Part V - Reflections at the completion of the PhD journey

Summary

In the last four parts, we have seen the varied stories of Black scholars prior to and upon entering the academy. The chapters in this part are reflective accounts from researchers who have embarked on the PhD journey and arrived at the other end. Each contributor explores their trials, tribulations and celebrations of completing a PhD, and what the future holds for Black scholars beyond the PhD.

The stories of the Black PhD scholars are much larger than individual successes and challenges – they are shaped by the families and communities that came before them. Though Black scholars come from many different backgrounds, all share ancestral journeys impacted by a painful combination of slavery, colonialism and state violence. In spite, and indeed as a result, of this, Black heritage also involves resistance to these oppressions. Within Black British communities, there is a rich history, and ongoing resistance to oppression through creation of community- led education projects. Starting from the 1960s, members of the African- Caribbean community set up their own independent after- school programmes to support the learning of Black students, but also to centre Black culture, history and politics in their education. This movement, known as the Black Supplementary School programme, was a response to the inadequacies of the UK state education system in supporting Black students (Coard, 1971; Andrews, 2011). Julia's chapter explores how her family history is related to her PhD journey. The strength of her grandparents to settle in the UK and persist in a country that was explicitly hostile to them has manifested in new ways: Julia's access to spaces and knowledge that were previously inaccessible to her ancestors. More recent initiatives have also aimed to make knowledge and learning more accessible outside the traditional gatekeepers of education (Free Black University, Free Books Campaign).

As April- Louise explores in her chapter, the power exerted and gained through the PhD journey can be used to further support our communities and challenge systems that create these inequalities in the first place. However, while individual and group persistence can lead to some positive change, there are obvious limitations on being able to truly build equity in systems that are structurally anti- Black.