Focus 2024: Racism-critical university Working together for a university with less racism

What exactly is racism and what has it got to do with me? Is there racism at TU Braunschweig? And what is the difference between anti-racism and criticism of racism? Following the two focus years at TU Braunschweig, First Generation Students (2022) and queer@TU (2023), the “racism-critical university” will be in the spotlight for one year. The focus year is intended to send a strong signal in favour of diversity and against racism. We spoke to Jana Szeimies, head of the Diversity Coordination Office in the Equal Opportunities Office, about this.

Why was anti-racism chosen as this year’s focus and why is it so important for a university to address this issue?

Universities are generally seen as places of enlightenment and intercultural openness. But racism does not stop at universities. Racism is a phenomenon that affects society as a whole and is also structurally embedded in the university context.

The Racism Monitor 2022 shows that three quarters of the population have already come into contact with racism. Universities have a special role to play in dealing with racism because it is inscribed in the structures of universities and science.

What is the difference between anti-racism and criticism of racism? When do you use which word?

We chose the term “criticism of racism” for the focus year to make it clear that racism is more than the prejudices of individuals against certain groups. Racism is present and structurally embedded in universities and society. Racism divides people into different groups based on their skin colour, origin, language, religion or culture. This historically grown structure is centuries old and favours white people*. Today, structural racism can be seen, for example, in the labour market, in housing and throughout the education system.

In universities, it can be seen in the under-representation of BIPoC* (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) lecturers and researchers. Tackling this structural racism is a long process. It is therefore important for universities to position themselves in the discourse on racism and to challenge and counteract often unconscious racist structures and practices.

With the focus year, we want to raise awareness and educate people about how racism affects society and not just individuals, but also show that racism exists at TU Braunschweig. Our goal is to make our university less racist.

Where does racism occur at TU Braunschweig?

Students and staff at TU Braunschweig are also affected by racism and experience particular challenges and disadvantages, as can be seen in my counselling sessions. For example, we seem to have a problem with the N-word. It is therefore important that we also address racist language during the focus year in order to ensure a safe learning and living environment for students and staff.

What is the focus of the focus year?

Clearly on education. We want to raise awareness among all TU members and thus reduce racism. Because as long as people don’t deal with the issue of racism, don’t realise that racism exists and don’t deal with how racism works, nothing will change.

We have different projects and ideas that we want to do this year to create dialogue. We also have external support from anti-racism trainer Sabrina Rahimi. We want TU institutions and TU members to get involved, either through cooperation or joint events, or by taking up the issue internally; for example, institutions can use internal workshops with Sabrina Rahim to open up spaces for dialogue. There will also be an exhibition in the university library and we will be represented at the Diversity Days and also at the TUmorrow Days with the focus year.

What can we do as a university and where can TU members get involved?

Participation is important for long-term change. That’s why I’m asking you: Attend the Focus Year events and find out more. Use the Dictionary Against Racism, which we are making available in cooperation with the Fachhochschule Kiel. It offers easy-to-understand explanations of racist language and alternatives. Get involved in your organisation to raise awareness about racism. Get in touch with us to find out how you can work with us and how we can provide awareness-raising activities for specific audiences.

So there are events for people who are affected by racism as well as those who are positioned as white?

Exactly, we focus on two target groups: people affected by racism and people not affected by racism. We want to empower people who are affected. We want to give them space and amplify their voices. We don’t want to talk about them, we want to talk to them. We want to educate and dialogue with those who are not affected.

Who can people turn to if they are affected by racism?

In Braunschweig, for example, the city’s anti-discrimination centre. But there are also several centres here at TU Braunschweig. I also give advice myself, anonymously of course, and refer people to appropriate counselling services if necessary. The AStA’s Discrimination Alert is brand new.

What types of racism exist?

There are different types of racism that can occur at different levels. Firstly, there is the individual level: This is direct communication and interaction between people, for example in the form of emails that are insulting or threatening, or microaggressions. These are offensive or derogatory messages in everyday communication that another person sends, consciously or unconsciously, that relate to their group membership.

Then there is the institutional level, where racism is structurally embedded in regulations, laws or rules, and the ideological-discursive level, i.e. racism in ideas, language, images and the use of racist language and terms. Another form is group-specific racism. For example, people who are read as Muslims. This means that it is usually not about whether they are really Muslim, but about existing prejudices and assumptions that are made about this social group.

My request for this year: get involved, address the issue of racism and help us to make this university less racist.