Global Shapers Community’s Post

Our new Blog on " 2024 Black History Month: A Call for Activist Engineers" is out. Click on the link to read more https://ow.ly/8mA450QHQcv #ASEM #newblog #Engineeringmanagement #BHM2024

Our new Blog on " 2024 Black History Month: A Call for Activist Engineers" is out. Click on the link to read more https://ow.ly/8mA450QHQcv #ASEM #newblog #Engineeringmanagement #BHM2024

It's Black History Month 2024! No matter what you're doing to celebrate or discuss, it's worth thinking about how Black History month is conceptualised in education. How can it be a celebratory activity which necessarily avoids present-day realities, can be beholden to North-American hegemony and subscribe to a particular model of Black excellence? https://lnkd.in/eQsH93sH

It's Black History Month, and the theme is reclaiming narratives! Reclaiming narratives focuses on recognising the power of Black culture in all its forms – literature, art, music, fashion, politics – and asserting its place in wider British heritage. This week REAL will be recognising the impact Black innovators have made in music, food, technology and fashion in British society and welcome everyone to contribute their own ideas! For too long Black history has been told from a limited perspective that marginalises the true extent of Black experiences. Many historical narratives have been shaped by dominant groups, who have erased or ignored the role of Black communities in moulding British society. The idea of reclaiming narratives seeks to challenge this. It encourages Black communities, scholars, and activists to take ownership of their stories and to ensure that their voices are heard. This includes revisiting history to expose injustices, rewriting cultural narratives that have been skewed, and telling the rich and complex stories of Black lives in Britain on their own terms. Today we encouraged everyone at REAL to watch this 60second video about BHM! https://bit.ly/4eSAIy9

For #BlackHistoryMonth, we are reflecting on how Black history paves the way to a sustainable future. A lot of the techniques and methods we use today would not be available to us if it weren't for the work of Black pioneers like those mentioned in this short reel below. WATCH: https://loom.ly/keuysX0

"Understanding Black History Every Day" As we celebrate Black History Month, let's remember that history isn't confined to just one month. The word 'history' itself is a continuous narrative, reflecting creativity, #resilience, and contribution throughout time. Our education system is vital in shaping our understanding of history. Unfortunately, the accurate portrayal of Black history often falls short. This is a call for all of us to take the initiative, learn these stories, and share them. It's not about blame; it's about #bridginggaps in knowledge and #understanding. #blackhistorymonth #history #historymatters #understanding #educateyourself #educationmatters #intentionality

Hey Hornets, stay tuned tomorrow for a new issue! This week: Black History Month events, President Alison's plans for a new semester and more. We will see you at noon tomorrow at the link in our bio! #universityoflynchburg #lynchburg #lynchburghornets #uofl #thecritograph #critograph #studentmedia #lynchburgnews #lynchburgva #lifeintheburg #studentvoice

My Highlight Of The Week is from Morgan Freeman who talks about his issue with Black History Month: https://lnkd.in/eNXFjpPM The 18th of July marks the start of South Asian Heritage Month. I see colleagues celebrating and sharing their personal stories and those of the diaspora. I share many of their experiences. The goal of the month by the founder and colleague Dr Binita Kane is for the month not to exist. This I do not understand: how can you celebrate and educate heritage but not want to do this. If the goal is inclusion of South Asians into society, does celebrating our “otherness” seek to divide us from the rest of society? The balance between being proud of our identity and feeling at one with others is very fine. I think it’s important to define what success is with anything in life. Those in health inequalities spaces must define the exact moment when health equality is achieved. With heritage months, we must define what success is. If integration is the goal, when will integration be achieved? One of is his arguments are rooted in that Black History is American history and implies that celebrating Black History in a single month is tokenistic. Similarly South Asian heritage is British heritage: why would we celebrate it in a month? Some would say it’s not celebrated anyway - so this is our space to celebrate. His other argument suggests countering that educating people about Black History would not decrease racism. It’s hard to know if that’s true in the USA or the UK. However, I do think that those that are curious about other people’s ethnic background are a self-selecting bunch. The people who do not care about other people cannot be educated so I wonder whether this in fact is multiplying another kind of inverse-care law. The inverse-care law implies that those who need the most care are least likely to access that care, e.g. the poorest / marginalised in society. Similarly, those are in need of most education about different people’s journeys in life are least likely to care. Altogether I’m confused about South Asian Heritage month but one thing is for certain. I deeply proud of the sacrifices that my ancestors made for me to have such a great life with simple pleasures. I am proud of where I come from in the UK and beyond (it’s complicated). But, we must not forget how we as humans are more similar, than different.

We are all human, and this year has brought many issues into sharp focus. As we mark Black History Month, it's crucial to reflect on the persistent biases and the narratives that continue to fuel ignorance. Let’s challenge ourselves to truly embrace our shared humanity. The impact of racism on health and well-being is being discussed more than ever, yet there is still so much work ahead. Amongst others I suggest work of Professor of Public health David R. Williams, based at Harvard University, for his groundbreaking work on how racism and social inequalities affect health outcomes. Dr. Williams developed the "Everyday Discrimination Scale," https://lnkd.in/eAW8uwhm which is commonly used to assess the daily experiences of discrimination and its health impacts. His interview with Helen McKenna https://lnkd.in/erxYkrqU Black history is not a side note— throughout every revolution that has shaped our world today, Black contributions have been central to our collective story. I highly recommend listening to Professor David Olusoga OBE's insights from a powerful lecture he gave last year. https://lnkd.in/ePVyMGmt #blackhistory #everydaydiscrimination #healthinequalities

This month, we asked our employees to share what Black History Month means to them. Today, Josh Seda talks about strength, resilience, and how your courage can open doors for the next generation. "Black History Month, to me, is all about those prolific moments of making sure that we are creating space, not for today, but for tomorrow." https://hubs.ly/Q02jXVps0