I thought that the three very contrasting media representations of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts in the UK were a great selection of videos and perfectly captured the dynamic of contemporary British politics on this subject.
I also think that given the context of contemporary politics it is important to think about the intended audiences of these pieces and the purposes for which they were made – approaching the different media as outlined by Gillian Rose in Visual Methodologies (p193).
Channel 4’s The School That Tried to End Racism (2020) was very blunt in its portrayal of privilege and identity, and I think it aimed to disrupt perceived norms of racial silence in schools; uncovering in a similar way that Bradbury (2020) describes, racial inequalities being hidden under the guise of neutrality.
It made me acutely aware of the power of discomfort in provoking thought on the topic of privilege and race.
However, it also felt like it exemplified many of the critiques Asif Sadiq’s TEDx talk (2023) had about the more surface aspects of DEI training and implementation when they are “biased and built with stereotypes”
Moreover, from briefly reading the comments below (not always the best idea) it seemed to more succeed in Sadiq’s suggestion that “many times it (DEI initiatives) do(es) the opposite of inclusion” creating a backlash, especially if not embedded in a broader context.
The Telegraph’s documentary by Jamie Orr (2022) embodied this exact reactionary backlash against anti-racism.Its Panorama style ‘uncovering of a conspiracy at the heart of education’ implied that DEI threatens academic freedom and imposes conformity. He framed educational equity as a threat to “neutrality,” reinforcing the myth that racism is an individual failing rather than a structural one.
One thing I found entertaining was that even after the edit, the students he found to interview did not really share the mood or opinion he so seeks to portray.
I have been reading Ash Sarkah’s Minority Rule a lot recently, and I am persuaded by her opinion that contemporary Liberal focus on difference can foster competitive identity hierarchy rather than solidarity, allowing media such as Orr’s to stoke right wing and potentially white suprematist ideologies, something exemplified in a documentary I watched on ‘How US Neo-Nazism Actually Works, whereby an ex white suprematist explains that “The first step was to get this kid to identify as white” – as different and other to those around them.
I completely agree with Sadiq’s ideas that for DEI to be successful it must not be just used for standalone sessions but woven into the pedagogical fabric of institutions.That involves finding and incorporating diverse narratives and creating welcoming spaces of conversation where all learners can share and be heard and a new positive narrative of solidarity can be constructed.
Sadiq, A. (2023) Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Learning how to get it right. TEDx [Online}. Youtube. 2 March. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR4wz1b54hw
Orr, J. (2022) Revealed: The charity turning UK universities woke. The Telegraph [Online]. Youtube. 5 August. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRM6vOPTjuU
Channel 4. (2020) The School That Tried to End Racism. [Online}. Youtube. 30 June. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I3wJ7pJUjg
Rose, G., 2023. Visual Methodologies: An Introduction to Researching with Visual Materials. 5th ed. London: SAGE Publications.
Insider, 2025. How US Neo‑Nazism Actually Works [YouTube video], 6 March. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-g3Z8IWsdU (Accessed: 10 May 2025).
Sarkar, A. (2025) Minority Rule: Adventures in the Culture War. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Thank you, Mike, for such a rich and considered post—and especially for pointing me towards Ash Sarkar’s Minority Rule, which I put high up on my reading list now. I’m particularly struck by her critique of how contemporary liberal politics’ focus on “difference” can, perhaps inadvertently, foster a competitive identity hierarchy rather than meaningful solidarity. It’s something I want to explore further, particularly in relation to how we navigate identity and inclusion within creative education.
I share your view that white people are born into an inescapable privilege, and that a first step toward systemic change must come from a deep and honest appreciation with that privilege. It’s not about cultivating guilt for me, but about starting to understand that can begin to grasp what it means to start life without that privilege and navigating systems (especially the educational institution) that could actively work against you.
I also thought your selection of media representations of DEI efforts was excellent—they really captured the ideological spectrum of how race and equity are being debated in the UK.
I also really appreciated your concluding point: DEI can’t be reduced to box-ticking exercises or one-off workshops. Like you, I believe it must be embedded across pedagogical practices and spaces—through narrative plurality, meaningful listening, and co-created learning environments where discomfort isn’t avoided, but held with care. That’s where I think we can begin to move beyond hierarchy and toward solidarity.
Thank you for your comment Antonia, I really enjoyed reading your blog posts on how you have enacted spaces of inclusion and care. I am truly inspired by your ideas of creating learning environments ‘where discomfort isn’t avoided, but held with care’. I fully agree with you that that’s where we can begin to ‘move beyond hierarchy and toward solidarity’. It’s amazing to hear how such nuanced spaces that facilitate DEI can be achieved Thank you again