Beyond Diversity: Anti-racist pedagogy in British History Departments

The Royal Historical Society’s 2018 Race, Ethnicity & Equality in UK History: A Report and Resource for Change is one of the most recent reports to raise the alarm on the prevalence of racism and negative experiences of students and staff of colour in Higher Education Institutions in the UK. The report highlights the urgency of this issue especially within the field of History, along with a series of recommendations, borrowing from studies from across the sector and outside of academia. In this Viewpoint, the report’s proposals to address the negative university experience for and unequal awarding of degrees to students of colour is discussed, particularly those proposals directly related to teaching practice. Despite the focus on the content of the curriculum and perhaps the attitudes of those who teach, it is argued that racial equality will only be achieved if we are willing to change the very structure and pedagogy of our classrooms, adopting critical and engaged anti-racist pedagogical practice. That is to say, we must take seriously efforts to decolonise the institution, not just diversify it.