The role and responsibilities of the position:
My role is to bring issues surrounding racism to campus and give people the chance to be positively involved in creating an anti-racism movement on campus. It is also dealing with accusations of racism that come up on campus.
Three qualities someone interested in this position should possess are:
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Passion
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Experience
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Thick skin!
The best part is:
The best part is being able to change people’s minds on issues and get new people involved in anti-racist campaigning.
It’s not all fun and games. The most challenging aspect is:
The most challenging is dealing with sensitive issues – for example complaints of racist abuse. That can be very challenging. It can also be difficult to get people involved in anti-racist campaigning in the first place as not all people immediately identify with its importance.
The most surprising part of the job is:
I was surprised about how much self-organisation was involved and how much it relies on the individual officer to define the role.
The advice I would give to someone thinking of standing:
Read about Race politics and speak to people who face different kinds of racism, and be honest about what you don’t know. It is a tough job but as long as you have a strong political position on racism you will really enjoy it!
Current Officer: Sherelle Davids