Experiences of Black Students at the University of Northampton

In recent years, considerable progress has been made to widen the participation of black students in UK higher education, in the past few months alone, the Covid-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement have shone a stark light on the racial inequalities that exist throughout all sections of UK society, including within higher education. Higher education (HE) has the potential to break intergenerational poverty by bringing about social mobility and justice. Thereby, transforming the lives of many from a disadvantaged background, the wider society and particularly the Black students who may face some level of prejudice. In this paper, the holistic experiences of students of African descent attending the University of Northampton have been explored. Findings reveal that substantial inequalities persist throughout their student lifecycle exposing systemic discrimination, broader political and social realities evident on the campus.