Joint JCR and MCR Statement
The recent murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor are devastating instances of the shameful brutality and cruelty inflicted upon black members of our society on a daily basis. The Corpus JCR and MCR are categorically opposed to all forms of discrimination against the BAME community and other minority groups, but the extent and extreme nature of the violence suffered by the black community warrants a specific statement against anti-black racism.
It is 2020 and systemic anti-black racism still remains deeply embedded in society and continues to grow as a consequence of inaction. Our own institution still needs to make greater strides in critically reflecting upon and remedying the violence black students face every day, from the commemoration of colonial figures to the micro aggressions plaguing any sense of welcome or belonging. To stay quiet is to be complicit, and that should not be tolerated.
At Corpus, we stand in deep solidarity with our black community members. We strive to make the JCR and MCR not just an inclusive space but a second home for them. Our university and our college needs to be a force for change. As members, we have a responsibility to learn, reflect and consequently take action in a way that works to dismantle systems of oppression. Donate, sign petitions, protest, read and listen. Recognise the pain inflicted upon our black peers as they navigate the same systems that endow the rest of us with privilege. Educate others, and encourage them to do the same, so that they may raise awareness of the pervasiveness of anti-blackness in our society. We cannot stop until we rid our societies of racism.
Corpus plans to fight racism and racial inequality through training, education and expansion of its outreach and access programme. We hope every member of our JCR and MCR will be part of this project and actively contribute to foster a better environment for black students at Oxford in the future.
Below are some links to petitions and donations pages, as well as information about the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
Link: BLM_Resources_2020_06_09