I don’t understand what all the fuss is about!
I don’t understand what
all the fuss is about!
By Jiten Patel (2016)
Recently, I attended a meeting
and was discussing the fact that BME (specifically black) students are about
25% less likely to receive a 1st or a 2.1 graded first degree compared to white
students in UK universities.
One person in the meeting
enquired as to why I was making such a fuss. The person went on to say that if
people were worth a 1st, they would get it! I therefore put back a respectful
challenge to that person saying, “Given what the data shows, are you saying
that black people are less intelligent than white people?”
The person responded that they
had black friends with degrees even though they, themselves, did not hold a
degree. They went on to say that they really did not understand why it was such
a big deal.
When I went on to say that it was
a big deal, the person did not want to hear it and cut me off by saying that
that was my opinion and they had theirs! I persisted a little further by saying
that this was not a matter of opinion it was a matter of fact; the data
consistently showed the same trend. Additionally, if BME student attainment
rates are so far behind, how do we improve representation and proportionality
in the workplace?
The person in question was just
not interested. My initial internal reaction was that this is a typical
response from someone who is informed by the tabloid press (a judgement on my
part, I know). The worst part of the conversation was that nobody else in them
meeting chose to take part in the exchange! Being the only BME person in the
room willing to challenge made me acutely aware of my difference in that
meeting.
How often is it that you find
yourself marginalised in such a situation; it is clear that you are presenting
a fact based argument, but, not only does it fall on deaf ears, others who know
better fail to take up the argument because they do not wish to rock the boat?
What would you do in such a
situation?
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