By Oba Agboola
One of our primary objectives this year as the Athletic Union executive is to make the AU a more inclusive and representative organisation, reflecting the diversity of LSE’s student body. We wanted to form a deeper understanding of the experiences of some of the people. The central purpose of this article is not to champion our own initiatives, nor is it to critique past executive committees. Black History Month is not only about celebrating Black history, but it is also about acknowledging the varied Black experiences in the societies in which we live. Through a series of interviews with Black members of the AU, we have started the process of interrogating what an ‘AU for All’ really means in practice.
I want to start off by emphasising that there is not one homogenous perception of the AU, that can be attributed to all of its Black members. In conducting our interviews, we identified a few common trends, but we were also struck by the breadth of our interviewees’ experiences.
The drinking and general ‘party’ culture of the AU cannot be shied away from. Wednesday nights, or sports nights as they are frequently referred to internally, often revolve around clubbing and the inter-club socials that precede them. These often take place at bars, pubs and other similar venues. The “relentless” and “purposeless” nature of these events have led to feelings of isolation and disillusionment amongst a number of Black students. A social scene that “revolves around the consumption of alcohol, and in some instances, drugs”, falls foul of many of the cultural and religious values that have been instilled in the Black students we interviewed.
An interviewee described Rugby and Netball as “wild” and cited a “laddish culture fuelled by sex, drugs and alcohol” as one of the primary reasons for their perceived alienation. Peter, a third-year member of football, labelled this culture “shocking” and spoke of rampant peer pressure throughout Men’s Football specifically. Peter told us that this pressure to drink left him feeling that he wasn’t truly “one of them”, and was instead the “odd one out”. He revealed that when he first joined the AU, he found the environment “scary, daunting and felt a pressure to conform”. To combat feelings of isolation, Peter resulted to “assimilation and tone switching”. Whilst none of our interviewees said that they have experienced blatant racism in the AU, micro-aggressions like “hair-touching” are still prevalent.
Another one of the recurring themes of our interviews was the apparent disconnect between the Athletics Union and the African and Caribbean Society (ACS) the explanations for which were diverse. Two of our interviewees, who preferred to remain anonymous, both cited the “cliquey” nature of the ACS as a potential barrier to entry into the AU. Peter suggested that at times there is a “victimisation mentality” in the ACS towards the AU, which puts people off joining before getting to know what it is like. One of the reasons for this is a lack of representation, or at the very least a perceived lack of representation.
Despite the notable shortfalls that came to light, following our discussions, we also learnt that the AU can be a positive place for Black people in the LSE community. One of the people we interviewed spoke of the fond memories they have of their social interactions within the AU, highlighting the discipline and motivation that can come from playing sports. By the same token, Peter remarked that even though he has faced challenges, he has grown significantly as a person during his time in the AU. His “interpersonal skills have developed and [he] has transformed into one of the leaders of the Men’s Football 1st team”. Peter also cited the importance of being exposed to a variety of people and multiple perspectives as one of the reasons why he has valued his time in the AU overall. He hopes to play a leading role in bridging the gap between the ACS and the AU this year.
The purpose of this article was to highlight the Black experience within the AU. However, as an executive, we recognise the importance of addressing the issues raised over the course of our interviews. In recognition of the need for a more inclusive social scene and increased Black participation, we have set up a working group with members of the ACS to better gauge their opinion throughout the year. Moreover, on 19 October, the ACS is being given creative licence over our club night at Sway in a further attempt to boost black engagement.
We are proud of our “AU for All” slogan, but the ball is now in the executive’s court to prove that this is really the case.
