Writer, publisher, and literary activist Dr Kadija George is among a handful of people to have initiated a petition to save the MA in Black British Literature, a unique programme under threat at Goldsmiths University amid a swathe of funding cuts at the institution. Dr George, a 2022 honorary fellow at the university, voiced her concerns via a Change.org petition, underlining the critical nature of the programme in the landscape of British education and its role in decolonising the curriculum. She spoke to How To Be Books about the importance of the course.

Advocacy in action: Kadija George’s efforts to preserve Black British literature at Goldsmiths

“We understand that the MA in Black British Literature programme is under threat due to the extent of the cuts the College is imposing across 11 departments, including reducing the English Department to half of its capacity,” Dr George wrote on the petition page. “We are deeply concerned that this will include removing the MA in Black British Literature and we call on you to confirm that it will remain as a taught degree at Goldsmiths College.”

Dr George stressed the course’s unique position as the only one of its kind globally, known for its commitment to racial justice and decolonisation. “It remains the only taught degree in the world of this kind and during its nine years, has received accolades including the Students Union Teaching Award (2018) for ‘Compelling and Diverse Curriculum Content’,” she stated.

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The petition underscores the necessity of maintaining such a syllabus, especially in the context of historical neglect of black curriculum and pedagogy. Dr George advocates for the protection of the MA, suggesting that it should not be subjected to the same funding formulas as other programmes. Repair, restoration and restitution on account of past exclusionary practices are the very essence of decoloniality and therefore, the task of decolonising both the curriculum and the institution,” she noted.

She called on the retention of its award-winning staff, pointing out that as a result of the study, internships were offered by leading publisher Hachette. Former students have become award-winning writers such as Liv Little and Kandace Siobhan Walker.

Crisis in higher education: funding cuts threaten courses like the MA in Black British Literature

In an exclusive interview with How To Be Books, Dr George discussed the broader implications of the MA’s potential closure. She revealed that the programme had been under threat before, and the current crisis is part of an ongoing struggle to maintain its existence amid broader cuts in the university sector.

“This is not the first time it has been under threat and this is not the first time you see us fighting for this,” Dr George explained. She clarified the preemptive nature of their actions to save the masters course: “We’re trying to go in before they make this final decision to say, ‘before you make your final decision, you need to consider that this still has to be one of the courses there.’ It’s preventative.”

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Dr George also addressed the potential consequences of removing such a programme, pointing out the broader impact on the decolonisation of the curriculum, a critical issue even before movements like Black Lives Matter brought it into the spotlight. “Even before Black Lives Matter, we’ve been, some of us have been really concerned about the academics and people who are in the literary field and around the decolonisation of the curriculum,” she stated, showcasing the course’s role in leading other organisations in addressing these issues.

The funding crisis at Goldsmiths is not an isolated issue, as Dr George notes. It reflects broader systemic challenges within UK higher education funding and the undervaluation of creative disciplines. “Goldsmiths have been built on the creative side, so of course it’s not going to be a favourite of the government,” she remarked, critiquing the lack of support for the arts despite their substantial economic contribution.

Lack of marketing power behind marginalised courses

When asked whether courses surrounding Black history and literature were being unfairly targeted, the SABLE LitMag publisher said: “Definitely, that is also one of the things because there hasn’t been, as far as I know, there’s hardly been from what I’ve seen any money promoting it”. She questioned whether there had been an adequate strategy to promote the course, saying, “It should have been a minimum ten years strategy promotion that they had because these things take time to build and they know that.”

Watch the interview: Wolfson Prize nominee Professor Hakim Adi on redundancy and recognition

This sentiment was also echoed by Professor Hakim Adi, a fellow academic who, despite being shortlisted for the prestigious Wolfson History Prize, was made redundant a week before his award in 2023. Professor Adi, the first British historian and scholar specialising in African affairs, taught an MA course on the history of Africa and the African diaspora at the University of Chichester. He told us at the time: “Does the government fund higher education sufficiently? Then no, the answer is certainly no.

“Does the government, and leading politicians put pressure on universities to only teach certain types of courses and say that only certain types of courses are of any value? Yes, it does do that,” he added.

Dr George reiterated that these courses were “not just for students of African and Asian descent. This is for everybody.” She highlighted a key point regarding the Black Lives Matter movement: “This was not just a one-off event. This is long-term.”

Consulting with unions: Goldsmiths responds to petition

Responding to the petition, a spokesperson from Goldsmiths told How To Be Books that it was “proud” to have introduced both the MA in Black British Literature and Queer History. They continued: “We are consulting on proposals with the union to deal with the unprecedented challenges that Goldsmiths and other universities are facing from a funding system that is no longer fit for purpose.

“The proposals are part of a wider plan aimed at ensuring that Goldsmiths continues to be a beacon for radical research and innovative teaching as well as an entry point for students who are the first in their family to go to university.

“We’re proud to have widened scholastic learning with the introduction of the MAs in Black British Literature and Queer History and are committed to both protecting and enhancing arts and humanities subjects in the best way we can,” they added.

Find the petition here and support the cause.

UPDATED: Goldsmiths University statement has been added to the article on April 24th, 2024.