Here’s what I’m up to at the moment!
Liberation Officer Chimdi Igwe explains what he's been doing
It’s rather tricky to run for a position that isn’t well defined – earlier this year, while campaigning for the role of BME Officer, more often than not I’d have to explain what the whole acronym meant (for those of you who still don’t know, that’s Black and Minority Ethnic); even then I’d have to try to explain what this role is meant to be.
Now, the observant amongst you smart Imperial students might have noticed that the general campus flavour is somewhat comparable to Becky’s ‘roast chicken’. That isn’t at all reflective of global excellence, and, as such, the views of students from ethnic minorities can often be overshadowed. As a Liberation Officer, my primary role is to ensure those underrepresented at Imperial are heard equally; that their concerns are put to the Union as equally as those from any other part of the world – whether it be dealing with poorly named events (side-eye to slave auctions) or occasionally switching the music up in Metric.
First on the agenda: Black History Month. Seeing as 2017 marks 30 years of its establishment, I, along with the African Caribbean Society (ACS), Imperial As One (the staff BME network), and the Union, have been planning numerous events on campus.
Every Wednesday this month the QTR and SCR have prepared a dish inspired by black cultures around the world (you’ve still got a week to try them out – get you some spice in your life); we’ve hosted the award-winning rapper and activist Akala speaking here at Imperial; and yesterday ACS hosted another talk on the history of pre-slave trade Africa. There’s also the College Black History Lecture to look forward to next Friday.
Of course, my focus up till now has around black students, but that’s not the totality of my liberation zone: each culture here at Imperial is unique and deserves to be showcased and celebrated – it’s my aim to facilitate that.
