Pembrokians Speak at Japanese Black History Month Event

In a recent Black History Month event organised by the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan and the University of Oxford Japan Office, two Pembroke College students were invited as speakers: DPhil History student and Tanaka Graduate scholar, Warren Stanislaus (DPhil History, 2017), and second year undergraduate Chimdinma Okpalauko (2020, Theology and Religion).

Chimdi and Warren are both members of the BlackPembroke Group, which has been formed to improve the experience of Black students and staff already at Pembroke, and to increase the long-term participation of Black students in Oxford admissions. In addition to this and to their academic achievements at Pembroke, they have both been very active with extracurricular activities.

Alongside her role as Vice-President of the Oxford African & Caribbean society, Chimdi has been part of the University of Oxford’s Race and Equality Task Force. She was featured in the University of Oxford ‘Student Spotlight’ series where she expressed ‘Why every student should take part in the race equality consultation’ and outlined her role in the task force, which aims to advance racial equality in the University of Oxford.

Warren is an associate lecturer at Rikkyo University in Tokyo and has been featured in the magazine of the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan, where he spoke about being Black and British in Japan. He was also featured on the website of ‘UK in Japan’ that covered his work with the British embassy in Tokyo to bring Black History Month to Japan.