Saint Mary’s University is joining universities and colleges across Canada to take action on anti-Black racism in the post-secondary sector. Saint Mary’s will join the University of Toronto and numerous others in a national dialogue taking place on October 1st and 2nd. This dialogue will be the first of a series of sessions called National Dialogues and Action for Inclusive Higher Education and Communities.
“This conversation is an important early step to a broader national discussion about the impacts of racism, and the actions we can take to address anti-Black racism,” says Deborah Brothers-Scott, Chair of Saint Mary’s University President’s Standing Committee on the Prevention of Racism. “I am confident that this series of dialogues will serve as a strong foundation for self-reflection as a sector and inform the systemic changes needed on the path towards equity.”
The sessions will discuss various topics and make recommendations on subjects such as access to post-secondary and ensuring success, supporting faculty and staff, inclusive learning, representation, and the best practices around race-based data.
A national coordinating committee will carefully review the conversations and recommendations and provide a charter of principles and actions for participating institutions. Saint Mary’s President Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray is a member of this committee and is actively supporting this work.
“Since I first came to Saint Mary’s University, I have embraced the diversity of our community as our strength,” says President Summerby-Murray. “This comes with the responsibility to do everything within my power to ensure we are supporting equitable opportunities and treatment for everyone in our community.”
“We are not without challenges in this regard, but these are challenges that we must work to address and overcome,” adds President Summerby-Murray. “This is why I have dedicated myself to this national initiative, in addition to my involvement with the education committee for BlackNorth, and our university’s standing committee on the prevention of racism.”
While Saint Mary’s has often engaged in discussions and dialogues on racism and discrimination against First Nations and persons of African descent, these efforts have been placed into sharp relief by the events of recent months, notably Black Lives Matter and the Anti-Black Racism movement. Saint Mary’s is fortunate to have significant faculty research expertise and community engagement, including through the Department of Social Justice and Community Studies. With support from their colleagues across the university and now recognized across the country, faculty members are leading meaningful and frank discussions of the challenges facing Canada, Nova Scotia, Halifax, and Saint Mary’s when it comes to racism, discrimination, and equity and the actions needed to address it. A prime example of this work is the rising prominence of these discussions at university events such as Homecoming and the event Back to the Classroom: Anti-Racism led by Dr. Rachel Zellars.
While faculty members are working to create change, the university also recognizes the importance of anti-racism action. Earlier this year, the university convened the President’s Standing Committee on the Prevention of Racism, a key recommendation of an earlier 2019 ad hoc committee. Among other recommendations from the ad hoc committee, the current committee has a key mandate to raise awareness and oversee the implementation of other recommendations, including:
the recent successful hiring of a full-time African Nova Scotian/Black Student & Community Liaison staff position, a role that will help better support Black students on campus;
education and training to ensure we can identify, report, investigate and respond to incidents of racialized discrimination on campus;
holding more workshops to help educate and combat racism;
a revision of the SMU Code of Conduct to ensure it clearly addresses issues of racism;
developing a retention strategy focused on Indigenous and racialized students; and
recruiting more racialized faculty and staff members.
Efforts have already begun with a series of listening sessions that have taken place and will continue through the Fall term to give the committee insight into the first-hand experiences of members of the SMU community. Similar to the national dialogues, these sessions form an essential part of the process to inform change.
Listening is only the first step; the university knows more action is needed.
To learn more about the upcoming sessions or share your feedback, comments, or questions, email The President’s Standing Committee on the Prevention of Racism at anti-racism@smu.ca. All emails are treated with the utmost confidentiality.
