
Call to tune into student radio BBC fast tracks senior managers Interview: Take cover, it’s “the comedy assassin” Not a laughing matter Government’s £3m ethnic agency account re-think ALICIA – musician on a mission Bhoothnath gets launched across social networking sites Zee Cine awards make a splash in London Rainbow Film Festival Summer of fun at the Drum, Birmingham Bollywood dance championships heat up Feb 2008 Archive Feb 2008 Archive Futures: What skills and attributes do employers want? Futures: A lucky break West Midlands Fire Service: Everyday hero Essex County Fire & Rescue Profiles	Help for “vulnerable working students” Ray Lewis – New kid on the block Dianne Abbott Bend it like Birmingham Dismissed staff could soon be blacklisted Student designs computer game for the blind Building a diverse workforce Faith in church networks Banking on success Making it in Law Feb 2008 News Feb 2008 Archive May 1st 2008: Use your Mayor’s Vote and defeat the far right New research into the bullying of lecturers Fresh blood needed Energy price rise hits students hard Scotland moves forward on hate crime Livingstone surveys issues affecting Muslim students Awards aim to be the Asian MOBOs Bollywood heartthrob joins hall of fame

A charter for black students’ Representation

BLACK STUDENTS - those of African, Arab, Asian and Caribbean heritage - are seriously under-represented throughout the student movement, on campus and nationally. The NUS Black Students’ Campaign is committed to winning proper representation as a means of empowering Black students to confront the racism and inequality we face. This charter sets out five key demands that we believe, if implemented, would be a significant step towards realising our collective goals.

- Dedicated Black Students’ representation. Elected by, and accountable to, black students at all levels in the student movement. We believe that there should be a Black Students’ Officer in every students’ union and self-organised black representation throughout NUS’ democratic structures.

- Proper representation of Black students throughout all unions and NUS. One in five students are black. This should be reflected in students’ union elected officers and on executive committees, delegations to NUS annual conference, regional and liberation campaign conferences, the NUS NEC and other NUS committees.

- Staff support for the NUS Black Students’ Campaign. For the NUS Black Students’ Campaign to be allocated dedicated staff support to meet the needs of Black students as is currently provided to some of the other liberation campaigns.

-Better support for Black clubs and societies. Black clubs and societies are the principle points of engagement for many black students with their union. They must be properly supported and funded on a par with other student clubs and societies.

All colleges and universities to fully implement the legal requirements of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act (RRAA) 2000.
This includes a duty to tackle racism by delivering on an up-to-date race equality policy and ensuring students have access to it.

Organising to win our demands
Black students have had to fight to secure the representation we deserve. The campaign for a full time NUS Black Students’ Officer took ten years in the face of fierce opposition. The problems of inadequate resources and support that we face in the NUS nationally are mirrored on our campuses locally. Only through strong and united campaigning can we really begin to make our voices heard.

The first step is to set up a Black Students’ network on your campus by bringing together African, Arab, Asian and Caribbean students as well as Black Christian, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and other Black international students and societies to work for our common demands.

For materials, information and support, get in touch with the NUS Black Students’ Campaign, Ruqayyah Collector,
ruqs@nus.org.uk, www.officeronline.co.uk/black