Dr Senthorun Raj, a lecturer in Keele’s School of Law, has been invited to chair the Black Gold Arts board of trustees, an organisation that seeks to mentor and showcase the work of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) people from black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) communities in the UK.

Dr Raj, whose research focuses on emotion, gender, sexuality, and justice across various disciplines of law, is delighted to have been invited to chair the Black Gold Arts board of trustees.

Dr Raj, who is also on the board of governance for Amnesty International UK, said:

“It is a joy to be part of an organisation committed to developing the work of LGBTIQ artists within black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities here in the UK. Black Gold Arts creates platforms for people to share their talent, express their fabulousness, and educate the community about a range of intersecting inequalities.

“This opportunity will nicely compliment my work with the Keele Institute for Social Inclusion, which aims to tackle the issues of inequality, and I am part of the institute’s “Tackling Inequalities” working group. As a legal scholar, it is easy to focus on law and policy as the primary avenues for advancing social justice. However, we cannot challenge inequalities and promote justice through law and policy alone. We need to engage with culture, too. Black Gold Arts shows how creative pursuits from poetry to dance to drag are powerful tools to educate, empower, and enrich our communities.”

This year, the organisation is hosting the Black Gold Arts Festival in Manchester, with events spread across the city until December. The festival showcases established and emerging BAME artists from dance, theatre, and performance backgrounds.

For more information visit Black Gold Arts on Facebook.