Universities and Colleges Pledge to Address Anti-Black Racism on Campuses

Forty-six Canadian universities and colleges signed a charter that is the result of a year-long collaboration amongst schools addressing anti-Black racism.

Back in October 2020, the University of Toronto organized a two-day conference called the National Dialogues and Action for Inclusive Higher Education and Communities. This conference aimed to tackle anti-Black racism in Canadian universities and colleges and have these schools work together to create an action plan moving forward to foster Black inclusion in education. After a year of collaboration, the Scarborough Charter was created. Forty-six Canadian universities and colleges signed this charter on November 18, 2021 to demonstrate their commitment to creating structural changes in schools.

What is the Scarborough Charter?

The Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education: Principles, Actions, and Accountabilities is a 22-page document that requires the schools that have signed to commit to certain principles as they create an action plan for their campus to foster Black inclusion.

The goal of this charter is to promote Black flourishing on campuses. The practice of Black flourishing means that Black students, faculty, and community members feel a sense of belonging at their school where they are represented in the curriculum, the school's mission, and community, so that they can continue to thrive and grow.

Key principles of the Scarborough Charter

Part of the requirements for signing the Scarborough Charter are that the schools must strive to follow these four principles:

Black Flourishing:

Universities and colleges play a crucial role in helping to remove structural barriers to equity, inclusion, and social justice while recognizing the diversity in their institutions.

Inclusive Excellence:

Inclusive excellence is each post-secondary institution's ability to recognize that education is filled with equity, diversity, and inclusion. This encompasses a school's ability to educate, innovate, be proactive in crises, and to enable social transformation.

Mutuality:

Mutuality is the university or college's acknowledgement that there is a connection of communities locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally that surrounds and embodies their institutions. Universities and colleges should recognize their responsibility to these Black communities and work towards a positive, interactive relationship with them. This mutuality includes the role that schools can assume in Black community economic development, especially as community institutions and employers.

Accountability:

Universities and colleges must make a commitment to ongoing education, self-education, and action built on consultative processes. Schools must move beyond mere representation and create sustained improvements to support their community by providing an inclusive space across the institution's structures, policies, and procedures.

What does this mean for you?

If you attend one of these universities or colleges that have signed this charter, then you should expect to see some changes on campus soon. Some possible changes you may see are changes to the curriculum, adding more Black authors and scholars; specific courses dedicated to Black scholars, theorists, and historians; more engagement with the school's communities; and much more.

Where can you learn more about the Scarborough Charter?

For more information, check out the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education: Principles, Actions, and Accountabilities. Forty-six universities and colleges have signed this charter, with more expected to sign in the near future, endorsing the principles, actions, and accountabilities.

See if your school is on the list below, and if it isn't, reach out and ask why!