Statement Against Racism

By |

Professor David Williams, Head of School, on behalf of staff in the School of Psychology.

We are heartbroken and outraged by the killing of George Floyd and by all racial injustice and violence.  

We deplore the impact that racism has, and has had for centuries, on communities in Kent, the UK, and all over the world.  We deplore it as a group of people with empathy and compassion who value justice and equality.  We deplore it as a group of people that includes members of minorities who have been the targets of racism in various forms.  We deplore it as a group that includes many scholars who study the psychological foundations of racism, and who work to fight racism in partnership with schools, charities, and governments. We deplore it as a group who are proud to teach many Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students.  

Indeed we would like to acknowledge and express our solidarity with all our BAME students who battle against interpersonal and systemic racism. Some of you may also have experienced forms of racism within the University context, and for that, we are truly sorry.

We recognise our responsibility as a School to address systemic inequalities that may exist within our own structures and practices, to fight racism and white supremacy wherever we see it, and to tackle the legacy of colonialism. We strive to build an academic community that supports the achievements and amplifies the voices of BAME students and staff.  

Recent events have brought into sharp focus the need for us, as an institution, to reiterate our passionate opposition to racism, and make explicit our commitment to addressing racism and inequality within our own institution and spheres of influence. 

We are determined to use that focus to reflect on our activities and actions and take concrete steps to improve what we do. We also commit to continuing this process beyond the current wave of protest. 

What will we do?

In our teaching, research, and outreach activities, we will continue to play our part in the struggle to understand and defeat racism. 

For many years we have been revising our teaching, research, policies and practices to ensure equality of opportunity, and have striven to address the BAME attainment gap. We will continue to do this, with increased urgency.

We will review our practices for inviting speakers to ensure our visiting speaker series exhibit the diversity of our academic communities and promote the activities of BAME scholars. 

In the coming academic year, we will devote more teaching to the topics of racism and its psychological impacts. We will create new resources to support students who have experienced racist victimization, and to support other students in confronting their own racial attitudes.

We realize that these actions are only a drop in the ocean, and welcome comments and suggestions from our students, colleagues, and members of the community.  Please email me at psyhos@kent.ac.uk and your comments will be taken into consideration as we review our practices.

Below are links to resources and information and about organizations and initiatives that our members are part of: