University of Kent to hold online Race Equality Lecture with Professor Sir Hilary Beckles

#BlackHistoryMonth – @UniKent will hold its Annual Race Equality Lecture via Teams Live on 22 October 2020 

This year’s Lecture will be delivered by distinguished academic and international thought leader Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies.

His talk, titled ‘Understanding and interrupting systemic inequalities: Reparatory justice and the restoration of “civic morality”’, is the University’s fourth Annual Race Equality Lecture and the first to be held online. It is free and open to all, with registration now open at EventBrite link.

In this exclusive lecture, Professor Sir Hilary will share his insights on systemic racism and the role universities play as critical partners in promoting and sustaining inequalities internationally. Amongst multiple other prestigious roles, Professor Sir Hilary is President of Universities Caribbean, Chairman of CARICOM Reparations Commission, a United Nations committee official, and a globally respected activist in the field of social justice and minority empowerment.

Organised by the University’s BAME Staff Network, the Annual Race Equality Lecture challenges the sector’s issues of racism and social justice, excavating historic origins and the ongoing consequences of structural inequalities on campuses and within the taught curriculum and discourses.

In August, the University of Kent signed up as a member of the Race Equality Charter. This signifies the first step in Kent’s commitment to improving the representation, progression and success of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) staff and students at our university. The Annual Race Equality Lecture plays a role in this, as the University looks to address inequalities by developing on the crucial insights as those provided by Professor Sir Hilary.

Dave Thomas, Project Manager of the Student Success Project in the Division of Natural Sciences at the University of Kent and organiser of the event, said: ‘It is an honour for the University to host an esteemed thought leader such as Professor Sir Hilary Beckles to deliver our Annual Race Equality Lecture. We are very lucky to be benefiting from his extensive breadth of knowledge and experience, as it is a tremendous opportunity to learn from his unique insights and exemplary catalogue of research. In our ongoing quest for equality as a society, attending this lecture is essential for all member of staff or student across the sector.’