The Anti-Racist Educator

Racism, Islamophobia & Mental Health: In Conversation with Karim Mitha Apr 05, 2021

In this wide-ranging episode, Hashim spoke with Karim Mitha back in October 2020 about the influence of racism on mental health, with a focus on Muslim communities in Scotland.

Karim is a speciality registrar in public health medicine with expertise in ethnic health inequalities, social determinants of health, and migrant communities and mental health.

Find out more about Karim's work here and follow him on Twitter @_KarimMitha

Further Resources:

APPG Islamophobia definition:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/599c3d2febbd1a90cffdd8a9/t/5bfd1ea3352f531a6170ceee/1543315109493/Islamophobia+Defined.pdf

Minority stress and mental health:

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022146518814251

Overview on impacts of racism and mental health by Kam Bhui and Dinesh Bhugra:

https://synergicollaborativecentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/The-impact-of-racism-on-mental-health-briefing-paper-1.pdf

A presentation I did at the World Congress on Migration, Ethnicity, Race, and Health:

https://academic.oup.com/eurpub/article/28/suppl_1/cky047.013/4973057

"No problem here - Understanding Racism in Scotland" https://www.luath.co.uk/politics-and-current-issues/no-problem-here-racism-in-scotland

Data on inequalities in mental health treatment:

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06988/

Scarlet Harris' article on the obscuring of institutional racism in writing about Muslims in Scotland: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0306396818793583

Mental health inequalities experienced by minority communities in Scotland:

https://news.stv.tv/scotland/more-research-urged-into-mental-health-of-bame-scots?top

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-45565034

Experiences of Islamophobia experienced by Muslim doctors:

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/islamophobia-nhs-patients-muslims-religion-abuse-discrimination_uk_5f567984c5b62b3add4442b6?utm_hp_ref=uk-islamophobia

Music: Che Lingo, 'Bobbing for Apples'

Keeping That Door Open: In Conversation with Michelle Codrington-Rogers Mar 29, 2021

In this episode, Melina interviews Michelle Codrington-Rogers, the first (known) Black female president in British teacher trade union history. Michelle shares with us her journey from truly knowing herself thanks to Saturday schools, to getting hooked to activism as the Black Students Officer, and rising even higher in the teacher trade union ranks in the midst of a global pandemic and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Michelle is a Black British queer teacher of citizenship and PSHE at a large secondary school in Oxford. As a teacher, she first became a member of the NASUWT – the Teacher’s Union which is the only UK-wide union exclusively for teachers. In the NASUWT, Michelle started off as a school rep, then a local secretary and Oxfordshire Federation secretary. In 2011, she was elected to the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Race Relations Committee and she chaired the annual TUC Black Workers’ Conference in 2018. Also in 2018, Michelle was elected as a national officer for the NASUWT and, in April 2020, she became the first Black President in the union’s 101-year history.

Some of those special people (that Michelle didn't want to embarrass!) who kept those doors open for Michelle and more to continue rising: NASUWT General Secretary Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT National Officer for Equality and Training Jennifer Moses, NASUWT Birmingham Local Association Secretary Ava Verrier, and many more...

References and staying in touch:

NASUWT - The Teacher's Union, and its annual Black Teachers' Conferences (UK-wide).

Political Blackness

Michelle Codrington-Rogers: @oxcityNASUWT and @MNasuwt on Twitter.

Decolonise the Curriculum for Education: @Dtc4Uk and recorded conference

Impact of Omission: @impactofomission

Jayaben Desai who led 100 mainly South Asian women in a dispute against the Grunwick photo processing factory in Willesden, North London, in 1976.

TUC Black Workers' Conferences

Rhodes Must Fall: The Struggle to Decolonise the Heart of the Racist Empire

Mental health services for Black and POC youth: In Conversation with Ellie Muniandy and Amy Allard-Dunbar Mar 27, 2021

In this second episode on our mental health series, Ellie and Amy from IYS (Intercultural Youth Scotland) talk to Melina and Sangeeta about the launch of IYS specialised mental health service for Black and POC young people. We discuss the impact of racial trauma on young BPoC and the barriers to accessing mental health services for BPoC youth.

The IYS Mental Health Service is available to Black and PoC people between the ages of 12-24 who are Scottish residents. You can complete a self-referral form on the IYS website:

References:

Dr Isha Mckenzie Mavinga - Black psychotherapist who talks about recognition trauma.

Adrienne Maree Brown

Afrofuturism novels: N K Nemisin and Octavia Butler.

Ellie Muniandy's Linked In

Racial Trauma, Black History and Black Joy: In Conversation with Ife Thompson from BLAM UK Feb 21, 2021

In this first episode on racial trauma, the founder of Black Learning Achievement and Mental Health (BLAM), Ife Thompson, speaks to Melina and Sangeeta about the BLAM's work and her understanding of the impacts of racial trauma on young Black British people.

Amongst the strategies for healing, Ife discusses the importance of teaching Black History, adopting anti-racist education practices and spreading Black joy.

References:

BLAM UK - improving outcomes for Black Britons

Black History Bites

Dr Joy DeGruy and the Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome

Black, African and Asian Therapy Network

No Police in Schools

Cops on Campus ARE Campaign and podcast episode

Zuri Therapy

Transformative Justice

Some of Ife's Recommendations to Spread Black Joy

Who Killed Malcolm X?

The Remix: Hip-Hop X Fashion

The Meaning of Mongol: in conversation with Uuganaa Ramsay Dec 10, 2020

Uuganaa Ramsay is an award-winning author, campaigner and advocate. In this podcast she delves into the story of how the word Mongol was misused to describe people with Down Syndrome. The activist also lays out why is it so important to proudly use the word Mongol and to speak about and celebrate Mongol identity and culture. Uuganaa shares with us the heart-breaking story of her son Billy, who lives on through her memoir Mongol.

Uuganaa's charity Mongol Identity:

http://mongolidentity.org/

Music:

The HU - Yuve Yuve Yu

Баярцэнгэл - Вансэмбэрүү цэцэг Үгтэй

Book Recommendation:

Uuganaa Ramsay's book Mongol

Angela Saini’s book Superior

Policing in Schools: In conversation with Kids of Colour Nov 01, 2020

Hashim and Sangeeta chat with Fowsia and Mea from Kids of Colour- a platform that provides space for young people of colour to explore race, identity and culture and support them to challenge racism. They talk to us about their 'No Policing in Schools' campaign, the response it's received in Greater Manchester, and the impact of school policing on young people of colour. Fowsia and Mea share their next steps for the campaign and tips for engaging young people.

Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming campaign led by ARE on Campus Policing in Scottish schools!

Decolonising in action: in conversation with Curtis Acosta Oct 27, 2020

Hashim chats with esteemed educator from the States, Curtis Acosta. He and his students were the focus of the film "Precious Knowledge" which told the story of the Mexican-American Studies program at Tuscon Magnet High School in Arizona. We go in depth on the significance of the program, the orchestrated backlash against it from reactionary elements of the media and state legislature, and how it, Ethnic Studies, and decolonising the curriculum in general are necessary parts of any anti-racist education.

Check out Curtis and his work here https://twitter.com/CurtisAcostaLLP

The Anti-Racist Project: in conversation with Zeus Leonardo Oct 17, 2020

To be, or not to be racist, that's not the question. In this episode, Zeus Leonardo shares what it means for educators to pledge to anti-racism, as opposed to simply "being" racist or not racist (because one can be both).

Professor Zeus Leonardo is renowned scholar in Critical Social Theory and he draws on critical theories to make sense of oppression, dominance and liberation. In particular, his latest book, Edward Said and Education, applies the concept of Orientalism to the context of curriculum, pedagogy and education policy. In conversation with Mélina and Khadija, Zeus also discusses the benefits and drawbacks of engaging in discourses of white privilege, and his application of Charles Mills’ Racial Contract to the context of education.

The revolution is now: in conversation with Peter McLaren Sep 27, 2020

In this episode, we speak to one of the most important minds in the field of critical pedagogy, Peter McLaren. It's an incredible journey through his experiences of teaching, realising the centrality of the political contexts we operate in, and seeing how critical pedagogy can set us free.

Check us out at https://twitter.com/AntiRacistEd

and support us at https://www.patreon.com/theantiracisteducator

Decolonising the Curriculum: Applying Decolonial Theory to the English Curriculum Aug 22, 2020

In partnership with the Scottish Association for the Teaching of English (SATE), this episode features two members of The Anti-Racist Educator, Navan and Melina, who discuss decolonial theory and explain how it can be applied to the secondary English curriculum in Scotland.

Navan and Melina return to the theoretical roots of "decolonising the curriculum," a popular catchphrase which often risks losing its meaning. They then present examples of good practice and opportunities for listeners to reflect on how they too could apply it to their own subjects, classrooms and other learning environments.

This episode was originally recorded by SATE as a webinar with slides and live comments. Thank you to Tom from SATE for making this happen!

Culturally Relevant Pedagogy Can Save a Bad Curriculum: In Conversation with Gloria Ladson-Billings Aug 11, 2020

After taking us through some of the key tenets of Critical Race Theory, interest convergence and counter-narratives, Professor Gloria Ladson-Billings shares her expertise in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy.

There are 3 key ideas in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, all outlined in her research (see The Dream Keepers: Successful Teachers of African-American Children):

- student learning (this does not always translate to what can be traditionally/academically assessed. So much learning happens at home during a pandemic.)

- cultural competence (how competent are teachers in valuing young people's culture in the classroom?)

- sociopolitical/critical consciousness (often forgotten, but crucial: how critical is the teacher of issues of power in the knowledge that is presented in the classroom? Remember that the curriculum is never neutral.)

As we see more pressure being put on schools to decolonise the curriculum in the midst of a pandemic, often with limited resources, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy can make education more inclusive and equitable. Thanks to critical consciousness, you can save a bad curriculum with good pedagogy. Gloria uses the example of race being fully-funded in society and how critical consciousness requires educators to question this and themselves in unlearning racism.

As we approach the end of the episode, Gloria shares her analysis of these uncertain times by drawing on Arundhati Roy's claim that the pandemic is a portal. According to Gloria, we are experiencing a quadruple pandemic:

- Covid-19 (a literal pandemic)

- a white supremacist pandemic (that has been going on for a while, but it has resurfaced for us all to see)

- an economic pandemic (financial crisis along with high levels of unemployment)

- a climate pandemic (similar to white supremacy, it's been going on for a while, but it's reaching its peak).

At the end of the episode, we finish our discussion with some helpful advice for people of colour feeling overwhelmed by the permanence of racism, and some useful reminders for white people aspiring to race equality.

Critical Race Theory with David Gillborn: Staying Critical and Realistic about Racism Jul 27, 2020

For this second episode on Critical Race Theory (CRT), Professor David Gillborn shares his own journey with CRT and how it helped him become a better thinker, a better scholar and a better anti-racist activist.

CRT is a theory that predicts how race is always going to be used against racialised minorities, particularly Black people. We applied CRT to examine how apparently contradictory discourses are often mobilised and adapted to benefit racialised elites. The episode concludes with David's brilliant advice for anti-racist educators and activists:

- Stay critical. Always be aware of how racism taints every aspect of our lives and the education system. Racism has the upper-hand and the best arguments since all things seemingly rational are tainted by racism.

- Be realistic. Accept that racism is permanent (it took centuries to build, so it won't be dismantled in one generation) and it continues to adapt and evolve over time.

- Take care of yourself. Since racism isn't going away anytime soon, our efforts will be wasted if we burn out.

Unpacking Critical Race Theory with a Pinch of Black British History: In Conversation with Dr Paul Warmington Jul 20, 2020

This episode is part of a series looking at anti-racist theory and pedagogy with key experts from the UK and beyond. In this episode, Dr Paul Warmington helps us unpack Critical Race Theory and uncovers some of the hidden histories of Black British intellectuals. Dr Paul Warmington is a Black British Professor at the University of Warwick and his book, Black British Intellectuals and Education: Multiculturalism’s Hidden History, introduces the rich British history of Black thinkers and leading activists and it traces the evolving discourses in education around multiculturalism, anti-racist education and Critical Race Theory.

This episode comes with a blog post in which you will find more of the show notes (i.e. links to all the Black intellectuals mentioned and a breakdown of Critical Race Theory following Paul's explanation on the show).

Acronyms and Terminology used in the show:

CRT: Critical Race Theory

BME/BAME: Black, (Asian) and Minority Ethnic people

Political Blackness: racialised people in the UK (e.g. African, Caribbean, Asian communities)

Dissecting State Racism: in conversation with Smina Akhtar Jul 02, 2020

What, exactly, is state racism? We know what it means to be subjected to explicit, in-your-face racist abuse, but what about the racism that lives in our government and the departments and institutions that flow from it? We chatted to the amazing Smina Akhtar about her research into this topic and consider the history of British immigration policies, how anti-racist the Scottish government and local authorities really are, and the current fightback against the inhumane treatment of people living in asylum accommodation in Glasgow.

NOTE: this episode was recorded before the Park Inn attack.

Who Belongs to Scotland?: In Conversation with Hannah Lavery Jun 25, 2020

In this episode, acclaimed poet, playwright and educator Hannah Lavery joins us to discuss her poignant work and touch upon how Scotland can be a violent and oblivious place for black people and other people of colour. We talk about the Sheku Bayoh case, her play "Lament for Sheku Bayoh", an amazing reading of one of her poems from "The Drift" called "Scotland, You're No Mine", and general chat about growing up as racialised individuals in Scotland.

Note: some strong language in poem reading.

Brown Skin Girls: Chatting Anti-Racist Music over the years Jun 14, 2020

This is the second of a series of episodes looking at the media and popular culture through the lens of anti-racism. In this episode, we discuss four anti-racist songs spanning across the US and UK, from various genres: Dave- Black, Beyonce- Brown Skin Girl, Aretha Franklin- Respect and Bob Marley- Redemption Song.

Join Sangeeta, Abbey and Titi (3 brown skinned girls!) as we unpack these anti-racist anthems which actively challenge racism throughout the years, from 1967 to 2019.

Listen, comment and subscribe to get all the latest episodes direct to you. Follow us on Twitter at @AntiRacistEd to let us know what you think!

Enjoy listening!

Aloo Gobi and Fish and Chips: Chatting British Asian Movies Jun 02, 2020

This is the first of a series of episodes looking at the media and popular culture through the lens of anti-racism, and discusses two classic British Asian movies: East is East, and Bend it Like Beckham. Join Hashim, Navan, Sangeeta, and Melina as we sift through these two pretty groundbreaking films and tie them into our own identities and stories.

Follow us at @antiracisted and let us know what you think! Subscribe to get all the latest eps direct to you! Share it with your friends!

Problematising Political Blackness Apr 15, 2020

Political Blackness is more about the colour of your politics than the colour of your skin.

Back in October 2019, to celebrate Black History Month in Scotland, we recorded an event in which Khadija, Hashim, Franklin, Eyram, Jatin, Azita and Mélina discuss the origins of political Blackness, its current use and its future. This episode explores the lived experiences of political Blackness in the UK, in Scotland and beyond. What are its benefits and drawbacks? It can challenge whiteness and resist the erasure of the “B” in BME, BAME which risk simply becoming ME (Minority Ethnic). But does it erase anti-blackness and colourism?

If you enjoy our work and want to support us, you can share this episode on social media and make a donation to help us continue our work.

References:

Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (https://www.crer.scot/)

National Union for Students (https://www.nus.org.uk/)

Franz Fanon’s Black Skin, White Masks (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Skin,_White_Masks)

Kalwant Bhopal’s White Privilege: The Myth of a Post-Racial Society (https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/white-privilege)

BME/BAME (https://www.theantiracisteducator.com/bme-bame)

Person of colour (https://www.theantiracisteducator.com/person-of-colour)

Political Blackness (https://www.theantiracisteducator.com/political-blackness)

Whiteness (https://www.theantiracisteducator.com/whiteness)

In conversation with Ann: institutional racism in education, impact on family and hopes for the future. Sep 22, 2019

Following on from our recent blog post on institutional racism in Scottish education, Hashim and Sangeeta visit Ann in East Lothian to discuss her experiences of institutional racism in education, its impact on her family and her hopes for the future.

What is race? Is it still relevant in Scotland? Aug 13, 2019

In this episode, participants of colour at one of The Anti-Racist Educator's public engagement meetings attempt to tackle challenging questions about race and its relevance in Scotland. Apologies for the bad quality of the audio - we were not working with professional microphones but this is something that we will try to improve for our next episodes. The transcript linked below should make up for it.

Link to the Transcript: https://www.theantiracisteducator.com/post/launching-our-brand-new-podcast

Let's make sure that Black Lives Matter in Scotland too by supporting the Justice for Sheku Bayoh campaign.

What you can do to support the Justice for Sheku Bayoh campaign:

· Write to the Justice Minister, Humza Yousaf and call on him to launch a public enquiry. Email the Justice Minister on: CabSecJustice@gov.scot and copy in Aamer Anwar, the family lawyer on: aamer@aameranwar.com

· Send letters of support to Collette – Sheku’s partner, Sheku’s sons and the Bayoh family to: Aamer Aamer, 63 Carlton Place, Glasgow, G59TW or via email: aamer@aameranwar.com

· The Campaign also urgently seeks funds, without which seeking justice will be a struggle. Donations can be made by BACS or cheque. To make a donation by cheque, please make payable to: Aamer Anwar & Co. with ‘ShekuBayoh’ written on the back of the cheque reference and send to Aamer Aamer, 63 Carlton Place, Glasgow, G5 9TW. If paying by BACS, please make payable to: ‘Aamer Anwar and Co- General Clients Account’, Bank of Scotland, Account No: 06-00-44-79 and Sort Code: 80-07-61. Owing to Law Society Regulations, all donations must be accompanied with a copy ofthe bank statementfrom which the donation is being made along with ID. Please contact Aamer Anwar’s office when making a donation and for any questions/furtherinformation on: 0141 429 7090.

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