Racial Equality and Inclusivity in Academia: Perspectives and Strategies for Anti-Racism Outcomes

This chapter critically examines strategies and different ways of understanding institutional racism to argue that there is a need for a coherent framework for change that can contribute to the reduction and/or elimination of racism within higher education institutions (HEIs). George Floyd’s death on 25th May 2020 sparked a global response, hyped up the impetus of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, and beseeched society to concede that being non-racist was not enough to assist humankind become actively antiracist. Society was called to begin acknowledging the existence of deep racial injustices and inequalities in our communities. Universities in the United Kingdom (UK), for example, have been challenged, held to account for their role in institutional racism and are being asked to consider what action to take to become actively antiracist.

There is limited attention in the human resource development (HRD) literature of issues of this nature and this chapter highlights the existence of considerable and longstanding body of evidence of institutional racism within HEIs, that disproportionally affect academic members of staff from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. Research has revealed that low priority status profiling of BAME faculty and institutionally racist structures in HEIs are key challenges facing BAME academics plotting career pathways to senior leadership roles. Reviewed scholarship indicates a sector that is not only institutionally racist but perpetuate systematic racism through an entrenched culture of racial injustices and inequalities practices.