In recent months, we have seen on social media the protests happening in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd. In response to these events, I wanted to discuss representation and how black people at university feel, so I contacted the African Caribbean Society and got to know a lot about them and how they feel at Manchester Met!

At Manchester Met there are loads of different societies and if there isn’t a certain society you don’t seem to ‘fit’ into then you can create your own. In this blog post I will be talking about the African Caribbean Society. The African Caribbean Society is incredibly active on their social media accounts (which I recommend you follow). The society is open to anyone who is interested in learning about African and Caribbean culture, and they do collaborative events with the University of Manchester and the University of Salford. The society offers a great opportunity to meet others and make friends if you are not from Manchester.

When joining university, you may feel nervous about meeting new people but Fresher’s Week is a great time to meet new people, and joining a society can help you feel more comfortable. The core idea of ACS is to educate and unite black people who don’t usually get many opportunities, while also providing an opportunity to meet other black people on campus.

Here is a statement from the African Caribbean Society on what they think about Manchester Met and how they feel represented:

“As black people in MMU, it would be unfair to say that we don’t come across ‘people who look like us’ often – We believe the diversity in MMU is just right for any student to feel blended in and comfortable. In regards to the actual works of the University, they do try their best to run movements, societies and events for the ethnic minorities of MMU, for the education of those outside of the demographic. ACS do put in a lot of work to make sure that the black community feel very much included in the university experience in terms of on campus events” – African Caribbean Society

Black lives matters today, tomorrow and every day after that! #BlackLivesMatter