Black On Campus U of G
Black students and allies protest in solidarity with Missouri and Yale
Across Canada and the United States, Nov. 18, 2015 marked a day of action and solidarity as students of colour and their allies assembled on campuses continent-wide to protest racism. At the University of Guelph, students of all backgrounds met at Branion Plaza to hear and witness black voices speaking out against experiences of on-campus systemic racism. Students shared their stories, using the hashtag #BlackOnCampusUoG, and addressed experiences of isolation, marginalization, and aggression experienced at every level of the community. Organized by the C.J. Munford Centre, a resource centre for racialized students, and hosted by Savannah Clarke and Yasmin Mumed, the organizers and their peers drafted a list of demands to be made of the University’s administration.
Over a hundred students of all backgrounds marched across campus and into the University Centre. The protesters unfurled a banner describing their solidarity with other campuses, then marched into the administration offices of the fourth floor to issue their demands to the university provost, Dr. Charlotte Yates. Demands included more funding for black students and black student-centred scholarships, increased and culturally-specific mental health resources and support, increased representation in the administration, teaching faculty, and student body, and complete severance from the prison-industrial complex.
Since the protest, the rally has faced a significant amount of backlash over social media platforms such as Yik Yak, Overheard at Guelph, and Live-Leak. Much of the criticism is focused on how the protesters delivered their message, rather than the message itself. If anything, the backlash only served to highlight the fact that the University of Guelph needs to have an honest discussion about racism and discrimination at large on campus.
The Ontarion reached out to President Vaccarino, the CSA communications and corporate affairs commissioner, Sonia Chwalek, and the C.J. Munford Centre for comment. The C. J. Munford Centre has not responded with a comment, but their Facebook page contains a statement released after the rally.