As part of our the Decolonising the Curriculum project we are working on with the college, two of our Lead Reps, Thai Dunlevie (HND Visual Communication: Illustration) and Lauryn Kokovworho (NPA Access to Cyber Security and Software Development) attended the annual Black Leadership Group conference, held at Dynamic Earth this March. Here we present their blog about their experience at the conference, with some reflections on the journey ahead.
Between Fire and Restraint
The Tension Between Passion and Palatability in Anti-Racist Activism
By Thai Dunlevie
Where passion meets pragmatism—exploring the fine line between real change and controlled activism.
As a regular doom-scroller, I had somewhat expected my recent attendance to the BLG conference to be a sombre affair. With the rise of the far right feeling ever more imminent, you’d think a group whose primary focus is the eradication of racism would be feeling disheartened. But quite the opposite was true. Where I had anticipated tense shoulders and solemn stares, I was met with confidence and joviality, joy and compassion. People spoke with conviction and power. Yes, I saw fear and pain, but most profoundly, I saw strength.
Far too often, as dangerous ideologies take root, the response has been to make languid gestures of resistance. To be among people seeking real change—discussing not just why but how to dismantle systemic racism—was refreshing.
The key focus of this conference was eradicating racism and cutting off its spread from generation to generation. I attended in Edinburgh but the event took place across the UK, with venues in Cardiff, Belfast, Birmingham and London, all virtually linked together by Google.
It was a great opportunity to learn what I can do to be a better ally—when and how to leverage my white privilege to better advocate and give strength to Black voices. A major takeaway for me was that allyship is not a passive identity; it is something earned through action. However, I also need to be aware of the space I take up—to not be driven by ego and to step aside when necessary so others can be heard.
Lauryn Kokovworho, a fellow student representative at Edinburgh College, attended the conference with high hopes, yet left with mixed emotions.
"When I was first offered the chance to attend the BLG conference as a lead rep, I, a Black teen, was excited to see all the examples of people like me having important roles," she reflected. "But after the last couple of talks, I was slightly disappointed. Not only because of the lack of Black people attending the event, but also because of the almost contradictory message I was left with."
Her words mirrored my own internal conflict. The conference was filled with powerful, passionate voices, but something was missing—a clear, actionable path forward.
Fire, Fury, and the Need for More than Just Words
A particular highlight was the keynote address by Professor David Olusoga. His articulation of the history of British racism provided powerful context for his modern comparisons. By weaving personal anecdotes with tactful humor, he delivered one of the most memorable presentations of the event. He spoke about how being anti-racist often puts one on the defensive—defending Black rights rather than attacking racism itself. Instead, he urged us to question and interrogate racism, to force people to justify their racist beliefs—or, as he put it, to “go for the throat.” Passive indignance and quiet support are not enough. Now is the time to be loud in Black advocacy and even louder in our attacks on racism.
At times, however, the fires of change seemed somewhat tempered. The speakers became more rigid, and what we consumed took on a plastic quality—pre-approved, authoritative, and oddly detached. During the lunch break, I had time to reflect on this and found myself staring down at my Google-branded lanyard, the main sponsor of the event.
Google had a panel of speakers, each speaking proudly about the company’s anti-racism initiatives. On the surface, it all sounded commendable. But I couldn’t help but think back to their CEO, Sundar Pichai, standing proudly at the inauguration of Donald J. Trump—the man now leading the charge against DEI rollbacks. Though American policy was a major topic of conversation among my colleagues, the letters “DEI” never so much as parted the lips of our American correspondents. It felt as though we were allowed to resist, but within reason. Allowed to be passionate, but not angry. Allowed to demand change, but urged to be patient.
Many of the speakers emphasized cooperation, using more inclusive language to bring in support from outside the Black community—an approach I largely agreed with. And yet, it left me with a feeling I couldn’t quite place. For every spark, there seemed to be an anxious extinguisher at the ready. Can we really placate racism with simple kindness? Maybe I’m just a pessimist, but having faced down EDL protests and witnessed the indignant rage of racism firsthand, I feel my anger is not only warranted but necessary.
Lauryn, too, felt this tension between inspiration and limitation.
“They left me inspired, they left us fired up, but with no outlet to follow it, no genuine direction," she said. "We were all there, sat with one another, but we were just sent off with a: ‘but that’s all we’re doing for now, but maybe next year”
Institutional Change or Institutional Stagnation?
So what is Edinburgh College doing to tackle anti-racism? This year, the college is implementing a 10-point action plan focused on "decolonizing the curriculum." This includes making changes to staffing through inclusive recruitment practices, improving the college's engagement with diverse communities, and having student representatives, like myself and Lauryn, facilitate discourse and drive conversations about racism.
However, there are still serious shortcomings. Roughly 13% of our students identify as Black or coming from an ethnic minority, yet that number drops to around 4% for our staff—and a disappointing 0% on our board. Without top-down representation, our action plans and roadmaps risk having the same plastic taste as some of the speakers. If we want our promises and plans to hold weight, they need to be made by people with lived experiences—people whose voices should be heard louder. If we want to make meaningful change in tackling racism, we need to start by removing the barriers preventing diverse representation at the highest levels of decision-making.
Lauryn put it simply
"Something about how I felt at the event still weighs on me... I did try to leave with a good take from the whole event, but I wonder, how many more events have to happen until it’s more mainstream? Until we actually have somewhere to go with this passion?"
The Road Ahead
Despite my criticisms, I found the experience overwhelmingly positive. The people I met, the powerful speeches I heard, and the difficult conversations I had were all deeply thought-provoking. Perhaps that’s why I’ve been so critical—it did so much right that I simply wanted more. The limitations of corporate oversight on activism felt all too apparent. Or maybe my inexperience is showing? I have the benefit and passions of youth, but many of these people have been fighting racism longer than I’ve been alive. Maybe they can see what I cannot—that a more placid, pragmatic approach is what will really secure success.
When taking on the momentous task of eradicating racism, it’s difficult to know what role each of us plays in the fight. The Black Leadership Group is creating the spaces to have difficult conversations, facilitating the discussions we need if we are to have any hope of defeating racism. I don’t know what the fight will look like in the future, nor what we will face. But I do know this: if groups like BLG continue to foster discourse and bring hope, we have a much better chance of ending racism.