REACH Students

• According to the most recent figures from DfE, the proportion of school pupils in England of white ethnicity who progress to HE by age 19 (41.8 per cent) is exceeded by the corresponding proportions of school pupils of Asian (68.4 per cent), Black (62.4 per cent) and mixed (51.8 per cent) ethnicity (Wonkhe, 2025). This statistic shows that the progression for many REACH students from Further Education to Higher Education is positive. It reinforces the need for ongoing, individualised support to ensure students can continue to thrive in higher education.
• Of academic staff with known ethnicity, 22% were from ethnic minority backgrounds in 2022/23. This has increased from 16% in 2017/18. Of the 22,345 professors with known ethnicity, 2,865 or 13% were from ethnic minority backgrounds. From 2021/22 to 2022/23 there was an increase of 40 Black professors (HESA, 2024). Students have stated the importance of seeing themselves represented among their educators, making this a positive step forward for student experience and inclusion.
• Racism at University – 24% of students from ethnic minority backgrounds have experienced racial harassment since starting their course. The figures were highest for Black students (29%) and Asian students (27%) 20% of students had been physically attacked. 56% of students who had been racially harassed had experienced racist name-calling, insults and jokes (Tackling Racism in Higher Education; EHRC 2019)
• Why is My Curriculum White? – We must consider the content of our courses, how it is taught and who is teaching us. REACH students are under-represented by our curricula, with our histories and ancestral narratives omitted from mainstream discourse. We are also under-represented in academic – 92.39% of professors in UK academia are White (Aiming Higher Report, 2015).
• The government’s own figures show serious disparities in academic awarding, with only 56 per cent of black students achieving a First of 2:1, compared to 80 per cent of their white peers (Gov.UK, 2022)
• Individuals identifying as a minority status are more likely to experience feelings of social isolation, prejudice, and discrimination...the effects of minority status have been reported to negatively impact mental health, leading to an increased perceived stress score and depressive symptoms. These two factors are known to contribute to earning potential and academic progression (Bridging the BAME attainment gap, 2022)
• Disproportionate representation of ethnic minorities in academic roles has previously been described as hindering the ability of BAME students to envisage careers in related fields and is a source of demotivation (Bridging the BAME attainment gap, 2022)

Join the REACH Network for a safe space to socialise, share experiences and discuss issues with likeminded people, make real change and gain CV boosting skills through organising campaigns, events and social activities.

Explore all the societies we have to offer at the Liverpool Guild by visiting: https://www.liverpoolguild.org/groups.
You can even filter the page by category to easily find the societies that match your interests, such as our Celebrating Culture groups.

Every year we celebrate Black History Month, as part of our wider More Than a Month campaign, acknowledging and celebrating the beauty and power of black culture and history. To move beyond our colonial past of Black erasure and move towards validating Black stories. Using Black History Month to ensure Black narratives, individuals, histories, presents and futures are brought to the forefront of the conversation all year round. 

The Guild hosts a variety of events and activities for students to get involved in. In previous years, this has included Black History Month book discussions and a discussion hosted by Oge Obioha, co-founder of Minds of People of Colour

If you have any ideas about how we can recognise Black History Month this year, we’d love to hear from you — please get in touch!
Liberation inbox - liberation@liverpool.ac.uk
 

REACH student-led and focussed campaign wins include:

• More Than a Month – this initiative began in 2021, to ensure the Guild’s work celebrates and centres different voices all year round, not just during History Months. This helps us represent all our members and address intersectionality in our work.
• Renaming Gladstone Halls – a campaign took place to change the name of a halls of residence, formerly known as Gladstone. This was renamed to recognise a racial equality campaigner and the driving force behind Liverpool’s International Slavery Museum, Dorothy Kuya.
• Race Equality Work – The Officers have committed to listening to our diverse student body and taking important steps towards racial equality. This includes contributing to the University's Equality and Human Rights Commission, working with the Uni on their Race Equality Charter, explore areas of decolonisation work, curriculum mapping and creating a race equality section of the Uni’s Citizenship module.

1. I May Destroy You

2. Top Boy

3. Lady Parts

4. Man Like Mobeen

5. In the Long Run

6. Dear White People

7. Trinkets

8. When They See Us

9. Black-ish

10. Sex Education

11. Chewing Gum

12. Atlanta

13. Intelligence

14. Kim’s Convenience

15. Awkwafina is Nora From Queens

16. The Mindy Project

17. Starstruck

18.Citizen Kahn

1. Hidden Figures

2. Coded Bias

3. Black Panther

4. The Farewell

5. 13th

6. Widows

7. Selma

8. Precious

9. Minari

10. Moonlight

11. Get Out

12. Parasite

13. Queen of Katwe

14. Crazy Rich Asians

15. Blakkklansman

16. Spirited Away

17. Starstruck

18.Slumdog Millionaire

19.Shang Chi

20. The Pursuit of Happyness

21. Two Distant Strangers

22. Judas and The Black Messiah

1. Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

2. The Girl with a Louding Voice by Abi Dare

3. Love in Color: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold Book by Bolu Babalola

4. All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

5. Black and British: A Forgotten History by David Olusoga

6. Misfits: A Personal Manifesto by Michaela Cole

7. Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire by Akala

8. The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

9. Girl, Women, Other by Bernadine Evaristo

10. Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo

11. Don’t Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri

12. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

13. The Colour Purple by Alice Walker

14. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

15. Butterfly Fish

16. Born a crime

17. Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

18. Women’s Liberation and the African Struggle

• UK Black Pride - UK Black Pride - is an organisation that advocates, fights for, supports and celebrates LGBTQ people of colour. Although 2020’s Black Pride event had to be cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, 2021’s Black Pride is going ahead, so your donations will help to fund this and other events (both digital and physical) as well as supporting community outrush and hardship funds. DONATE — UKBP (ukblackpride.org.uk)
• Discrimination Law Association -  “The DLA is a non-profit network that brings together a broad range of discrimination law practitioners, policy experts, academics, and concerned individuals and organisations, all united around a commitment to strengthening anti-discrimination law, practice, advice and education in the UK. Who we are | Discrimination Law Association
• Access UK - (African Caribbean Careers & Employment Support Services UK), is a BME careers solutions specialist. A charity/social enterprise that offers end to end, bespoke IAG services for young BME (Black Minority Ethnic) beneficiaries. Our culturally competent and community-based services centres around improving outcomes within the three E's of EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT & ENTERPRISE. “https://www.accessuk.org/

• Guild Advice Free, independent, non-judgemental advice on a range of topics including academic issues, wellbeing, accommodation, and university life:
• University of Liverpool Money Advice and Guidance Guidance Part of the University’s Student Services offering money managing advice, on things like loans, financial support for carers, emergency short term loans and support schemes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic such as quarantine cost support.