SUBMERGE MYSELF SERIES

What has been particularly frustrating in this work is the “polite racism” so typical of Canada. For example, I worked to create an obligatory inclusivity statement for the faculty to include in all course syllabi. I decided to create an anti-racism committee for graduate students in the faculty of social sciences and I called on my department to address racism in our classes and on our campus. These results disturbed me and indicated a need for action. Indeed, when asked if they ever reported an incidence of racism, 94 percent responded no! Students felt that reporting racism “causes more repercussions/problems” or is “pointless.” Our survey found that 47 percent of respondents reported having experienced racism during their postgraduate studies and 65 percent reported being unsure if their academic institution has a formal reporting mechanism for incidences or acts of racism. I was not alone in feeling like I couldn’t breathe, that I was being suffocated by white supremacy, through condescending and sarcastic remarks when discussing anti-Black racism in Canada. We weren’t believed if others around us “didn’t notice” or “weren’t a direct witness to it.” If we got angry or frustrated at not being believed, we were admonished not to take it so personally. Many of us had been told to minimize our experiences, to avoid conflict, to see our stories as an exaggeration of reality. Many of us had received messages that we shouldn’t question the racism that was targeted towards us. My objective was to provide a safe space and the opportunity for racialized students to express their thoughts and experiences in postsecondary institutions.

SUBMERGE MYSELF SERIES

Galvanized by this desire not to feel alone, I conducted a survey of 76 racialized students and administered a series of panel discussions for Black, Indigenous and other students of colour, led by me and other BIPOC students. Photo courtesy of the University of Ottawa. I, yet again, felt alone – alone in my thinking, alone in my academic journey, alone in my research vision. Despite a larger Black student body at the undergraduate level, I could see our dwindling numbers as I looked up the organizational hierarchy. I was one of a few Black graduate students being taught by many white professors. However, as the first semester progressed, I began to realize that my graduate school environment was ill-suited to helping me better understand the questions I was trying to answer.įirst and foremost, I observed a glaring disconnect between the student body and members of the faculty.

I began a PhD in sociology as a means to better understand why so many people in my life have “other’d” me, (mis)categorized me, or labeled me as not a “real Canadian,” challenging me to explain my heritage.Īs September 2019 rolled around and I began graduate school, I was eager to start this new journey, invested in succeeding in my courses and enthusiastic to pursue my research interests.

I have personally witnessed and experienced various forms of racial discrimination, racial stereotypes and social categorizations. However, as a woman of Caribbean descent, these ideas are nothing new. For some of my peers and colleagues, the last few months have been their first exposure to racial protest and the civil rights movement.

Submerge myself