In solidarity, learning, growth, and resistance.

[Estimated reading time: 6mins] During my research and praxis over the years I have sometimes struggled to articulate with brevity some of the fundamental characteristics that practitioners should strive to embody if they aim to contribute to positive social change in healthcare and education. This led me to proposing, in late 2021 on twitter , ‘ structural humility ’ and ‘ socio-professional activism ’ as two new terms that may contribute to thinking and action towards social justice. In this blog I explain things in a little more detail… Firstly, let’s look at this quote from a recent research paper entitled ‘ Physical pain, gender, and the state of the economy in 146 nations ’: “ Economic worry can create physical pain.. .[its level] in a nation depends on the state of the economy. Pain is high when the unemployment rate is high. That is not because of greater pain among people who lose their jobs - it extends far beyond that into wider society …[and the] increase in phys

For those not aware, I occasionally post my attempts at understanding theory by using infographics. With this infographic I have attempted to clarify my understanding of Hylton White's (2020) argument that the structure of modern society " calls forth in the present the fetishised representations of capital and of labour ", and that the huge force and contemporary salience of antiblackness and antisemitism occupy a dualistic relation. White builds on the work of the likes of Fanon and Postone to argue that the structure of social action under capitalism generates fetishistic representations of its own functioning - Jewishness as the power of money ('capital-in-itself'), and blackness as the power of biology ('labour-in-itself'). These representations, as racial antisocial types, must be embedded in any analysis of class within different historical and contemporary settings. Reference: White, H. (2020). How is capitalism racial? Fanon, critical theory and t

It's not uncommon for 'white' people to ask me if they can be victims of reverse-racism from a Black person. Here are two infographic PDF resources (and a Padlet with excellent videos and reading materials) to help develop your racial literacy. But remember, understanding this and the ways in which society racialises you as 'white' (and what that means for the part you play in a racially-unjust system) takes much effort, reflection, discomfort and time. Disclaimer: I receive no revenue from this blog nor the resources I make, nor any of my anti-racism (though if a big corporation is interested I'd charge in partnership with a Global Majority partner and with a donation to a relevent community organisation). I am currently incredibly fortunate to be supported by my employer to complete a PhD in this area. These resources are one of the ways I try to give back some of what I am benefiting from. Infographic 1 - What is 'white', whiteness, and white suprema

I regularly talk about social justice to friends and family (but sadly not my nan, anymore. And by sadly I don't mean she has passed away, I mean she remains a staunch racist despite my efforts). I also talk to colleagues involved in all areas of education from library staff and lecturers, to senior leaders and support and cleaning services (one of my priorities in my personal and professional life is to hold myself and others to account in our efforts to fight racism and dismantle white supremacy). When the topic of race equity comes up, people are often unsure of what I mean when I refer to 'whiteness'. Thanks, National Curriculum. This is because the system is not-so-cleverly designed to disguise itself. Some people I talk to know far, far more about it than me (unsurprisingly, not my nan). Anyway, here's an infographic that might help us understand whiteness as key in perpetuating white supremacy. Free PDF available by request @Cole_Therapy_Ed. Did I

Conferences and related events (symposia, unconferences, cafes, uncafes, whatever) in the field of education are notoriously exclusive spaces. And this is still often the case when the event is about social justice issues in education. Cue Alanis . Whether it's only white people talking decolonisation, or charging the best part of a grand to bring your research there ( AdvanceHE and NET , I'm looking at you), if you're a struggling academic or student, the message is clear: this is more for 'them' and less for you. From sexual harassment (thanks, men) to explicit and hidden disincentives and barriers to engage for carers, students, and especially those who are introverted, have low disposable income, or from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds (thanks, neocolonialism), equity for speakers and delegates is still a pipe dream. Or it would be a dream if organisers were conscious of it. Hold on, it could still be a dream from the subconscious, rig

“ The journey towards understanding structural racism still requires people of colour to prioritise white feelings. ” Reni Eddo-Lodge , Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race In the wake of UK edutwitter's # ListGate , a well-known edutweeter, Greg, published another blog piece about racism . As a fellow racialised-as-white educator, I feel obliged to take the time to address it. So I will ( again ). One of Greg's main arguments (see image) is his contention that the concept of white supremacy is flawed because its circular reasoning results in those accused of holding white advantages as guilty because of their very denial of them. In the time-honoured language of male righteousness , Greg uses the analogy of witches to demonstrate his point.  But of course, anyone who is reasonably well-read in this area knows that the in-admission of one's complicity in racism ( i.e. the inequitable distribution of power, choice, social mobility, and proximity to j