(YAHOO) – The president of the National Union of Students has attacked the education system for being "institutionally racist" as she steps down from the role.
Universities must do more to ensure black women and working-class women reach positions of power and feel comfortable in them, Shakira Martin, the National Union of Students (NUS) president, said.
Speaking to The Independent, Ms Martin urged institutions to introduce more texts by black writers and to recruit more black lecturers as a way increasing diversity.
She argues racism on campus has also become more "overt" following the Brexit vote and said more universities needed to take a zero-tolerance approach.
The 31-year-old, who did not attend university, said: "We need to recognise that our education system is institutionally racist by default. It wasn't built for working-class or black people.
"It was built for these stale, white, pale men to go in and to get these top jobs and to go into politics and to become business leaders."