Kehinde Nkosi Andrews is a British academic specialising in Black Studies. Andrews is a Professor of Black Studies in the School of Social Sciences at Birmingham City University. He is the director of the Centre for Critical Social Research, founder of the Harambee Organisation of Black Unity, and co-chair of the UK Black Studies Association. Andrews is the first black studies professor in the UK and led the establishment of the first black studies programme in Europe at Birmingham City University. Andrews earned a PhD in Sociology and Cultural Studies from the University of Birmingham in 2011. His thesis was entitled "Back to Black: Black Radicalism and the Supplementary School Movement". He is of British African-Caribbean heritage. Andrews has criticised universities in the United Kingdom for institutional racism, specifically a lack of diversity in students' assigned readings. Andrews has criticised non-white members of the Conservative Party, saying that a "cabinet packed with ministers with brown skin wearing Tory masks represents the opposition of racial progress".
Journalism and media appearances
Andrews regularly appears in the media discussing issues of race and racism, colonialism and slavery, and British nationalism. He is a frequent contributor to The Guardian, and has written articles for The Independent, New Statesman, CNN, openDemocracy, and often appears as a guest on the BBC and Good Morning Britain. In May 2020, Andrews was a guest on Russell Brand's YouTube channel discussing racism in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd. He was also interviewed by the Los AngelesReview of Books discussing Malcolm X and the question of violence in Black radicalism. In 2019, Andrews took part in a debate on whether or not the West should pay reparations for slavery at Intelligence Squared. He also spoke about his book Back to Black at the John Hope Franklin Center for Interdisciplinary and International Studies at Duke University and gave a talk at Tate Liverpool on the role of Black radicalism in the United Kingdom and the United States. In 2017, Andrews spoke at the Oxford Union, arguing that British education perpetuates racism. He also gave a TEDxYouth talk in Birmingham entitled 'How to stay radical within an institution' exploring how Black Studies can exist within the historically racist institution of the university. Andrews also narrated the film The Psychosis of Whiteness which explores race and racism through cinematic representations of the slave trade.
