New LJMU Film On Tackling Unconscious Bias

Ahead of Black History Month and National Inclusion Week, a new LJMU film has been produced to highlight the issues of unconscious bias, intercultural competence and micro-aggressions.

Never Judge A Book By Its Cover has been created by the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion team as part of our efforts to create a culture of inclusivity where staff and students have a sense of belonging.

The film is voiced by a diverse group of staff, students and members of the local Liverpool community including BBC Radio Merseyside broadcaster, Jermaine Foster.

The video, now hosted on LJMU's Black Lives Matter website, states:

"Having an understanding of other cultures and working empathetically and flexibly helps us develop good working relationships. At LJMU, we see these qualities as essential to building successful teams and delivering great work."

EDI Manager Moni Akinsanya said:

“Unconscious bias, affinity bias, micro-aggression, micro-invalidation and white privilege are topical issues that marginalised communities constantly grapple with and are massive issues in present times. The challenge is that if you are not on the receiving end it would be difficult to understand and see the problem, which is why, to achieve real and visible culture change we need to talk about these things and call them out.

We definitely have to move away from saying, “are you sure it’s not just you thinking that way,” when our black and other minority students and staff speak about their frustrations about these things. We can all work together to make LJMU a place where everyone feels the sense of belonging. Martin Luther King (Jnr.) said, “in the end, we remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.”

We are asking staff and students to share the video on social media using the hashtag #LJMUNeverJudgeABook, to demonstrate their commitment to inclusion in and outside of the LJMU community. It could also be used as a discussion tool in staff and student teams on the subject of unconscious bias, intercultural competence and micro-aggressions.

To access the video please click on the link below:

LJMU offers all staff and students free workshops and online training on; unconscious bias, white privilege, micro-aggression, allyship, active bystanders and other issues around diversity and equality. Please visit the EDI website for more information.

Questions? If you would like to contact LJMU’s EDI Team, please email: equality@ljmu.ac.uk