• What is the NUS Black Students’ Campaign?

What is the NUS Black Students’ Campaign?

The NUS Black Students’ Campaign is the largest organisation of Black students in Europe and represents all students of African, Asian, Caribbean and Arab descent. We campaign and lobby to raise awareness on issues affecting Black students at a local and national level. As an NUS liberation group, we are a self-organised and autonomous campaign. This means that Black students elect the national officer and committee and pass policy at the summer conference. This policy shapes the Campaign’s work to ensure the Black perspective is fully integrated into the fabric of all student unions and society.

The need for Black Representation
Black students make up 20% of NUS’ membership, yet we are among the least represented groups in its democratic structures. Across the UK, less than 4% of all elected officers and sabbaticals are Black, while similar levels of under-representation are experienced within the national structures of NUS.

The case for Black representation is not yet won, which is why the NUS Black Students’ Campaign facilitates an increased engagement of Black students inside their own unions’ structures. Unless student unions redress the issue of under-representation, Black students will continue to experience disadvantage, missing out on vital academic and welfare support. Under-representation means Black students are on the fringe of union activities and fail to realise the full benefits of having a union that can support them.

The NUS Black Students’ Campaign promotes the need for critical reform to guarantee better representation and a more inclusive union.

How do we work?

The NUS Black Students’ Campaign exists to meet the shared but diverse needs of all Black students. We are accountable to all Black students and work with individual students and union officers to provide the campaign resources and support to develop clubs, societies and international groups, as well as giving best practice guidance.

What do we do?

Our work-plan is set out in a comprehensive Priority Campaigns document (available on-line). There are four key areas and for each we have measurable goals that we expect to achieve in partnership with students and union officers. In 2006-07 these key areas are:

Black Representation

We want a Black students’ officer in every union and 200 Black students to attend NUS National Conference. Anecdotal evidence shows that where Black Officer posts have been created, participation of Black students increases and issues like fighting racism and campaigns for anonymous marking, a prayer room in every college, Votes are Power and recognising Black history are prioritised.

Rise Against Racism

We are building a strong anti-racist movement on our campuses with Rise Against Racism activities, and Kick Racism Out of Sport events. We work with Unite Against Fascism to fight the rise of the British National Party (BNP) who demonise Muslims and asylum seekers and call for an all-white Britain. The Campaign also tackles the accelerating electoral growth of the BNP and unites with those who are threatened by the BNP and oppose their fascist policies. This priority campaign also sets the correct framework on how to fight terrorism but defend civil liberties – while not isolating and scapegoating student communities. We also lobby for the full implementation of the Race Relations Amendment Act and other equality legislation.

Equality in Education

As students get into more debt with the introduction of fees, Black students face additional barriers in education: lower grades when anonymous marking is not in place, higher drop-out rates and more exclusions. As graduates Black people are 3 times less likely to find a job than white peers and then expect to earn up to 9% less. We partner key organisations like the National Assembly Against Racism, the Mayor of London, Department for Education Commission for Racial Equality and the AoC, UCU and the TUC because strong alliances are central to our strategy for fighting inequality.

International Peace and Justice

The need for an ethical and responsible world – free from illegal occupations and war – is acutely understood by Black students. Some organisations we work with include: development charity ActionAid to tackle the HIV/AIDS pandemic; the Jubilee Debt Campaign for fair trade rules; the Palestine Solidarity Campaign to defend the right of all students to education and peace in the Middle East based on international law; the Anti-Slavery Movement for justice in Africa and the 1990 Trust to build solidarity with Black people around the world, including support for the reforms in Venezuela that have benefit Black communities across Latin America, the Caribbean and the US.