LONDON 2012 Olympic gold medallist Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill is among a number of high profile names that are endorsing a new university anti racism course.

Santander, through Santander Universities UK, and The Open University have announced the launch of Union Black: Britain’s Black Cultures and Steps to Anti-Racism, a free online education programme for all university communities across the UK, designed to drive cultural change across the higher education sector.

Developed in partnership with The Open University and leading social learning platform, FutureLearn, the programme responds to Universities UK’s Tackling racial harassment in higher education report which shone a stark light on the racial inequalities that exist across the higher education sector.

The report called on universities to improve racial literacy among senior leaders, staff and students and issued a set of recommendations for institutions to implement including “training developed from an anti-racist perspective”. The new course will explore black cultures in Britain and provide learners with an understanding of the origins and experience of Black British history and dispel myths in order to inform, challenge and contribute to the anti-racism agenda.

The programme has been developed by leading academics including Professor Marcia Wilson, Dean of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at The Open University and includes contributions from Ennis-Hill, BAFTA-award-winning film-maker David Olusoga, Shadow Secretary of State for Justice David Lammy MP, human rights activist Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, artistic director of The Young Vic Kwame Kwei-Armah, and former England goalkeeper David James MBE, among many others. The course has also been guided by a steering committee including Baroness Valerie Amos and Karen Blackett OBE. The presenter of the course is TV host and former Blue Peter presenter Ayo Akinwolere.

Hosted on FutureLearn, the six-hour course will be delivered through a mixture of online learning content, discussion forums, reading materials and interactive activities, and will be freely available to all staff and students at UK universities over the next three years, making it the first programme of its kind to potentially reach over four million students across the UK.

All students who complete the course will also have the opportunity to considered for one of 100 Santander Development Grants of £500 each to support their studies. The awards are being offered by Santander Universities, and administered via The Open University, where awarded students will be invited to take part in a live thought leadership event which will bring together high-profile ambassadors for a curated panel discussion.

The course has been Inspired in response to the fact that racism still exists at all levels in today’s society and that all of us are a long way from achieving a truly diverse and level playing field – as the murder of George Floyd, BLM and related events in recent months have all too poignantly demonstrated.

To address this, the course aims to shape the thinking of future generations, making a significant contribution to creating a more equal and diverse society going forward. The course will explore UK black history and cultures, dispelling myths around the black community and their lives, as a way to start conversations around anti-racism. The aim is to educate, inform and celebrate, adding significantly to the anti-racism agenda in the UK, especially in the younger population, the future of this country.

Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill said: “I’m pleased to support Santander’s Union Black initiative. Encouraging conversations and opening dialogue is key a part of tackling racism. It’s fantastic the course will be freely accessible to so many students and staff across the UK, building an increased level of understanding and further steps towards making a difference.”

Union Black course presenter Akinwolere added: “I’m delighted to be the presenter of Union Black. It has been a mission of mine for many years to equal the playing field within society. The more we have meaningful conversations, the better we can understand where we’re lacking and furthermore implement the real change that’s needed.”