MEC Seminar Round-Up: Race and Music Education: Where Are We Now?

On 27 November, the Music Education Council hosted an essential conversation on race and music education, chaired by MEC Trustees Sharon Jagdev Powell and Wizdom Layne.The panel brought together four practitioners whose work spans law, creativity, youth engagement and trauma-informed practice: Dr. Kienda Hoji, a global music lawyer and long-standing advocate for equity; Liz Ikamba, a Congolese-British artist and experienced trauma-informed facilitator; Milli-Rose Rubin, a Camden-based musician, writer and youth creative practitioner; and Dan Tsu, creative director, festival producer and founder of Lyrix Organix.Their combined perspectives grounded the discussion in lived experience, research and community impact.

Black Music at the Centre — Except in the Curriculum

The panel reiterated a reality young people already know intuitively: Black music shapes their world. From jazz to hip-hop, grime to Afrobeats, Black creativity defines the sound, language and style of contemporary culture. Yet in formal music education, its presence is fragmented at best and invisible at worst.

Speakers described a system where students engage deeply with Black-origin genres outside school but encounter a curriculum still anchored almost exclusively in Western classical traditions. This disconnect not only distorts musical history — it erases the lineages, innovations and identities that underpin global musical life. As Dr Kienda Hoji put it, the absence of Black music from curricula is “deeply disturbing,” made worse by the lack of Black lecturers teaching the very genres their communities created.

Without systemic change, exclusion becomes self-perpetuating: graduates who never learned the story of Black music become educators, policymakers and leaders who continue to overlook it.

Representation, Power and Pathways

If music education is to reflect the world young people live in, representation cannot be a box-ticking exercise — it must be structural. “Nothing for us without us” echoed throughout the seminar as a central principle of equity. Representation is needed everywhere decisions are made: exam boards, hubs, conservatoires, funding bodies, youth organisations, and the music industry itself.

Young creatives often thrive in grassroots environments only to encounter culture shock in formal or industry spaces that remain predominantly white and hierarchical. For many, progression is not linear but a patchwork of sideways moves, community networks, and self-driven learning. Yet these non-traditional pathways are rarely recognised by institutions that continue to privilege conventional routes.

The panel’s message was clear: meaningful representation, fair pay, and transparent progression routes are essential if the next generation of Black musicians and educators are to flourish.

Grassroots Spaces as Engines of Change

While institutions lag behind, grassroots organisations quietly model the future of music education. They offer culturally competent teaching, trauma-informed practice, and spaces where young people can see themselves reflected. They centre belonging before output, and community before hierarchy.

These environments are doing high-impact, transformative work — often with limited funding and limited recognition. The seminar highlighted an uncomfortable truth: formal institutions frequently rely on grassroots innovation while failing to change their own structures. This imbalance must shift.

Safety, Trauma and Belonging

Belonging is not a “nice to have.” It is foundational to learning. Young Black people cannot feel safe in spaces where they never see themselves represented. Trauma-informed practice — when it is culturally grounded rather than generic — helps rebuild trust and psychological safety. Without this, inclusion efforts remain superficial.

Facing the Future with Honesty and Courage

The sector is entering a volatile period: political backlash against DEI, funding cuts, and institutional fatigue threaten to undo years of progress. But there are also opportunities — including new economic research on the value of Black music and the potential for stronger grassroots–university partnerships.

The seminar closed with a powerful reminder: Black music drives global culture; education consumes it without honouring it; and representation is the only route to lasting change. Progress will require courage, accountability, and collective commitment. The question, “Where are we now?” matters — but the real work lies in where we choose to go next.

What’s Next

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing a round-up of earlier sessions from our Spotlight On Inclusion series — a chance to revisit the ideas, challenges and community knowledge that have shaped the work so far.

If you’d like to explore these conversations in full, MEC members can access recordings of past seminars, including any you may have missed. Membership also gives you free access to upcoming sessions, including our next event, “Intersectionality: The Wider Conversation,” on 29th January, 2026. We offer a range of membership options to suit individuals, organisations and students, so there are flexible ways to get involved and stay connected. More details here: https://www.musiceducationcouncil.org.uk/join-us

There’s a lot unfolding in the sector right now, and these conversations help us stay honest about where we are and what needs to change. We’ll share more soon.