Episode 1: Conversation with Dr Victoria Showunmi

Jul 9
2 min read

Updated: Aug 2

EPISODE SUMMARY

In what way can racism be 'sophisticated'? How does 'sophisticated racism' appear in school and in the workplace? What experiences of racism do Black girls and Black women undergo? In this episode, Dr Victoria Showunmi draws on personal anecdotes to introduce us to the concept of sophisticated racism, and everyday strategies for dealing with it.

EPISODE NOTES

This episode's guest, Dr Victoria Showunmi, is the author (together with Carol Tomlin) of the book Understanding and Managing Sophisticated and Everyday Racism: Implications for Education and Work. She is an associate professor at IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, where she has led modules about minorities, migrants and refugees in education; and sociology and race. Her research has explored questions relating to race, gender, educational leadership, and mentoring.

Kamille Beye leads our conversation with Dr Showunmi in this episode, in a wide-ranging exploration of sophisticated racism, the experiences of Black girls and women, the differences between the battles against racism in the US and the UK, and some of the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on racism and on education. Dr Showunmi also shares concrete, practical strategies for dealing with everyday racism.

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List of further readings

Showunmi, V. (2022). Black women experiences in the workplace. Elgar Research Handbook on Inequalities. Edward Elgar.
Showunmi, V. and Tomlin, C. (2022). Understanding and Managing Sophisticated and Everyday Racism: Implications for Education and Work. Rowman & Littlefield.
Showunmi, V. (2021). A Journey of difference: the voices of women leaders. Frontiers in Education - Leadership in Education. doi:10.3389/feduc.2021.548870.
Showunmi, V., & Gooden, M. (2020). Race and Educational Leadership. In S. Courtney, H. Gunter, T. Trujillo (Eds.), Understanding Educational Leadership; Critical perspectives and approaches. UK: Routledge.
Showunmi, V., & Reilly, E. (2020). Women's Blackness in educational leadership across the continents. Special Edition, Curriculum Inquiry.
Showunmi, V., Vassilopoulou, J., Kyriakidou, O., & Brabet, J. (Eds.). (2019). Race Discrimination and the Management of Ethnic Diversity at Work European Countries Perspectives. London: Emerald.
Showunmi, V. (2018). An Auto-Ethnography of a Black Female Leader in Higher Education. In R. McNae, E. Reilly (Eds.), Women Leading Education Across the Continents: Finding and Harnessing the Joy in Leadership. Rowman & Littlefield.