Black History Month 2021
Black History Month is underway, with the overarching theme of “Proud to Be”. A range of celebratory and educational events are taking place throughout the United Kingdom.
In Scotland, the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights, which has coordinated Scotland’s Black History Month programme since 2001, is hosting talks, workshops, exhibitions, and concerts.
At the University, there will be two staff and student BAME Network events, on Tuesday 12 October and Thursday 28 October, 12 noon to 1pm on both days. These are new, joint staff and student virtual networking events for the two BAME networks. To attend, and for the Microsoft Teams link, email [email protected]. Additionally, the School of History will share research and information about black history through events and a poster series.
At the Careers Centre we recognise that identity and heritage inform lived experiences, especially within careers development and professional contexts. With this in mind, and to help build a more equitable and just community for black students and alumni, we want to spotlight careers-related and wellbeing resources that offer support and guidance that is specific to and understanding of black experiences.
Jobs
If you are looking to explore job opportunities, you can consult resources such as the Black Young Professionals Network Job Board and Rare Recruitment. Black Rock’s Black Heritage Insight Programme and Positive Action Schemes from Creative Access may also be useful. ReConnect Africa is primarily designed for African professionals in the diaspora and provides information for those wishing to work in various countries throughout Africa. Lastly, Black Remote She is a community for black queer and trans women, as well as nonbinary people, who are interested in remote work.
Internships
For internship opportunities, there is the #10000BlackInterns Programme, with an application deadline of Sunday 7 November 2021, and applications for the Civil Service Summer Diversity Internship Programme are now open. Additionally, there is the Heritage Fund Graduate Traineeship, with an application deadline of Monday 18 October 2021. You can also now register your interest for the Taylor Bennet Foundation Summer Stars Programme 2022.
Professional networks, associations, and programmes
It’s beneficial to build your professional network. Helpful groups include the Black Young Professionals Network, which, in addition to managing a job board, hosts events and records a podcast that discusses avenues of success with junior and senior leaders. The mission of the podcast is to showcase how there is no set path to career and life growth. The Parity Project offers insight, networking and employability support for black men. For black creatives, you may consider exploring the Scottish BAME Writers Network and Writers Make Worlds, which is an open education resource hub for black and Asian British writing.
If you want to develop your financial education, the Santander Universities Black Inclusion Programme is a new online learning experience for black undergraduate students in the UK. LinkedIn is also home to professional groups such as Black Careers Matter and the African Caribbean Alumni Network (A-CAN), as well as more specialised groups like Black Enterprise, which is committed to the small business owner and technology start-up sector, as well as the National Society of Black Engineers and the Black Economists Network.
Events
Black Tech Fest (Virtual): Tuesday 19 to Thursday 21 October 2021
Uncovering Prospects Conference (Virtual): Thursday 21 October 2021
Wellbeing
Wellbeing, how we think about it and how we experience it, is affected by our identities, cultures, and life experiences. As you move through your academic and professional experiences, remember that to truly flourish all dimensions of wellness require attention and care. While finding a personal harmony with those dimensions should be done in a way that is meaningful and relevant to you, we hope the following resources, all of which were developed by black creators and entrepreneurs, will contribute to your wellbeing:
- Black Girl In Om: A coalitional network creating space for black women, inclusive of queer, trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming individuals
- Liberate: Meditation app
- The Underbelly: Offers the tools, practices, inspiration, knowledge, and community to help you achieve the primary pillars of wellness
- Elevate: Inspirational living and self-care mobile app
- Black Thoughts Matter Blog: Created to amplify black stories that showcase contributors’ thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams
- BlackPeopleTalk: Resources that range from help with anxiety and stress to the feeling of (un)belonging
- Therapy for Black Girls Podcast: A weekly podcast that focuses on mental health and personal development
- Rest for Resistance: A grassroots, trans-led organisation uplifting LGBTQIA+ individuals, namely trans and queer people of colour. Rest for Resistance does this by fostering a safe online space that promotes meditation as an act of resistance, and features art, writing and a directory of intersectional mental health resources.
- How to have conversations about race and mental health at work (YouTube)