Articles
We’ve moved to Substack! All new articles will now be published on theequianoproject.substack.com only. From October 1 2023, this page will be archived.
Why are Black Caribbean boys underachieving at school? - Ajantha Ratnayaka
Ajantha Ratnayaka explores why the current explanations as to why young Black Caribbean boys are underperforming at school miss the facts.
The lost art of conversation - Michael Odeon
The current ‘conversation’ around race and racism is anything but a true conversation, argues Michael Odeon. White people have been told to keep silent to ‘educate’ themselves on matters relating to ‘people of colour’ in a way that brings feelings of undeserved shame and guilt.
In Defence of The Great Literary Tradition - Cecilia Adekoya
Cecilia Adekoya takes a close look at what is behind the ‘decolonise the curriculum movement’ in English Literature across schools and universities. While it may be a good thing to widen the scope of our literary education, removing texts from one type of group of authors may do more harm.
Is the #DisruptTexts movement needed? - Vicki Robinson
The #DisruptTexts movement is an online phenomenon, funded by critical theorists and educators, to upheave white, Western authors, poets and artists from school syllabuses. Vicki Robinson critiques this approach and looks for healthier alternatives to explore literary complexity with students.
Get Up, Stand Up… Don’t Give Up the Fight! - David Armes
David Armes explores links between the act of kneeling at rugby matches and British and Irish history. What can we learn from the current narrative being demonstrated in contemporary sport?
Why are minorities less keen to visit the British countryside? How can we change this? - Vicki Robinson
Vicki Robinson explores why ethnic minorities are less likely to visit the British countryside and nature reserves. The author touches upon some of the aspects relevant in explaining this observation.
The moral bankruptcy of collectivist identity politics - John Dowland
John Dowland’s article relates the occurrences of current political ideologies in society with personal experience. Is it fair to prioritise the collective over the individual?
The patterns of the zealot mentality - Sienna Mae Heath
Sienna Mae Heath draws comparisons between the current rhetoric of the Social Justice Movement and her personal experiences, surrounded by church and religion.
Even in times of crisis, high educational standards are crucial - Cecilia Adekoya
Cecilia Adekoya explores the utility of the recent Safety Net policies implemented in British universities as a response to the coronavirus pandemic. Do these policies excuse students for working hard and taking responsibility?
Reflections on free speech and English working-class identity - Bradley Strotten
Bradley Strotten explores the double-standard in the expression of white English working-class identity and the difficulty navigating this territory from an intellectual standpoint.
Many British traditions and products are rooted in empire. How best should we examine them?- Vicki Robinson
In light of the BLM protests and the current rhetoric surrounding racism, Britain has been having a hard look at its colonial past. However, this has led to certain British media outlets oversimplifying events in history and providing inaccurate information in children’s educational songs. What could we do to look at Britain’s colonial past in a truthful way?
Is the West's obsession with youth creating difficulties in challenging ‘wokeness’? - Vicki Robinson
Conversations about how to overturn the conflict-like nature of the Culture Wars also need to deal with trying to see beyond generational differences. Vicki Robinson writes about the importance of overcoming mental barriers of talking about age properly.
The WALE (white and liberal entitled) Condescenti - Ajantha Ratnayaka
The WALE pseudo-intellectuals have started to stratify society based on mere identitarian terms. This may seem to be done with good intention, but the ramifications of this categorisation strategy have more damaging effects on society.
Should school history education focus on the UK or offer a more global perspective?- Vicki Robinson
A lack of national identity in the UK has had an effect on the way history is being taught in British schools. Many wish for the history curriculum to be ‘decolonised’ and to offer a global perspective, but Vicki Robinson argues that this only comes after having established foundational knowledge of the UK as a state and how it came to be.
Why debate and discussion has shifted towards identity politics - Emma Gilland
Identity politics in the past allowed for the mobilisation of many liberal movements, however, today it has a new meaning and takes on a different face.
“Help! Should I dump my boyfriend because he doesn’t support the Black Lives Matter Movement?” - Zara Qureshi
More and more young people are being faced with the social challenge of whether they want to form relationships and friendships with those of differing political beliefs. Here’s Zara’s take on an emotional-tolling experience that many young people are having.
From Eastern Europe to Michael Brown: Blind spots in our current conversations about race - Ildi Tillmann
Current conversations surrounding race and identity focus on the impermeable and rigid boundaries between each identity grouping. However, Ildi Tillman recounts a beautiful tale of the shared human experience that transcends arbitrary identitarian boundaries through her voyages from Eastern Europe all the way to Haiti.
The ‘culture wars’ cannot be resolved by appeals to truth - Paul Regan
One of the current features of the Post-Modernist thought and Critical Race Theory is the dethronement of truth. Objectivity, reason and rationale, which are the guiding principles of truth in the scientific methodology, are being subjugated in favour of lived experiences, story-telling and emotions.
An introduction to Walter E. Williams - Mathew Lloyd
In remembrance of Walter E. Williams, here is an introduction to his life and work. Williams argued the critical importance of personal responsibility, education and personal freedom. He argued that any man could free themselves from a life stricken with poverty if he assumed personal responsibility and worked his way out of it.
Imperialism, Anti-imperialism and the East African Slave Trade - Dr Damian P. O’Connor
The present campaigns by intersectionalists to get Britain to face up to her role in imperialism and slavery seem to miss some tremendously important aspects.