Making space for Black voices in higher education

There’s no shortage of conversations about equality, diversity and inclusion in higher education. While it’s common to hear about new institutional strategies, commitments and evolving terminology, we’re repeatedly hearing from the spaces where Black scholars speak openly that their experience of the sector is not shifting at the same pace.

At “Holding the Space: Shining a Light on Black Academics 2026”, a conference I founded to centre Black scholarship, lived experience and practice, more than 100 academics, researchers and professional services colleagues came together from across the UK and beyond. Over the course of the impactful day, we identified a set of patterns – not new, but clearly articulated, collectively recognised and very difficult to ignore.

What we heard is rarely said this openly, collectively or with this level of clarity about what needs to change. This is not simply a pipeline and blanket representation issue.

• Black leadership programmes support wider efforts to close HE attainment
• Culturally sensitive support for Black international students
• Celebrate Black History Year and tackle racial inequality all year long

Despite increasing diversity among students, representation narrows sharply at senior levels. Only about 1 per cent of professors in the UK are Black, and progression remains uneven. For instance, roughly one in 33 Black academics reach professorial level compared with one in nine of their white colleagues.

Let’s be clear: these results are structured outcomes, not neutral patterns.

Delegates spoke about the uneven distribution of research time and funding, unclear and often opaque promotion pathways, and the concentration of Black academics in teaching-intensive roles, where progression is structurally harder to achieve.

As one speaker said, progression can feel “unclear, inconsistent and isolating”, particularly where the formal criteria for advancement do not align with the work many are expected to take on.

We also pinpointed a familiar tension in our discussions: being highly visible for race equality and EDI work, expected to lead, represent and support – while remaining less visible when it comes to recognition, advancement and decision-making.

We also talked about the forms of labour that are “invisible” or not recognised within promotion criteria, despite being essential to the functioning of departments and institutions.

In this context, what is often framed as additional responsibility begins to take on a different meaning.

Across sessions, some presenters described being drawn into work that they know is important, such as mentoring, equity initiatives, committee roles, teaching beyond specialism – but it’s not always valued or rewarded in ways that support progression. As one contributor described it, this can feel like giving “love, care and energy” to the institution, without necessarily receiving that investment back.

What we felt was that this is not a question of workload. Instead, it’s a question of alignment, between what is asked of Black academics, what is recognised by institutions and what is required to progress.

Set against this is a stark national picture. Black academics remain significantly underrepresented at senior levels. Increasing numbers are leaving the sector for opportunities beyond it.

The weathering effects of inequality

Alongside this sits a dimension that is less visible, but no less significant: the cumulative toll.

Across sessions, participants reflected on the emotional and physical impact of academic life including racial trauma, fatigue and what scholars describe as “weathering”: the long-term effects of sustained stress within inequitable environments. 

But alongside these challenges, there was a strong emphasis on strategy, agency and possibility. Participants spoke about the importance of being intentional in navigating academic careers, knowing when to say yes, when to set boundaries and how to align work with long-term goals. Others reflected on the need to distinguish between extractive forms of labour and those that are generative.

And yet, this is only part of the story.

A rare kind of space

Delegates described the experience of being in a space where they felt intellectually engaged, professionally affirmed and personally restored. They reflected on the value of being in a room where their work was taken seriously, where lived experience was recognised as a source of knowledge and where conversations could move beyond surface-level engagement.

In higher education, spaces like this are still rare – and that should give the sector pause.

This is not exceptional provision. It should be the baseline condition for meaningful academic work: the ability to contribute, to be recognised and to engage without constant negotiation.

The fact that this still feels unusual points to a deeper issue – higher education does not lack frameworks for equity, it lacks consistency in how they are enacted.

Much of the current approach remains fragmented with time-limited, under-resourced initiatives, or ones that are dependent on individual champions rather than embedded structurally. In this context, progress is uneven and difficult to sustain long term. 

One notable exception is my university’s Black History Year, which was one of the sponsors of Holding the Space – a programme that offers a year-round institutional structure for centring Black histories and achievements. This includes events, programmes, retreats, and opportunities for both staff and students. The rarity of such provisions highlights a broader issue: while universities may have EDI commitments, few have sustained structures to support the development and progression of Black academics.

These discussions weren’t calling for more statements – they were calling for system-level change, including clearer and more transparent pathways for progression, recognition of the full range of academic labour and a redistribution of responsibility for equity work so that it does not fall disproportionately on those most affected by inequality.

It also includes a shift in how knowledge itself is critically understood and valued.

Across the conference, there was a strong emphasis on recognising lived experience, community knowledge and culturally grounded approaches as legitimate and necessary forms of scholarship and reshaping what counts as knowledge within the academy.

This matters beyond the sector.

When certain perspectives are consistently marginalised, the consequences extend into the research being done, the policies that are informed by it and the systems that are built on its foundations. It also has implications for pedagogy, curriculum design and student experience. 

What is at stake, then, is not only representation, but the quality and relevance of knowledge itself.

These themes are not confined to a single event. Through wider work with academic networks, including Global Ethnic Majority Women in Academia (GEMWA), similar patterns continue to surface, pointing to the need for sustained, collective responses across the sector.

In response to what was shared, Holding the Space is evolving beyond a single conference into a broader platform. This includes a praxis series across institutions, a podcast extending these conversations and a growing community designed to sustain collaboration and exchange.

There is a wider lesson here: one-off events can create momentum. But sustained change requires infrastructure. We need to show spaces like this are not supplementary – they are necessary.

So we have to ask – is the sector prepared to invest in and work alongside initiatives like Holding the Space, to bring scholarship, experience and community into closer alignment?

Support the next phase of Holding the Space: join the community, partner with us or register your interest through our form.