Student comments on our times
My name is Ariah Clarke, a 3rd year Criminology and Political Science student. I wanted to reach out to you in regard to the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet in Toronto, the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless more, as well as how this connects to our campus culture.
First and foremost, a few words to describe how I have been feeling the past few days are: sad, exhausted, angry and defeated. As a Black woman witnessing this past week's events, conversations and media, they have been tiring to say the least. You might ask, "why not just turn it off?" I don't have the luxury of turning it off and having it be an effective means of ignoring the injustices against Black people. I wake up everyday and must face the reality that people will treat me differently because of the colour of my skin, even when the issue of racism is not in the news cycle.
The Black community in North America and around the world have been screaming that our lives matter, yet no one seems to hear us. Black bodies continue to be brutalized by the system that is meant to protect us ALL. At a deeper level and most commonly seen in Canada, Black individuals face anti-Black racism and prejudice in public institutions such as healthcare, education, housing and employment. The University of Windsor is not immune or innocent. I have personally experienced anti-Black racism and microaggressions from SACR faculty members and fellow students. It would be incredibly unfair and a great failing of the SACR department to stay silent at a time like this where tensions are high and there are individuals that are continually trying to silence the Black community's cries for equity and simply to be seen and heard. I have been told since I can remember that I must work 10x harder to get where I would like to be as a result of something out of my control. It is heavy. It hurts. My experience is not new or singular to me.
I also wanted to make the distinction that this is not an issue for people of colour. It is an issue for Black individuals - and there is a great difference. I encourage you to educate yourself and others on that distinction, why it's important and going forward, be intentful when addressing instances of racism and marginalization against Black students.
The University released a statement today that was empty, tone-deaf and unsupportive of the Black student population to say the least. It saddens me that this is the stance that a post-secondary institution that prides itself in being diverse and "committed" to accommodating and providing a safe space for its students to learn, has taken. As a Black student, supported and seen are the last things I feel after reading that statement.
Racism and prejudice are rampant on the University of Windsor campus in lecture halls, faculty offices and everywhere in between. I think it is important for the SACR department to be on the right side of this and not only think about what it is doing to combat these injustices, but be decisive and actionable in taking steps to support Black students. It is important for all of us to unlearn biases and behaviours that have been ingrained in our society since the inception of our modern world. I encourage you to get uncomfortable, be open to being challenged and viewing, learning and teaching from an intersectional frame of mind.
Speaking up about anti-Black racism and injustices can be done in a number of ways. It does not always mean protesting in the streets or posting about it on social media to raise awareness. It can look like recognizing one's own privilege, calling out loved ones, having tough conversations with friends and coworkers and using instances of injustice as teachable moments. Let others leave conversation with new perspectives. It is my hope that you implore your non-Black and non-POC faculty especially, to recognize their privilege and become allies while working harder to create safe spaces for everyone, but especially for Black students to learn and enjoy their time with members of the department. Additionally, I ask that you encourage faculty members to recognize their privilege and use it to teach in order to slowly, but surely, educate more non-Black and non-POC individuals.
Ariah Clarke
Criminology/Political Science B.A. (Hons.) Candidate
University of Windsor