Reflecting on Black History Month Scholars event
Published: 21 October 2022
A Black History Month Scholars event took place on Tuesday 5 October in the Curve Lecture Theatre where students, Victoria Idowu, Tsara Boakye, Tariq Marsh-Henry, and Ananya Mudwadkar discussed their work analysing the records within St George’s Archive to better understand the influence of Black individuals in St George’s history. This was followed by a discussion on how best to incorporate challenging histories into our curriculum.
The event began with introductory remarks from Archivist Juulia Ahvensalmi who provided background on the records within St George’s Archives and Special Collections. Victoria, Tsara, Tariq and Ananya then presented research they had conducted with Senior Lecturer in Diversity and Medical Education, Margot Turner.
The presentation started with historical examples of how Black people have been mistreated in the name of scientific progress across the world. This included the belief that Black people could not feel pain and so were used for scientific experimentation. A number of African American men were even deliberately infected with syphilis without their knowledge or consent, so that scientists could study the effects of the disease.
The presentation then moved on to discuss Black history at St George’s which included details on some of St George’s first Black medical and nursing students, discussion on the historical funding links to slavery and colonialism, as well as detailing the admissions scandal of the 1980s. An algorithm was used to discern whether prospective students should be considered for enrolment to the University. This algorithm was shown to be racist — applicants with European names were rated more favourably than those from other groups. The Black History Month Scholars scheme sought to understand these aspects of St George’s history, raise awareness of them, and ensure that they are represented in the narrative surrounding our institution to avoid repetition in the future.
The Black History Month Scholars scheme was developed by Juulia Ahvensalmi, Margot Turner and Rosie MacLachlan and ran for the first time this year. It comes amid reflections taking place across the Higher Education sector of how racist practices have contributed to the histories of universities. The scheme is funded by the Black History Month Fund and is supported by the Race Equality Action and Engagement Group.
Rosie said of the event, 'This was a fascinating event, all thanks to the work of the students involved. The idea behind the Black History Month Scholars scheme is to improve our understanding of ourselves as a university — and the subjects we teach — by recovering the stories and contributions of those who have been excluded from historical narratives which focus on old white men like Hunter and Jenner. We’re so grateful to Vicky, Tsara, Tariq and Ananya for working with us this summer to pilot the scheme and look forward to continuing this work with more students (and staff) in the future'.
Thank you to everyone who attended this event, despite the rail strike which took place on this day. Watch this space for updates on changes that will be made at St George’s as a result of this work. To find out more about Black History Month scholars, or to get involved, please email Rosie MacLachlan.