Who is worthy of a place on these walls? Postgraduate students, UK universities, and institutional racism

Abstract

This commentary provides insights from a study with black and minority ethnic postgraduate students at London‐based universities. The study entailed focus groups, photovoice, and in‐depth interviews. Drawing on this data, and influenced by the work of Yuval‐Davis, it is argued that black and minority ethnic postgraduate students often feel “out of place” in British universities because they find themselves in spaces calibrated to maintain white supremacy. I conclude that, as geographers, we are potentially ideally placed to interrogate these spaces and counteract their perpetuation of racism. We should do so as part of a sustained and critical reflection of our own disciplinary structures and praxis. Geographers might therefore help to foster a higher education landscape where black and minority ethnic postgraduate students are not only more visibly present in British universities but also feel that they belong and can flourish in them.