University is supposed to be one of the best times of your life – or at least one that should be remembered for the better. But for some of us, rather than an escape from the real world, university is a constant reminder of the society we live in. For a lot of people from minority groups, it can be an alienating experience.
Being a black women at a university that was predominately white was eye-opening. My first questionable moment was when a white boy who I didn’t know randomly started touching my braids, saying “I love your weave". It’s not until now that I look back and realise just how odd and dehumanising that incident was – but for a lot of minorities at university, similar experiences aren’t unusual.In the past couple of months we’ve seen an increase in racist incidents at universities. In March a video of a racist incident at Nottingham Trent went viral as white students chanted “we hate blacks” outside a black student’s room in university accommodation. After this a WhatsApp group chat between law students from the University of Exeter was exposed for racist, homophobic and sexist language, resulting in one student being dropped from their graduate job.
Often when you report racist incidents at university, little is done and you can end up feeling your experienced is invalidated. Your friends become your only support system.
Though both of these examples ended in people being penalised for their actions, it’s a rarity. Often when you report racist incidents at university, little is done and you can end up feeling that your experienced is being invalidated. Your friends become your only support system, and often those friends might not be able to sympathise with your experience. Which is why I place so much importance on safe spaces, especially at universities. Before I started uni, I made sure I applied to universities that had a safe space for black people. I had heard numerous horror stories relating to racism at universities and made sure I was going to a university that had a society that I could relate to.
For some people safe spaces have a stigma attached; seen as ways of segregating groups of people. A biracial Jewish student I spoke to who attends university in America thinks safe spaces aren’t always good. Though she’s faced her fair amount of micro-aggressions on campus, she says, “I think safe spaces cause more harm than good. Maybe in 30 years’ time they’ll actually serve the purpose they are created for. Just like South Africa, America deals with racism in a “let’s move forward” attitude. With safe spaces I think we’re missing some of the uncomfortable but necessary, even if offensive, conversations that need to be had in order to move forward.”
But to me, although safe spaces can be seen as a way of dividing individuals, this is far from the whole truth. Safe spaces are places where groups of people can come together to share common ground and compare their experiences, opinions and daily life.
As a black person I valued the ACS (African and Caribbean Society) at my university highly, as I was able to meet people who shared a similar culture to me. I was also able to meet my future flatmates here, learn more about my culture and be empowered as a black person. Going to a university that is predominantly white can be draining. ACS for me was somewhere I could be with people I was able to relate to.
Going to a university that is predominantly white can be draining. The African and Caribbean Society was somewhere I could be with people I was able to relate to.
Debbie, who attended my university, felt the same way after she faced a dodgy experience. “I’m not 100% sure I experienced racism, but it certainly felt like it." She said. " In my first year, half of my course-mates and I were flagged for plagiarism because we weren’t taught how to reference properly. I found out I received the harshest punishment and Being the only black person on the course, I felt some underlying bias against me”.
She adds, “I feel like societies like ACS definitely help with identity and not feeling alone. Being surrounded by other black people in a uni of predominantly white people helped me when I was feeling homesick and lost. I definitely feel like we need safe spaces at university. A place where we feel that we aren’t limited in how many times we can speak about the multiple abuse we face. A lot of the time, people say ‘pick your battles wisely’ in terms of when and where you should speak up.”
Safe spaces aren’t just important for people of colour or different faiths either. Rebecca, who identities as bisexual, tells me safe spaces are crucial for LGBTQ+ communities. “I think having safe spaces for LGBTQ+ people (and all marginalised groups) is extremely important. It is necessary that these spaces exist – spaces where we can learn from one another, spaces where we can come to socialise, spaces where we can come to relax.
“These spaces offer a place of acceptance – who doesn’t want that? It is incredibly reassuring to be surrounded by people who undergo similar experiences with their sexuality or gender.”
There are books you can read. There are films you can watch. There are people you can talk to. You should not feel the need to infiltrate our safe space. I think it’s entitled to act in this way.
But to keep providing that reassurance, safe spaces need protection. While many minority-focused clubs, groups and societies are also open to people outside that community, it’s essential to remember that these spaces weren’t created for you. Rebecca adds, “Universities should definitely play a larger role in taking care of these spaces. I have heard many stories of safe spaces being overrun by people who do not belong to these specific groups. This undermines the entire concept of having the safe space in the first place.”
What about the education and integration argument? “If you want to learn about these groups of people, there are books you can read. There are films you can watch. There are people you can talk to,” points out Rebecca. “You should not feel the need to infiltrate their safe space. I think it’s entitled to act in this way, to prevent this from happening, the necessary steps must be taken. Universities must do more to protect ALL safe spaces.”
More needs to be done to ensure that all minorities are able to feel safe during their time at university. A lot of us feel anxious entering a space where we aren’t well represented, and it’s essential for us to feel at ease whilst we’re studying. Being a student is hard enough and having to deal with racism, homophobia and sexism should not be the norm in a student’s university experience. When these issues are reported to the university and the police, more needs to be done to ensure that these people are punished – and, at the same time, that we are protected.
