Leeds Trinity hosts second Black Lives Matter event to listen to Black staff, students and alumni voices

Leeds Trinity will host the second annual Black Lives Matter: Accountability, Transparency, Action Revisited to provide a platform for Black students, alumni, staff and higher education leaders to share their lived experiences and reflect on the past year.

The event, which will be delivered at the University on Wednesday 25 May from 12.00 – 3.30pm, is free to attend and will be focussed on accountability, transparency and action.

The event will include:

• An introduction to the event from Leeds Trinity’s Race Equality Charter Partnership (REC-P) co-chair and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Malcolm Todd
• External speaker Emily Howden sharing her life story as an anti-apartheid activist from South Africa, with a Q and A session from the audience
• A panel session with Black students, alumni, staff and Higher Education leaders sharing their lived experiences
• A poem recital from Leeds Trinity University alumna, Macy Iwediebo.

Professor Charles Egbu, Vice-Chancellor at Leeds Trinity University, said: “At Leeds Trinity University, we are committed to making our institution inclusive for all and are proud of the positive steps we have taken towards racial equity in higher education.

“We acknowledge that there is still progress to be made and will continue to hold ourselves accountable in continuing the conversation both internally and externally, across all sectors, to drive real change.

“I am looking forward to attending the event and hearing from our Black students, alumni, and colleagues about their lived experiences as well as sharing my own.”

Professor Malcolm Todd, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Leeds Trinity University, said: “We are proud to be leading conversations around race equity within our University community and beyond, and this event is another important opportunity to maintain accountability, promote inclusion and commemorate George Floyd and other Black lives.

“Since our Black Lives Matter event last year, we have continued to drive the discussion about race equality across the sector and recently held our Race, Equity and Social Justice: Decoloniality of the Academy conference, which brought together a wide range of leaders and stakeholders. I look forward to continuing this at the Black Lives Matter: Accountability, Transparency, Action Revisited event.”

Shames Maskeen, Operational Lead for the Race Equality Charter and Postgraduate Researcher (PhD) at Leeds Trinity University, who organised the BLM events, said: “Institutions like Universities have to be held to account if Black students and staff are to reach their full potential. This event will demonstrate that at Leeds Trinity University, racial equity is our core business and not negotiable. In the words of our alumna Macy Iwediebo, ‘We must talk, they must listen’.”

Leeds Trinity University became the first University in Yorkshire to have received the Race Equality Charter Bronze award in 2020 in recognition of its commitment to improving the representation, progression and success of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic students and staff.

The University also received the gold Whatuni Student Choice Award in 2021 for Diversity and Inclusion and was shortlisted for Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the Times Higher Education (THE) awards 2021.

For more information about the Black Lives Matter: Accountability, Transparency, Action Revisited event and to sign-up, visit the Leeds Trinity University Eventbrite.