Some university are uncomfortable ... sometimes even painful for students and staff of colour.

[Thread]

It is hard to explain to those who don't share the experience, where that unease comes from because that often requires you to educate them on the backstory to your 'oppression', before you can even articulate your experience....

...and if you have never felt that level of discomfort/pain before (or felt it too many times) you may not have the words to even make sense of it for yourself.

These are just a few examples people have shared with me:

[1] Sitting in a lecture room as the only student of colour, where issues of race are misinformed/negated/denied. Feeling uneasy & wondering which would affect your learning more; attending lectures or being absent (can I get through the assessment with online content alone?)

[2] Being the only academic of colour in a room and being considered the authority in the room whenever the topic of discussion is about 'BAME' students or 'race issues', but never the expert in the room on your actual specialism.

[3] Being a member of staff of colour writing your appraisal and thinking about how to (or whether to) write about the microaggressions you face or feelings of isolation and loneliness...typing it up in a separate document and wondering what to do with it.

[4] Being a Muslim academic or student and knowing that there is an implicit expectation to participate in 'extra curricula' activities that often involve alcohol and wondering how many excuses you can make for not attending, before people eventually stop inviting you.

[5] When you are one of a few students of colour in a seminar group and your tutor repeatedly asks if you know why the other students (of colour) are absent.