Race equality at Surrey

One of our SEED community has penned this heartfelt poem to share their feelings and frustration at navigating the work space in the face of adversity. We thank them for their honesty and the courage to share. The White Mask When I felt compassion, confidence and drive You received darkness, threat, aggression I sang with […]

Student Adaugo Okenwa has won the University of Surrey artwork competition to have her artwork on display outside of the Hive on campus. Adaugo shares her inspiration the work here. How do you feel on being the winner of the University of Surrey Student Artwork competition in support of anti – racism? I was thrilled […]

SEED reflections Anonymous ‘After the George Floyd event it felt as if those who turned a blind eye to the experiences of minorities couldn’t brush it under the carpet. Suddenly not acting meant something. Being nice wasn’t enough; more people wanted to learn, to be agents of change, to take action. We were all part […]

By Nathan Simpson BBC Sounds documentary   Marvin Gaye : What’s going on now As this ground-breaking creative work turns 50, staff member Nathan Simpson reflects on his favourite album from the soul legend, Marvin Gaye. This seems to be a question that we have been waiting to be answered for the last 50 years. An […]

By Jocelyn Chandler-Hawkins In 1993 a young black man was killed in a racially motivated attack near a bus stop in Eltham, London. His name was Stephen Lawrence and not only did his murder highlight the institutional racism at the heart of the Metropolitan police and other forces. It also made campaigners of his parents […]

By Kaya Holder Would you change your name if it was more lucrative or opportunistic to do so? For instance, imagine if all UCAS applications to Surrey were nameless and therefore solely based an academic skill and nothing else. What would be the impact on intake, the student body and the wider Surrey community I wonder? This idea was proposed in 2016 by David Cameron, as a potential way to remove discriminatory, subconscious bias and blockers for POC in HE by way of a ‘name-blind’ approach but was rejected unanimously by the HE and Oxbridge communities. […]