Black History Month at Pembroke
Harum Mukhayer (2016) is a Gates Scholar, PhD candidate at Pembroke, and Graduate Parlour BME Officer. She’s also the mastermind behind a fantastic series of events celebrating Black History Month, which she organised with Yvonne Addai (JPC Ethnic Minorities Officer), Pembroke, and Gates Cambridge.
The events all took place over the weekend of the 20th and 21st October. Harum organised a mix of informative (talks on immigration, and BME policing), thought-provoking (a panel discussion, BAME speed-mentoring), and fun (comedy and music nights) events that touched on a number of important topics.
First up was a talk on UK immigration by specialist consultants Elm Rose. The speaker, UK Immigration lawyer Sohinipreet Alg-Nijjar, gave a clear account of the UK visa system, including some of the pitfalls such as failing to provide sufficient documentation. Students were then able to take advantage of individual pro-bono consulting sessions if they had specific, personal questions.
Saturday afternoon brought a talk by Cambridgeshire police on the experiences of BME law enforcement officers. It didn't take long for a thought-provoking discussion to start up. Topics covered included discrimination against BAME police within the force, stop/search regulation, and whether it’s possible to train away unconscious (or conscious) bias and racism.
The third event of the day was a panel discussion - importantly, pizza was provided – titled ‘Race, Islam, Sex and Gender’. Chaired by Sharon Walker, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, the panel was a warm and open event, with no topic out of bounds and a number of thoughtful questions from the audience. The panelists were Tanya Muneera Williams, a rapper and women’s rights activist who spoke about her experiences as a black, female, Muslim rapper in the UK, and Habeeb Akande, author of five published books on race, erotology, and Islamic history.
The panelists, with regular contributions from the audience, discussed the purpose of black history month, the role of history and legacy in creating a sense of belonging, and the necessity of recognising the plurality of black people’s experiences within the UK alone, let alone internationally. There were questions on the commercialization of race, the use of archives to tell stories about BME histories, and whether feminism is compatible with Islam. Throughout the discussion there was a strong emphasis on the importance of centering black people’s experiences, amplifying their voices, and listening to their personal stories.
Personal stories were the focus of Sunday’s first event: ‘Call me by my name’. Over brunch in the comfortable Gates Scholars’ room in the University Centre Harum encouraged attendees to share their name stories: where their names had come from, what they meant, and importantly, the proper pronunciation. Here again the theme of legacy and history came up, with names connected to family histories or faith.
Other events over the weekend included a comedy night, featuring Pembroke graduate and Laugh 4 Change Founder Cansu. There was also a BAME speed-mentoring event, and an Afrobeats music night in the Pembroke GP.
