Black Lives Matter
NEON stands in solidarity with the black, Asian and minority ethnic community, and everyone facing inequality, racism and oppression – both in the UK, US and around the world. Recent events in the US and the reaction to them here in the UK and across the world have shown how the inequalities that our organisation exists to address are part of a wider, deep rooted structural inequality. In order to try and address such inequalities it places a responsibility on our organisation to reach out to others across society to contribute wherever we can to the fundamental change necessary to address racism in all its forms.
We will continue to work collectively with our members and the national and global higher education community to increase diversity in higher education. While we will do this through our Working Group on Addressing Differential Outcomes for BME Learners, the commitment to diversity in higher education is what we are striving to integrate through all our professional development and advocacy work. It is not just the remit or responsibility of one group – it is the responsibility of us all.
Through our convening of World Access to Higher Education Day we have long standing links with those in the US who have been working on diversity for people of colour in higher education for over 50 years. We will continue to work with them and over 40 countries across the world to combat racism and inequality in higher education systems.
But while voices and statements of support are necessary, real change comes through action. We would welcome conversations with any of our members regarding how together we can do more to address inequalities related to ethnicity and racism in higher education and contribute to this global challenge.