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Hi my name is Tia, and I am running to be your Race and Ethnicity engagement leader!

Do I really belong here?

- Scale up “I See Myself” programmes for other minority ethnic groups

- Establish Identity based peers support groups

- Introduce a club and society buddy scheme (The “plus one” project)

Is the system failing you? Or are you failing the system?

- Implement early check ins, not last minute interventions

- Invest in an employability programme for BAME students

Where’s the support that actually understands our reality?

- Launch a visible University wide campaign that features you

- Train all wellbeing staff members on racial trauma and isolation

I’m a 2nd year International Relations with QRM student. Throughout my education, I’ve served as an Equality Ambassador and Student Leader, championing inclusion, representation and meaningful change within my community.

I know what it feels like to walk into a room and be the only one who looks like you. To move through University wondering quietly if you really belong. For too many BAME students, university isn’t discovery, but a place where you shrink yourself to fit into places never designed with you in mind.

Generic support isn’t enough when you’re navigating racism, cultural barriers, underrepresentation and the pressure to prove you deserve to be here. We need support that understands our lived experiences, not as an afterthought, but as a starting point.

My goals are simple: reduce structural barriers, centre our lived experiences and make wellbeing, belonging and liberation real for every ethnic minority student.

I want to help you find your people, your voice and your confidence. In doing so we can work on improving other aspects of University life. University should be a place where every student, regardless of ethnicity, can participate fully and build a future they’re proud of. I am running to make that possible.

LUU belongs to You. Got a vision? Let’s make it happen.

Break the cycle. Break the chain. Vote 4 Tia

Raised in South Leeds, a true MIGGY babe and proudly from an immigrant household (🇱🇷🇳🇱🇬🇳) , I’ve grown up navigating multiple identities, cultures, and communities.

As a first year IHP undergraduate student, I know what it feels like to move through spaces where you’re not always sure you belong — and I also know the power of being seen, heard, and valued. That’s why I’m standing to be your Race & Ethnicity Engagement Leader.

As your representative, I’m not just committed — I’m driven to amplify the voices of students from every background. In a university as diverse as ours, every perspective should not only be heard but genuinely valued. My mission is to build a campus where belonging isn’t conditional, where safety and respect are guaranteed, and where every student feels empowered to shape their own experience. 🌟

Tackling Inequity Through Real Policy Change

I will work with the university and LUU to confront racial inequity head‑on. This means pushing for structural changes that don’t just acknowledge inequality but actively dismantle it. Some of the policy initiatives I will champion include:

• A Fairer Reporting System: Clearer, faster, and more transparent processes for reporting discrimination — with guaranteed follow‑up, student support, and accountability from the university.

• Inclusive Curriculum Audits: Working with schools and departments to ensure course content reflects global perspectives, not just Eurocentric narratives, and that teaching practices support students from all backgrounds. 📚

• Equitable Access to Opportunities: Advocating for targeted support in internships, study‑abroad programmes, scholarships, and leadership roles so that students from underrepresented backgrounds are not left behind. 🌍

These aren’t just ideas — they are necessary steps toward a fairer, more equitable Leeds.

Reimagining Culture Week: A Celebration for Everyone 🎉

Culture Week should be one of the most vibrant moments of the year — but it has the potential to be so much more. I want to transform it into a university‑wide celebration that recognises a simple truth: everyone has a culture.

My vision includes:

• Interactive cultural stalls and competitions where students can share food, music, fashion, language, and traditions from their communities/societies. 🎶

• Creative workshops and storytelling from inspirational speakers that highlight lived experiences, migration histories, and the everyday cultures we carry with us.

• Cross‑faculty collaborations so Culture Week isn’t confined to one building or one society — it becomes a campus‑wide festival of identity, creativity, and connection. 🤝

Culture Week should be a moment where every student sees themselves reflected — and discovers something new about others.

Building a More Inclusive LUU 🏛️

Representation is not a box to tick; it’s a responsibility. I will work to ensure that LUU’s decisions, events, and spaces reflect the diversity of the students they serve. That means:

• Regular open forums where students can raise concerns and shape the agenda.

• Partnerships with cultural and liberation societies to support their work and amplify their voices.

• Training and awareness initiatives that help staff and students understand the realities of racism, microaggressions, and structural inequality.

Together, we can build a Leeds University Union that doesn’t just acknowledge diversity — it celebrates it, protects it, and learns from it.

"In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute." - Thurgood Marshall 🌟

My name is Janeeta. I come all the way from Indonesia, but I was born and spent my childhood in Hong Kong. I have friends from over 40 different countries, all in the University of Leeds alone. If I work in this role, I can continue to engage with people from all backgrounds on campus but with exponentially stronger impact. In addition to my manifesto below, I will also be a voice and bridge for Asians and Asian societies in the LUU given my heritage and firsthand understanding.

I have witnessed many other issues on campus visible to me as a Southeast Asian woman but invisible to most.

My campaign as a Race and Ethnicity Engagement Leader focuses on:

(1) Addressing internalised suppression that leads students to hide their identities

Many UK local students who are people of color are reluctant to express their ethnic roots or practice cultural traditions, especially in the presence of the racial majority or if their network is made up of the racial majority.

“Colonial mentality”, the belief that one’s ethnic culture is inferior to that of their former coloniser, is prominent in Southeast Asians but extends to other minority groups as well.

There is a paradox of many students celebrating their culture intensely within their own society, yet not as ecstatic or outspoken about it when it comes to the larger student community.

In response to these and similar problems, I will

Provide a platform for minority groups to celebrate their identity in the scope of the entire union.

Build a community where discussions on race, ethnicity, cultural experiences, and international experiences are encouraged rather than dismissed.

(2) Deconstructing cliques and hierarchies that fragment societies from within

If the point of an LUU society is so students can “find their people”, why does division still exist within each society? The problem is not as simple as white versus everyone else. We as people of color also subconsciously group each other into boxes, ranking and othering each other in ways that rarely enter mainstream race conversations. Division exists between minority groups (e.g. Southeast Asians, including my own community, stereotypically labeled “Jungle Asians”).

Division can even exist within a single ethnic society, driven by upbringing differences (grew up in the UK versus overseas), cultural hierarchies, and language barriers. Some students have told me they feel like they “do not belong” in the society of their ethnic group.

To tackle these divisions, I aim to

Establish a structured advisory coalition of cultural and faith society welfare officers that feeds directly into regular Union leadership meetings

Diversify the combination of cultural societies involved in inter-society collaborations (e.g. underrepresented, newly formed, faith-based)

(3) systemic exclusion embedded in institutional language

Accent bias and ethnic name bias are factors driving workplace discrimination, a concern for many students in today’s UK job market. In pursuit of abolishing this systemic exclusion, I will

Hold a periodic evaluation of LUU programs and policies from a race and ethnicity point of view to deconstruct hidden biases that may be embedded in LUU’s current system

Address the issue of accent discrimination and ethnic name discrimination

When I tell people where I am from, or I speak about things from my country, that information sometimes gets dismissed or moved on from immediately. I know many other students from minorities, whether local or international, who have had the exact same experience.

This lack of curiosity nor wonder is what I strongly believe to be harmful. The point of making friends and conversations is not only getting to know one another, but getting to know more about the world. That explains my slogan “Celebrate, not Tolerate” because being “not racist” is the bare minimum. Diversity should be recognised, not disregarded.