Like many people at the start of their anti-racist journey, so I have learned since beginning mine whilst supporting and leading others to take their first steps, I didn’t understand or recognise the journey I needed to take; ‘needed‘ being the operative word. Dealing with racist incidents in school and treating learners equally seemed like we were doing the ‘right thing’ by all, whether I was in my multicultural, varied-heritage school in Newport or the more ‘traditional’, ‘old fashioned’ ‘rural’ communities I experienced in schools in the valleys. I now see it is not enough, not nearly enough!

The word anti-racism, now that I use it regularly and in many different rooms, is one that most people need explained to them; certainly, many people in the ‘White‘ rooms I find myself in. So I suppose that my first step was to really unpick my own understanding, in honest reflection. 

My entry into this was careful, and slow to begin with, as I still held the scars from incidents in school that had personally affected me. Defensive barriers had to be broken down so that I could genuinely be curious and open to challenging my own assumptions and privilege. I needed to give myself time. Time to delve deeply, honestly, bravely to process, to un-learnin, to learn and to understand. This came through reading, reading books highlighted by the ELS reading list and books spotlighted by ELS alumni graduates; from a chance opportunity to visit schools abroad, to understand their strategic approach to overcoming the disadvantages experienced due to Global Majority heritage; and through the rich sessions I experienced as part of the ELS.

Jeffrey Boakye’s book ‘I Heard What You Said’ ⁽¹⁾ opened the door to me thinking differently. His personal, honest and uplifting whilst heavy account shone a light on how different individuals’ experiences are whilst travelling along the same ‘white’ path in teaching and education leadership could be. ELS sessions on decoloniality in curriculum, bias, representation and leading anti-racism in school enabled me to see the changes that needed to be made; the critical, intrinsic changes.

So, what’s changed and what’s next? Well, I’ve changed! I can honestly say that my ideals are now anti-racist as a person and as a leader in eduaction. This hasn’t been a quick or effortless position to get to but has come as the result of me being open to learning and profoundly evaluating my beliefs and preconceptions. That doesn’t mean I have completed my journey, rather I have entered a new phase of it. Personally, I now speak out as an anti-racist advocate wherever and whenever I can. I educate those in ‘White rooms’ I still find myself in and have the knowledge and confidence to do so. However, as an anti-racisit leader, delegated the title Diversity Lead in school, I realise I now need to turn this into actual change for our young people. This is where the journey goes next. Reviewing our curriculum to identify where it falls short in context, representation, belonging, community cohesion and perspectives; working more closely with our Global Majority learners and their families and community stakeholders to ensure their voices influence change; and strategically planning for anti-racism to permeate all that we do next on the agenda; and with more leaders and teachers in school engaging in DARPL training, the creation, implementation and success of our anti-racist vision feels tangible. 

To find out more about joining DAN (follow this link): Advocacy Network – DARPL

To find out more about attending ELS (follow this link): Enhanced Leadership Series – DARPL

Reference
Boakye, J. (2022). I Heard What You Said. Pan Macmillan.