Race and diversity

By Abeba Birhane. We live in a world where technological corporations hold unprecedented power and influence. Technological solutions to social, political, and economic challenges are rampant. In the Global South, technology that is developed with Western perspectives, values, and interests is imported with little regulation or critical scrutiny. This work examines how Western tech monopolies, with their desire to dominate, control and influence social, political, and cultural discourse, share common characteristics with traditional colonialism. However, while traditional colonialism is driven by political and government forces, algorithmic colonialism is driven by corporate agendas. While the former used brute force domination, colonialism in the age of AI takes the form of ‘state-of-the-art algorithms’ and ‘AI driven solutions’ to social problems. Not only is Western-developed AI unfit for African problems, the West’s algorithmic invasion simultaneously impoverishes development of local products while also leaving the continent dependent on Western software and infrastructure. By drawing examples from various parts of the continent, this paper illustrates how the AI invasion of Africa echoes colonial era exploitation. This paper then concludes by outlining a vision of AI rooted in local community needs and interests.

How is Covid-19 repeating patterns of existing health inequalities? What factors are driving the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on the health of ethnic minority populations? Helen McKenna sits down with Natalie Creary from Black Thrive and James Nazroo from the University of Manchester.

just released on open access under the
Global Press Archive (GPA) CRL Charter Alliance. 477 titles covering the key historical period 477 titles covering the key historical period they offer invaluable insight into the political , economic and social history of the region. There are examples of national and local press and political satire

This collection of links to resources on British histories of race, migration and empire is a collaboration with the Runnymede Trust as part of an effort to increase the presence of Black history, histories of colonialism and of migration in the UK history curricula.

We have asked for people to suggest useful sites, and you can make further suggestions via our webform.

The resources range widely in scope and type. We have organised them according to Key Stages, as well as listing resources for academic researchers, teachers, lecturers, tutors and others. As such, some resources may appear in several sections.

Annual statistics on young peoples' participation in higher education by student characteristics, including eligibility for free school meals, gender, ethnicity, special educational need status and first language.

Figures are also provided on progression to higher education by school or college type, with breakdowns for high tariff higher education providers, POLAR disadvantage and Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework rating.

Despite having a diverse workforce, ethnic minority staff in the NHS continue to experience worse levels of bullying and a lack of opportunities for career progression. This report looks at how three NHS providers are working to better support staff and address these inequalities.

The project’s report, Islam and Muslims on UK University Campuses: perceptions and challenges, was published in July 2020.

It found that, while most students view Muslims in a generally positive way, a minority have negative views that resonate with stereotypical representations of Islam as intolerant of outsiders and discriminating against women.

It also found that the UK government’s counter-terrorism strategy, Prevent, has reinforced negative stereotypes of Muslims and has encouraged a culture of mutual suspicion and surveillance on university campuses.

Unequal childcare burden blamed for fall in share of published research by women since schools shut, but funding bodies look to alleviate career impact

We are ten Black women: professionals, academics, researchers and community representatives involved in research. We are writing to UKRI to call for a review of the systems and processes that perpetuate research inequity towards funding allocation and to stimulate reform within the process. 

Fatwa and other statements directly related to Covid-19

Following the brutal death of George Floyd UNC Greensboro has launched the Triad Black Lives Matter Protest Collection to document the Black Lives Matter movement, police brutality protests, and race relations in the Triad region of North Carolina. It will preserve murals, images as well as posters and other ephemera serving to document the social movements of the time.

The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) has published a new report with original testimony and practical guidance for UK universities on decolonising higher education. The report establishes that the decolonisation of UK universities is vital for the improvement of course curricula, pedagogical practice, staff wellbeing and the student experience.  Miseducation: decolonising curricula, culture and pedagogy …

‎As the vicious spike in COVID’s case count rocks the nation, this installment of “Under the Blacklight” focuses on the off-staging of race after weeks of protests about racial injustice. We ask: What has become of the supposed reckoning with white supremacy since George Floyd’s death? 

The Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) and Stanford Libraries today announced the release of a public, open platform for the Digital Library of the Middle East (DLME), which aims to become one of the world’s largest online archives of Middle Eastern and North African artifacts. The DLME aggregates, through an ongoing program, digital records of published materials, documents, maps, artifacts, audiovisual recordings, and more from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Medieval and Early Modern Orients (MEMOs) is an AHRC-funded project that seeks to further knowledge and understanding of the early interactions between England and the Islamic worlds. Through our pages and our blog we hope to create an accessible space to reveal the exciting discoveries of researchers as they navigate the seas of history and literature, and investigate the intersecting webs of our pasts.A hub for exploring medieval and early modern encounters between England and the Islamic empires of the Ottomans, Safavids and Mughals.