Portraits of success
Of more than 19,000 university professors in the UK, only 35 are black women — so few that their portraits, taken by British photographer Bill Knight, were easily displayed together at London’s City Hall in March. The exhibition, titled “Phenomenal Women”, was curated by Nicola Rollock, a reader in equity and education at Goldsmiths, University of London. She aimed to highlight the achievements of black women in academia, in fields ranging from geography to law.
For many of the women, taking part in the exhibition was personally significant. Cynthia Pine, a professor of dental public health at Queen Mary University of London, told the Financial Times that she was glad to meet the other women featured in the exhibition because usually “we’re very isolated”.
’Funmi Olonisakin, a professor of security, leadership and development at King’s College London, hopes that the exhibition encourages young black women who wish to become a professor one day to stick to their dreams: “I’ve seen a lot of young women leave academia because they are discouraged. This sends a message that they can do it.”
The exhibition had to close shortly after opening due to the coronavirus crisis. There are plans for a UK tour, depending on how the crisis develops. In the meantime, the photographs are available to the public at www.phenomenal-women.com