Anti-Asian racism in the wake of the first lockdown in Wuhan was explicit and vile and continues in places. More recently, the outbreak of war in Ukraine left hundreds of Black students trapped as millions of people became refugees fleeing the war. The racism was overt and disgraceful. It revealed a social order where Black students in Ukraine were immediately marginalized and found themselves at the very bottom of the social hierarchy. It was so bad, and so explicit, that an international coalition and network of individual helpers who observed this on the news organized to help these students.
This network, of which I was a participant, has been effective in helping some of these students and continues to do so. The University of Ottawa created an emergency admissions task force that has reviewed approximately 100 applications of displaced African students who were studying in Ukraine. To date, at least seven displaced students have been admitted to uOttawa and this task force continues its outreach efforts to others who have been affected. I am proud of the work that the international coalition is doing, and proud of our uOttawa community for taking concrete action and rising to this occasion to fight anti-Black racism.
The situation on campus is changing rapidly as we see restrictions being lifted and mandates suspended. This spring is full of in-person activities and, for the first time in two years, we will have spring convocation in person with all the emotions and celebrations that brings. We will be gathering in our public spaces and practicing inclusive excellence as we renew our interpersonal skills. I look forward to being with you in these spaces, and I invite you to come visit the Office of Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence, located in UCU 301B.
In addition to travelling internationally to assist Black students displaced by war, the Special Advisor, Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence has been busy fulfilling our mandate. The final report is well underway and will summarize the recommendations of the working groups and committees that contributed to the work done over the past year-and-a-half. It will propose solutions that reflect the four priorities areas that were entrusted to our Office and will review the many accomplishments already contributing to a better and more inclusive experience on campus for all members of our community. We are also meeting with each faculty to document their anti-racism plans and achievements over the past year. The larger portrait of everything that is going on is very encouraging, and we need to maintain and increase this momentum and be catalysts for sustained cultural change!
The Office of the Special Advisor is partnering with UOSU, GSAED, APUO, and APTPUO to launch an anti-racism awareness campaign that aims to bring visibility and solidarity to fighting racism in all its forms. In my consultations with the various unions, I was pleased with their engagement and how important this work is to them and to their members. From these discussions, a principal slogan emerged that matched the energy of our collective intentions: Fight racism, together. The impact of occupying the public space on campus with anti-racism messages is going to bring our conversations and actions to the next level.
The Office of the Special Advisor is open to the public and will be the central organizing space for the anti-racism campaign this fall. We invite the entire University community to take advantage of this safe space in the heart of the University (UCU 301-B). Come visit us and talk about how you can get involved in the fight against racism! We MUST stand together and merge our collective efforts to forge a more inclusive environment on our campus and lead by example.
Updates from the Special Advisor
Gaëlle Faye joined the Office of the Special Advisor on April 11 as a communications and special projects officer. We are very grateful that Gaëlle has taken on this challenging role, and we look forward to her contributions.
With the help of the Web Perspectives Project team, the Office of the Special Advisor has launched a new website, so please have a look around while you are here!