The Persona Behind The PhD

"Knowledge is power, and when it is in the hands of the disenfranchised, it’s really potent stuff - the stuff that change is made of."

For Janine Bradbury, the future is full of promise. Outspoken and passionate in equal measure, she has been recognised as an Emerging Scholar by the Runnymede Trust. Yet, it was not always this way. Growing up in Britain as a child of mixed heritage from a working class family, Janine Bradbury was no stranger to standing her ground and battling prejudice.

In Part 2 of this 3-part interview, we journey into her past, exploring the forces that have shaped her world-view.

And so the conversation continues …

Yaaya:

Going back to your Guardian article, you talked about enduring years of racist abuse as a child. How have these challenges shaped you as a young black woman?

Janine B:

I sense on occasion, that people feel awkward because I’m so interested in issues of race, ethnicity and diversity – but actually, it’s a small group of people who constantly reminded me of my difference, skin colour and hair texture from as young as I can remember, that we really have to thank for the contribution I’m making! I think what struck me is that I was always picked on for being Asian (my father’s white and my mother’s Afro-Caribbean), and I was always amazed by how poorly educated racists are. And so my knowledge of geography, history and culture became a way (in which) I could disarm them.

Of course, as an adult, I know the situation is much more complex and intersectional than that, and that the people who were so vocally racist in my youth were every bit as disempowered and vulnerable as I was. Experiencing racism at such a young age and so persistently, meant that I really wanted to learn more about how others deal with it – white people, black people – all people. Racism is not my problem, but ‘our’ problem; it’s affecting lots of people in devastating ways. And that’s ultimately what I’m doing when I’m reading a novel or analyzing a text – I’m asking (myself) ‘how did racism affect you, and how do you cope?’

Yaaya:

Unlike some of your peers, you have had the benefit of a different experience – studying for one year in the United States. What was that experience like?

Janine B:

Studying abroad in the US was undoubtedly a pivotal experience for me, professionally and personally. I’d always wanted to live in the US. A lot of my mum’s friends and family emigrated to the US in the late 1970s and early 1980s. I knew a lot about American popular culture. So I applied for an American Studies degree and when the time came, applied to The University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill, for my year abroad. I picked UNC Chapel Hill because its location and expertise were an ideal match for my academic interest in civil rights, slavery and southern culture (and because I heard that Dawson’s Creek had been filmed in nearby Wilmington). Chapel Hill itself looks just like something off the television. They have top sports teams, a big football stadium, and amazing libraries. I happened to meet the most diverse group of friends I could have wished for, who really helped me settle in. It was a bit of a culture shock moving there and back, but I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Yaaya:

Having lived in America, what is your experience of race relations here in Britain compared to the USA?

Janine B:

It might seem ironic to say this in light of the recent rise in the support for right-wing parties, but racism here (in the UK) is much more closeted and secretive than in the USA. As a nation, we don’t really like to talk about anything difficult, and we’d rather have a cup of tea and put a brave face on things than confront the problem. Stiff upper lip and all that. The result is that talking about racism becomes stigmatized, rather than racism itself. That said, in many ways, the UK feels a lot more liberal to me and I’m very aware that if I didn’t have a British accent, I would have had a very different experience studying abroad. That’s very general, and these are my initial thoughts.

Yaaya:

Outside of your work, you have been busy, from establishing the University of Sheffield’s Race Research Network to organising Black History Month events. Are you driven to make a difference to your community? Do you consider yourself to be an activist?

Janine B:

For the longest time, I didn’t consider myself to be an activist or even politically active – although I’ve always had an incredibly strong sense of social justice, which I inherited from my parents. I suppose I ‘awoke’ as an activist a couple of years ago, when I realised that if I didn’t start making and ‘being’ the changes I wanted to see in the world, I might as well not bother.

Undertaking a PhD in a national climate in which black women are so underrepresented takes real gumption, and that was what pushed me into what some might consider ‘academic activism’. I really see it as a commitment and responsibility to ensure that everybody gets a fair shot at pursuing higher education (if they want to). I wanted to make sure that others who might have been put off by pursuing undergraduate or postgraduate study, felt encouraged to do so, and I’m incredibly committed to that.

So I try daily, in my own small way, to create an academic community that celebrates diversity and champions excluded voices. The University of Sheffield is a particularly fantastic home for this kind of activism. Although I don’t think you have to be an academic to be an activist, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the individuals like Angela Davis and Martin Luther King had PhDs. Knowledge is power, and when it is in the hands of the disenfranchised, it’s really potent stuff – the stuff that change is made of.

Yaaya:

How do you unwind and take your mind away from deadlines and transcript writing? What do you do to relax?

Janine B:

That’s a lovely question! I love watching box sets. I’ve recently finished watching ‘The Killing’ and I’m about to start watching ‘Borgen’, and I’m a big fan of ‘The Wire’ and ‘The Sopranos’. I also love reading for pleasure and jogging, though I don’t make enough time to do either of those as much as I should!

On Saturday 15th June, Yaaya concludes with the final post in our 3-part series on Janine Bradbury. Join us as we explore the issues facing black female academics in the UK.