The statement from the college heads of Oxford University is a weak voice wafting over the perfectly trimmed college hedges answering the angry calls of protesters outside (Letters, 4 June). It is not good enough. Many colleges were built on the systematic abuse of black lives and livelihoods. The statement is passive and allows racism to breathe when black men and women cannot.
While recognising the role that education “can play in building racial equality and fair inclusion of black voices”, the heads fail to acknowledge that education perpetuates inequality and the silencing of black voices. If the Black Lives Matter movement is going to succeed, then we must recognise our past and present failures.
They write to “reassert our belief in the need to promote, protect and advance equal dignity and respect”, but to reassert statements only acknowledges that previous statements, like this one, have been ineffective. No marks are awarded for repetition in Oxford exams and I am not going to give them any for repeating hopes, wishes and acknowledgements, with no resultant action.
This statement comes from the high echelons of academia, yet I can only conclude that the authors are either out of touch or unable to admit their part in the problem. Despite the influence these heads wield, they have offered no suggestions or ideas to create effective and meaningful change. This statement means nothing other than “we made a statement so we’ve done something, please stop shouting at us”. This is a failure to support the ignored and unheard.
It is time to see statements of performative justice not just as ineffective, but offensive. And all this anger from a privileged white girl. Imagine the anger and pain of those who feel the effects of this prejudice constantly.
Ginny Gough
Cambridge
• Concerning the letter by the heads of Oxford colleges, may we make three points. First, while education, open discussion, etc, are useful tools to tackle racism, they are never enough. As many reports have pointed out, economic inequality also plays a crucial role, and all attempts should be made to reduce its blatant forms. Second, racism does not begin at the age of 18. It starts much earlier and we need to mobilise pre-university institutions as well. Third, we hope the authors are not using the term black just to mean black members of our community but in the modern political sense of non-whites. While recent events in the US continue to reveal the egregious treatment of members of the black community, one should not forget the Chinese, the Indians, the Pakistanis and the Jews, among others, who too have been frequent victims of systemic racism.
Anant Parekh Department of Physiology, University of Oxford, Bhikhu Parekh Labour, House of Lords
• In the surreal times we are living through, the simple act of breathing has taken on a disturbing dual symbolism. On the one hand, we have seen the tireless efforts of NHS staff to help Covid-19 patients breathe, while on the other, we witness the horrific events in the United States where police officers have killed a black man by denying him the ability to breathe (Trump and Biden offer starkly different visions with nation at a crossroads, 2 June).
Covid-19 has disproportionately affected minority communities in both the UK and the US. The persistence of racial inequality in both countries should be yet another wake-up call to put adequate measures in place to deal with structural racism. The question is will either government really be committed to addressing this issue?
Dr Edie Friedman
Executive director, Jewish Council for Racial Equality
• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com
• Read more Guardian letters – click here to visit gu.com/letters
