On being myself in academia for nearly two decades: Part I

Things that white academics have said to me When I see a hijabi-babe, I watch and wait to see if it slips to see her hair. You don’t want to do that [top] job when you have kids. Are you trying to find a husband? When I see her, I don’t see race. I seeContinue reading “On being myself in academia for nearly two decades: Part I”

Memoirs from Black and South Asian Britons

Without doubt, in the coming academic year the course I’m most excited about teaching is my new module ‘There is Black in the Union Jack’ on the Black and South Asian presence in Britain. You can find out more about the course, including a selection of readings, in a previous post and the documentary fromContinue reading “Memoirs from Black and South Asian Britons”

Teaching Black and South Asian British History

I’m currently on leave and due to teach again from September 2018. When asked what I wanted to teach, I decided to refresh my course on genocide studies and offer a new course on Black and South Asian British history. I’ve taught these histories before, but I’ve never put together a dedicated survey. My thoughtsContinue reading “Teaching Black and South Asian British History”

Decolonizing British history

The general election is being held today. I voted by post a while ago so I’ve missed the ritual of going to the polling station and casting a ballot in person. I’m already nervous about the results. I expect that Theresa May will continue to be Prime Minister and that I will continue to feelContinue reading “Decolonizing British history”

The labour of racialization

For a while, I’ve been making a concerted effort to read more broadly about race in everyday lived experience. I made the decision after reading Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (2015). I had an exceptionally powerful and visceral response to this work, partly because I encountered it during a period of immenseContinue reading “The labour of racialization”