activities, including publications, online symposiums, digital reading groups, exhibitions, and collaborations with our principal partners and wider local-global communities. We hope such activities can generate significant impact in other areas of strategic importance, including educational policy, sustainable education, health, and wellbeing, and support future research and funding opportunities.
For more information about the Towards a Network for Black Studies in Education at UWE ECRG project, please can contact Malcolm Richards malcolm.richards@uwe.ac.uk directly. The project’s virtual campus launches in early 2024.
Photo © Malcolm Richards 2023.
References
- Alklimat. A. (2021). The History of Black Studies. Pluto.
- Andrews, K. and Palmer, L. (2016). Blackness in Britain. Routledge London.
- Bryan, B., Dadzie, S., and Scafe, S. (1985/2018). The Heart of The Matter: Black Women’s Lives in Britain. Verso.
- Callender, C. (1997). Education for Empowerment: Practice and Philosophies of Black Teachers. Trentham Books.
- hooks, b. (1994). Teaching To Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom (Harvest in Translation). Routledge.
- Sobers, S. (2023). Black Everyday Lives, material culture and narrative: Tings in de House, Routledge.
- Waters, R. Thinking Black: Britain, 1964-1985 (2019). University of California Press.
