Black and Irish, Navigating Racism In Ireland

Documentary on Newstalk

In ‘Black and Irish, Navigating Racism In Ireland’, Producer Caroline Mudingo Dipanda examines institutional racism in Ireland within the Irish industrial care system and the education system. We talk to Bukky Adebowale, born in Ireland, President of the student life at Maynooth University, Sandrine Ndahiro, PhD student in African Literature originally from Kenya and Cameroon-born artist Alicia Raye who spent her teenage years in Direct Provision centers. They share personal stories to explain how racism and discrimination is prevalent in their daily interactions in colleges and universities. We meet Black Irish teacher Alex Mbowua, activist Myriam Poizat (YARI), Adult learner advocate and Africa-Ireland Network's founder Joy-Tendai Kangere and Patricia Munatsi, the Policy Officer for the Irish Network Against Racism: overview of the education system and the national policies. Assistant Professor of Black Studies Dr Philomena will give an in-depth look at her childhood in the Irish industrial school system to depict race relations in the 1960's and 1970s and how they affected the construction of Mixed- race women's identity. We also discuss the recent introduction of Black Studies in the curriculum. We delve into the impact of encounters with racism. Aisling O'Neill shares a searing testimony about the trauma inherent to racism and its impact on her daughter, Mia O'Neill, who took her own life in 2019. She reflects on the role of the education system to foster a better understanding of race and racism." 'Black and Irish, Navigating Racism In Ireland’ was supported by a grant from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, as part of the Sound And Vision Scheme.