16 - #BlackInTheIvory: social media as a tool for racial healing

Summary

As a Black Caribbean PhD student in the field of Earth Sciences, I know too well the feeling of isolation within academia. Earth Sciences is one of the least diverse STEM subjects; in the UK, Black students represent 1.6 per cent of Geology postgraduate researchers, while 3.8 per cent of 18– 24- year- olds are Black. This lack of representation has manifested itself in numerous ways over the years, from facing microaggressions from other students and faculty to piercing, obvious stares in rural Pembrokeshire on field trips. This feeling of isolation is a relatively recent addition to my emotional state if you consider my academic journey so far.

Growing up in the north- western suburbs of Birmingham, I had what many would call an idyllic upbringing. My secondary school was a diverse, all- girls’ grammar school where I faced little racism. While grammar schools and the concept of selective schools themselves are problematic (overt prestige was one of the first lessons I learned there), I gained a rigorous work ethic, self- confidence, and lifelong friends. I was never taught by a Black teacher – in hindsight, this was perhaps a forewarning of my future academic path. However, I always had a strong, Black, academic role model in my mum. A maths teacher at a nearby school, she nurtured my mathematical talents more so than my own maths teacher, pushing me to achieve my GCSE Maths a year earlier than my classmates. My love of maths grew, alongside my passion for understanding the planet – Geography was always my favourite subject in school. Combining these subjects, I decided to pursue a degree in Geophysics, which is the study of the physical processes and properties of the Earth. Up until now, my educational experience had been relatively smooth, with plenty of Black peers who understood what it was to be a Black woman growing up as a minority in British society. Nevertheless, when I arrived at the University of Leeds, it was a shock.