Black Students’ Society history
Josephine N A Agyeman-Duah (DPhil Women’s and Reproductive Health, 2018) writes
The Genesis
I value home, family, and community life. I find myself privileged in many ways and aspire to make life beautiful for others. After the death of George Floyed, there was a global awakening of the meaning of racial diversity, equality and inclusion. While many verbalised their commitment, only a few backed words with action. I wanted to be part of the few to make a meaningful difference.
And so when our former Principal, Denise Lievesley, reached out to members of the community to ask how the College could be more diverse and better support Black people, I jumped at the opportunity. I saw it as a means to give back to society, celebrate the beauty of diversity and togetherness, showcase the uniqueness of Black, and show respect for the culture that hosted us as international students.
What is Black? Who is Black? Is it synonymous with Africa? Well, I won’t answer that yet…
How could I make a difference?
One idea that stood out so strongly for me was a sense of belonging. I recall how I have felt very safe as an international student and an expatriate in my work abroad and the warmth of great friendships I had enjoyed from other cultures. Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the story of many Black students/people living outside the home.
People had confided in a few friends of the challenges they face at Oxford when away from home. So I thought, just maybe if we could come together, we could provide a safe space for people who identify as Black to discuss matters of concern to us. I felt creating a home away from home, and the environment for others to thrive would be in order. And I had many other ambitious ideas. I couldn’t do it all alone, which is why we needed a recognised Black Students’ Society.
After months of coming together as a Black students’ community at GTC (since June 2020), the society was formally birthed in October 2021 at the climax of the Black History Month Celebration by our current Principal, Sir Michael Dixon. I celebrate the friends who supported this idea and worked tirelessly with me to make it a reality-, Acheampong Atta Boateng, Gloria Ngaiza and all committee members since 2020/2021; the BLM Taskforce members Neo Tapela, Susan James Relly, Kelly-Ann Fonderson Lauren Rudd, Nick Parrott, Daniel Cooper, Leenah Abuelgasim, Kojo Botsio; the Student Tutor, Alison Stenton, the librarians, Lodge team, Accommodation unit, Housing indeed the many college staff who supported the many initiatives we have implemented to date.
Today, the BSS boasts of a membership of about 80 students and alumni who have completed GTC since 2021, when the group was created.
We have monthly welfare meetings where we meet in person and or online to recharge as a family. We also have the BSS Ally Group, where we collaborate with our friends who don’t identify as Black but are interested in Black culture and want to support efforts at improving racial diversity at college.
Our contribution to GTC, Oxford and the World
One of the aims of the BSS is to celebrate the uniqueness of the Black community, our culture and our respect for other cultures.
In giving back to our college and community, we have organised diversity dinners and cultural events to spice out life at college. We organised a By the Fire Side story-telling event during the pandemic that attracted the famous George the Poet. Although on lockdown, we found smart ways to reach our student community. With the immense support of GTC and the hospitality team, we held a black-themed movie night where students were served with the support of the college with movie kits of snacks and goodies to all GTC households. The annual college diversity dinner in 2022 showcased our culture through food from different Black communities – from Africa, the Americas, the Middle East, Asia and the UK. We had a welfare painting session where we sent wellness packs to students and held a virtual meeting. These events helped us pull through the pandemic as one GTC community.
Some of the flagship initiatives we have worked on in these past three years include the Maarifa Library collection, which celebrates Black writers, professionals and culture; the Black Mentorship Programme, where BSS members are matched to established Black professionals to encourage meaningful exchanges, especially as bears on racial challenges and to support them thrive in their careers.
Through the #DifferentEqual Campaign, we have embarked on physical campaigns such as the Lanyards and hoisting of the #DifferentEqual Flag at college through October to continue raising awareness about Black lives and our contribution to GTC, Oxford and the world.
As BSS, we have been intentional about impacting our community, raising the banner of GTC and making it an enviable college at Oxford. We have members in key leadership positions at College and Oxford SU. We have represented the college in competitive sports at the Uni (the Blues). Since the inception of BSS, we have won prestigious awards such as the Nautilus Awards, Oxford SU Race Equality Award for two years in a row, and the PhD student of the Year Award, UK, to name a few.
Our BSS alumni base is making a positive impact within the private and public sector where they work, including in the UN.
We set up a mentorship programme which has enriched the career development of our members, including increasing prospects and job opportunities. We have organised the annual Black History Month, with the third edition coming up this October. These events are opportunities to be conscious about improving racial and all forms of diversity within our community and globally.
Our next ambitions
We want to continue giving back to our college and Oxford community and positively impacting our world. We have an educational outreach planned to a secondary school in Oxford to provide mentoring support to students.
We want to increase the mentoring opportunities (under the Black Mentorship Programme) to include more students at college and Oxford. We shall work on our membership drive to bring more GTC Black alumni who completed college before BSS was birthed.
