Scenario:

Melinda is a BIPOC academic senior member of staff in a department and was invited to attend a meeting at another campus. She was new to the meeting only having ever attended one previously so was not familiar with all the senior people in the room which consisted of Deans, Program and Course leaders who all knew each other.

“Out of approximately 11 senior staff members Melinda was one of three other black people at the meeting.”

Out of approximately 11 senior staff members Melinda was one of three other black people at the meeting. Out of the other black staff members, one was a PA and therefore was not there to offer an opinion the other black staff member works in support services.

“The premise of the meeting was to discuss race-related issues so Melinda was particularly well-placed to offer a perspective on issues within the University from a Black queer disabled perspective.”

The premise of the meeting was to discuss race-related issues so Melinda was particularly well-placed to offer a perspective on issues within the University from a Black queer disabled perspective. Melinda was used to being othered in meeting spaces that are attended by primarily white senior staff members and considered it her duty as representation is so minimal in particular spaces on campus to assert herself around issues in which she could comment from both a professional and lived experience vantage point. She was asked to consider, along with all attendees, any questions that they wished to pose to a white male in charge of a new building being built. Melinda is also a student at the University and has a strong sense that it is important to use meetings like this to alert senior management and others to experiences that are happening on their campuses.

“… the outcome as the message she received was that the questions she posed, which seemed perfectly credible, was somehow irrational.”

However, Melinda’s experiences were not received in the way she had hoped and she was deeply disappointed with the outcome as the message she received was that the questions she posed, which seemed perfectly credible, was somehow irrational. This part of the meeting had been supposedly scheduled for attendees to find out about the development of the new build and to ask any questions. Melinda politely waited to speak and asked if the teaching spaces will be open plan? She explained her rationale; Melinda is dyslexic and had experienced difficulties in the past attending seminars in open planned teaching spaces as it is virtually impossible for her to concentrate in such spaces due the noise levels of people working beyond those spaces. In one open planned room, Melinda had struggled to hear what her tutor was saying and when she pointed this out her tutor responded by saying sorry there is nothing I can do about this as no other rooms are available. Left with no choice Melinda brought this up at the meeting in the hope that the new building would contain essential quiet spaces for working. However, when she mentioned that she had difficulty in this area and needed quiet to concentrate, a senior member of staff scoffing arrogantly and defensively said that it is not possible to have total silence ignoring the fact that open planned spaces can be exceptionally noisy.

“There was a side conversation between a couple of attendees accompanied by some laughing as though what had been said was somehow absurd. This made Melissa sad and she felt humiliated.”

There was a side conversation between a couple of attendees accompanied by some laughing as though what had been said was somehow absurd.

“… it was as if at least 4 attendees felt it was acceptable to respond by mocking the question. It was apparent that some of the attendees had scant regard for the concept of intersectionality and furthermore the topic of the meeting which was race equality.”

This made Melissa sad and she felt humiliated. New to the meeting and space it was as if at least 4 attendees felt it was acceptable to respond by mocking the question. It was apparent that some of the attendees had scant regard for the concept of intersectionality and furthermore the topic of the meeting which was race equality. The question was immediately dismissed and Melissa felt that the meeting and indeed the space was hostile, uncomfortable and not welcoming – perhaps because Melissa was not regarded as a senior member of staff on this particular campus. Luckily there was a person in the room that Melissa considered an ally who attempted to bring the focus back to Melissa’s original question. As a senior white member of staff she deliberately cited Melissa instantly framing the question because she was instantly in tune to what was going on and could see the dynamics in the room based on her many years of activism around the subject of race.