Heads of U of T’s colleges took a bold step Monday, saying that instead of only celebrating the UN’s day for the elimination of racism, they had a whole year of anti-racist education planned.
At a press conference held in the Innis College cafe, Innis principal Frank Cunningham credited professor emeritus Chandrakant Shah, from the faculty of medicine, with originating the idea for this yearlong initiative. Shah was the organizer of last year’s event held at Convocation Hall.
Afterwards, the college principals and Shah agreed that one day was not enough to address the issue. Victoria College principal David Cook said racism “is a concern that should go on throughout the year.”
Events will be organized at each of the colleges, usually in conjunction with other university groups such as student societies, academic departments, or administrative offices. Innis will host the first event in May.
Coinciding with the UN’s International Day for the Celebration of Asian Heritage, there will be a roundtable on stereotyping of people of Asian descent in a university context.
This type of event addresses what Cunningham believes is the most prevalent type of racism at U of T.
“The forms of racism at the university are systemic and unconscious,” he said, adding that dealing with this is “a matter of consciousness-raising, and sensitizing, and understanding.”
Events scheduled throughout the coming year include discussions on fundamentalism, post-colonialism, racism and national consciousness, policing, and more. Alongside the colleges, both the Scarborough and Mississauga campuses will be actively involved.
