Campaign Launch Event Invitation from Abdullah Okud, President, Sheffield Hallam Students Union
Dear all,
We’d like to invite you to the launch of the Why Is My Curriculum White Campaign.
Please could you share this invitation to all your Student network from societies, to sports clubs to course reps/department reps. This is relevant to everyone.
The Why Is My Curriculum White is a national movement aiming to encourage a broader diversity of course content in education.
The movement aims to decolonise and critically challenge course content and perspectives offered through the accepted Western white canon of knowledge.
Education, at many Universities is one that has been largely shaped by colonialism. It is one that places white, Eurocentric writers and thinkers above others, neglecting worldwide scholars and thinkers.
This campaign launch is on Thursday 21 February, doors opening 5pm*, beginning *5:30pm at the Stage, HUBS*. This launch is part of Liberate my Education Week, which forms part of the yearlong campaign around Black History.
About our Guest Speaker: Melz
Melz is a decolonial theorist and activist, they have spoken on decoloniality across the country and around the world. Melz started their activist journey at the University of Leeds where they served as the Education Officer for two years with a focus on challenging learning and teaching practices. Melz’s work focusses on demonstrating how whiteness and coloniality continue to operate in Higher Education and how we can collectively challenge and dismantle these power relations.
As a Student’s Union we have established a strategy working group that will work alongside the University, Students and Staff Race Network. The aim is to ensure students affected by the attainment gap receive, the upmost possible support. This campaign is merely the starting point.
This is an open invitation to all the University Leadership Team, Governors at Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield Hallam University membership and Sheffield community.
To note: The Black attainment gap refers to the ‘gap’ between African, Arab, Asian and Caribbean students to their counterparts when attaining their final degree in Higher education. The degree attainment gap is the difference in ‘top degrees’ – a First or 2:1 classification – awarded to different groups of students. The biggest differences are found by ethnic background.
I look forward to see you on the day, feel free to contact myself if you have any queries; a.okud@shu.ac.uk, 0114 225 3458
Abdullah Okud
President, Sheffield Hallam University Students Union
