In 1966, the United Nations declared March 21 the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, in honour of the victims of the Sharpeville Massacre of South Africa six years before.
This past Tuesday marked the 40th anniversary of the UN’s declaration, and celebrations could be found in every corner of the U of T campus.
A campus-wide festival of music aptly titled Sounds of Change featured short musical performances by U of T students, staff, and faculty at five different campus locations throughout Tuesday afternoon.
Even university president David Naylor got involved by playing jazz at University College’s Reznikoff’s Café.
“[He] knows how to engage the audience,” said Nouman Ashraf, anti-racism and cultural diversity officer at the Office of the Vice-President, and principal organizer of the festival.
University faculty and staff members appeared very enthusiastic about participating.
“The festival allowed for the identity of these faculty members to come out beyond what is normally seen,” explained Ashraf.
He organized the festival with two purposes in mind. One was to show that social change could be implemented through a variety of media, including music. “Pop culture can have social relevance as well,” he said.
Ashraf also wanted to offer anti-racism events that were fun and accessible to busy people. To that end, not only were events spread out in popular locations across campus, but admission was free. Donations were encouraged, however, with all proceeds going to Regent Park Music School.
While turnout varied depending on location, student responses were terrific.
It was “overwhelmingly positive to see people discover the importance of music,” said Ashraf.
“The festival was a reminder that anti-racism work can be fun,” said Ashraf. “It was particularly important to remind people of this in light of [the recent events that have occurred on campus].”
