"Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate, share, and recognise the heritage and culture, contribution, and achievements of our Black and Black heritage students, colleagues, alumni, and our wider USW community.

"It is also an opportunity to discuss the ways that we can all gain a greater knowledge and understanding in order to foster at USW an inclusive and anti-racist environment.”

_{Vida Greaux, Chair of the BME Staff Network, William Callaway, Chair of the Equality and Diversity Steering Group, and Richie Turner, Chair of the Race, Religion and Belief Equality Subgroup}

Research at USW

Professor Florence Ayisi, award-winning documentary film-maker, is part of a £2.5m research consortium exploring the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on BME communities, creating powerful films to tell the stories of people across the UK.
The Ethnic Minority Research Advisory Group was created to improve the way the University works and engages with people from ethnic minority communities in its research. It is co-led by Dr Edward Oloidi, Dr Juping Yu, Mrs Versha Sood Mahindra, and Professor Ruth Northway.
Dr Sarah Wallace, Senior Research Fellow at the Welsh Institute for Health and Social Care, has been awarded over £300,000 in funding to research support for BME women affected by Violence Against Women, Domestic abuse, and Sexual Violence.

Three members of staff, who are part of Ethnic Minority Research Advisory Group (EMRAG), sit around a table smiling and chatting with notepads and pens

Find out more about Professor Florence Ayisi's research

Find out more about The Ethnic Minority Research Advisory Group

Find out more about Dr Sarah Wallace's research

Our USW Community

A student is sat with their elbow on the back of a red sofa looking into the camera.

Ainasia Mbowe

Ainasia is studying for her PhD in Law at USW, having studied her LLB and LLM degrees at the university. Ainasia's family are members of the Chagga tribe, one of the most well-known tribes in Tanzania.

Dezire Mambule

Dezire, BA Hons Computer Application & Development graduate, now works at USW as a software developer in the IT department, after receiving support from the Springboard +Plus team.

Loren Henry

Loren talks to Professor Roiyah Saltus about USW’s race equality agenda, Urban Circle, and the HumaniTree, a multicultural film project that aims to reconnect the story of the Human Family.

Albert Akhidenor

Albert, MSc Public Health UNICAF graduate, is the founder of Community Oral Health Initiative, making oral health services available to vulnerable people without access to oral health.

Sharon Kostini

Sharon is founder of The Creative Plug Cymru Gallery, editor-in-chief of Alienated Magazine Wales, fashion and beauty photographer, creative practitioner and director.

Michael Stevens

USW Governor, Michael, has a background of working in the defence, security, cyber and aerospace sectors. He talks about his experience of HE and the importance of diversity.

Adeola Dewis

Lecturer Dr Adeola Dewis founded Laku Neg, a collective of female diasporic artists, creatives and activists. Professor Roiyah Saltus and Professor Florence Ayisi are also members of the collective.

Tony Hendrickson

Tony is part of USW’s All-Wales Ethnic Minority Research Advisory Group (EMRAG), and a member of the Cultural Competence Certification team at Diverse Cymru.

Suzanne Duval

Suzanne is a mental health expert, cultural competency lead, and social justice activist, based at Diverse Cymru where she is the BME Mental Health and Dementia Manager (Policy).

Carl Connikie

Photographer Carl Connikie contributed to the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) grant (2013 – 2017) Representing Communities, one of five work packages which was led by USW.

Professor Jean White

Professor Jean White, a Visiting Professor of Nursing at USW, is the former Chief Nursing Officer for Wales and was involved with the development of the Welsh Government’s Anti-Racism Wales Action Plan.

Professor Charlotte Williams

Academic and award-winning author, Professor Charlotte Williams OBE, shares her insights on belonging, Welsh devolution, and the links to be made between academic decolonising and anti-racist practices.

Nancy Lidubwi

Nancy Lidubwi talks with Professor Roiyah Saltus about social activism, her contributions to gender equality over the decades, and her growing research links with USW.

Teejay Olakojo

Teejay Olakojo is not only a rising star in the film industry but also a passionate advocate for diverse representation in media.

Neo Ukandu

Neo Ukandu is currently pursuing an MA in Songwriting and Production at the University of South Wales, while also working as a freelance performer.

Faith Orugbani

Faith Orugbani, an accomplished USW alumni and co-founder of Manuelle Foods, a Nigerian family-owned food business based in Newport, South Wales.

OUR USW BLACK GRADUATE ENTREPENEURS ARE GREAT ROLE MODELS AND ARE ALL RUNNING HIGHLY INNOVATIVE NEW STARTUP COMPANIES ACROSS SOUTH WALES.

Richie Turner

Incubator Manager of the Startup Stiwdios

ENTREPRENEURS

Richie Turner, Incubator Manager, said: “As USW’s Incubator Manager of the Startup Stiwdios, and also one of the Race Equality Charter Champions, I am delighted that we are able to feature four of our Black graduate entrepreneurs for Black History Month.

"They are all great role models and they are all running highly innovative new startup companies across South Wales. I hope you are inspired by their stories.”

The University also runs a series of business support events for external partners and businesses and provides access to University skills, talent and expertise. This includes support for women entrepreneurs.

Women have fundamentally different experiences to men in business. Research shows that women who start and grow a business face more barriers around access to finance, disproportionate caring responsibilities, and different levels of access to networks.

As part of our Inspiring Women Wales YouTube podcast, we spoke to accountant Valerie Creusailor. Valerie loved hosting barbecues for family and friends. They would compliment her and her husband Stan on the sauces they made, which were inspired by their African heritage. Their guests suggested they should sell them - and there the idea of Goch & Co was born.

In Episode 2, Valerie tells Gemma about finding the confidence to invest in the new business, managing cashflow, and lessons that can be carried over from a corporate career - and even personal life - to a family business.