Recent University news has seen an increase in attention towards certain anonymous Yorfess pages which have been publishing what is deemed to be racist content. Following this, YUSU has released statements condemning the pages, and have organised an online event, in association with the GSA, in a bid to raise awareness and education on the subject of anti-racism at York.
The event will take place online, on Friday 26 June, and will run from 5-7pm. The event will be a “safe, collaborative and empowering discussion,” which aims to “map out actions on how to build an anti-racist student community” at York. All students are welcomed to join the event and share their experiences and ideas on issues such as BAME representation in higher education, how racism is prevalent in a university setting, and how this setting is impacted by race.
The event will operate in a set out structure, beginning with a “brief presentation from the Unions, including Union officers and student groups on anti-racist initiatives and projects.” Which will then progress into “smaller group discussions (Zoom ‘break-out’ rooms) around different thematics to reflect on how race intersects with our student experience in that particular theme: Representation, Community, Wellbeing and Support, and Learning and Teaching.” After this, groups will come back together for an “open discussion where everyone will share [their] views, perspectives and experiences and the main outcomes of [their] break-out sessions.” The event will finish after “presentation[s] of some student/student groups and local anti-racist groups” have taken place.
For those who are interested in joining the event, which has already received a large amount of interest from students with currently 165 “interested” in attending, the link to the event’s page and sign up form can be found below.
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/668832450628220/
Sign up form: https://forms.gle/xgMkePmyPzPL8u2F9
