Janine Bradbury, Against The Grain

In British society today, the words ‘black’ and ‘female’ are not synonymous with ‘academic’. Despite a 1 in 1,400 chance of success in her career, Janine Bradbury decided to pursue a PhD at the prestigious University of Sheffield. In her words, it takes "gumption" to build a career in UK Higher Education. We couldn’t agree more. That is why Yaaya reached out to Janine Bradbury, to share her voice as a conclusion to our 'Spotlight on Academia' series. We believe Janine is proof of a growing number of black women in Europe who are breaking the mold and pursuing their passions, against Herculean odds.

In Part 1 of this 3-part interview, Yaaya discovers the bold and bright woman behind the lectern.

And so the conversation begins …

Yaaya:

Janine Bradbury, Yaaya is delighted to meet with you! Tell us, what made you agree to share your story with Yaaya?

Janine B:

Thank you for asking me. I was really encouraged to see that a platform aimed at celebrating and supporting the aspirations of women of colour had been established by you. It immediately struck me as an incredibly useful resource for young women in particular and so I was very happy to lend my support and will watch the site develop with keen interest.

Yaaya:

You recently published an article in The Guardian, in which you describe your experience in the US as an “a-ha!” moment. Is this what inspired you to pursue a career in Academia?

Janine B:

Absolutely. The year before I moved to the US, I was running very low on morale and wondering whether University was really for me. The year abroad gave me a huge confidence boost and when I returned, I felt as though the world was my oyster. I was struck by how inclusive the syllabuses were, how ethnically diverse some classrooms were, and I was inspired by the number of black lecturers and professors on campus (and non-black professors who were committed to celebrating and teaching black studies). I thrived academically while I was there, achieving a 4.0 Grade Point Average. I wrote on film, geography, and the slave trade. I even wrote my own memoir (!).

I interviewed my mum about her childhood in Trinidad for a project, reviewed art exhibitions, and examined and wrote on actual plantation journals from the antebellum era. The style of assessment really suited me – there was an emphasis on sustained, regular testing and creativity. We had a whole library and librarian dedicated to the study of black culture and history (The Sonja Haynes Stone Centre). I remember vividly that after I gave a presentation on Alice Walker’s ‘In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens’, a girl in my class came up to me afterwards and told me I had to become a lecturer.

There’s something fascinating about studying abroad – in that all of the ‘contexts’ that can weigh you down in one situation can be shed in an instant and be replaced by new dynamics. For the most part, I felt my nationality (British) was the first thing that people noticed about me, then my 'race', and nobody could read my class background. So that was the thing that I really got to shed, the 'baggage' that came with living in social housing and claiming benefits. When people heard me speak, they thought of the Royal Family and American Revolution, not electricity keys and gas cards – something that would never happen here.

Yaaya:

You are currently studying for a PhD in African American studies. Can you tell us what influenced you to pursue this subject?

Janine B:

My family had always been interested in black American culture. The first time I got to apply any of these interests, was during my A-Level English studies. I read 'The Colour Purple', and was taken with the messages in Walker’s novel. I have always been interested in the connections between my Trinidadian heritage, my British heritage and African American culture.

The United States has taken on an almost symbolic quality both here (UK) and in the Caribbean, and as I mentioned, 'Britishness' carries its’ own currency in the US. In the third year and fourth year of my degree, I focused almost exclusively on African American history and literature, and wrote my undergraduate dissertation on African American art and literature, so following through with Master’s level and PhD study was an obvious choice for me.

Yaaya:

What do you hope to gain from your PhD?

Janine B:

I thought originally (and romantically) that my PhD would mean uninterrupted time to delve into those research areas I love. I would be up all night writing, drinking coffee, reading old books, and travelling to and from the US on research trips.

In reality, I self-fund my PhD study through three part-time jobs, and time alone with my research is scarce. Instead, I’ve tried to develop a professional profile that is informed by research interests in race and ethnicity and the skills and experience that I have developed along the way. More than anything, I hope my PhD unlocks more opportunities for me to continue learning about people, because I’m passionate about people.

Yaaya:

What do you see yourself doing next after your PhD?

Janine B:

I hope to become a university lecturer so I can consolidate all of the various bits of work I do into one job. I will definitely continue to work in Higher Education in some capacity and might well pursue postdoctoral opportunities. Academia is unique in the degree of flexibility it offers in terms of life paths. Martin Luther King did a PhD, Angela Davis was an academic – so it’s not just about sitting in an office writing books – it’s about making your knowledge relevant and making change.

So yes, I want to write loads of books, talk to lots of people about their research and mine, but most importantly, make it as easy as possible for people from backgrounds like mine to pursue research in arts and humanities subjects.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this 3-part interview with Janine. On Thursday 13th June, we learn more about the persona behind the PhD.