U of T was not always a Black-inclusive institution. While its doors were initially open to Black students, segregationist laws introduced in the late seventeenth century and early twentieth century declared that Black students were no longer welcome to attend. It took years of struggle and resistance from courageous, determined Black students to pave a way for future marginalized students to pursue their education comfortably. 

Yet, many of us still feel isolated and alienated in a school with only 5.97 per cent of students identifying as Black. The sense of community students feel at U of T is the anchor tying students to this institution. This is especially true for Black students, who remain marginalized in Western post-secondary institutions. 

I believe that student clubs are a primary space where we can find community, a sense of belonging, and a space to celebrate our culture, combating the isolation that can come with being marginalized. U of T should support and invest in such spaces by providing increased funding to Black student clubs.

Entering my first year in 2024, I searched U of T for a Black student club to participate in, which is something I’d never done before. I found clubs like the Black Students Association (BSA), Black in Stem (BIS), and the African Students Association (ASA), but never truly felt like I belonged in any one club. This year, I felt a little more at home when I applied to be an executive member of a fairly new club, the Eritrean and Ethiopian Students Association (EESA). 

Black History Month marks the middle of the winter semester here at U of T, and after almost two semesters as an EESA executive, I’ve learned that having a student space specific to one’s cultural background is one of the most valuable aspects of a large, multicultural institution like U of T. It doesn’t create segregation or exclusion; it promotes equity and diversity. In fact, to deny people’s unique heritage and conflate the different components of the Black community would be doing them an injustice.

There is so much to gain as a Black student participating in a club that represents a specific community. These clubs foster friendships, connections within your program and future career, and make practical use of skills like event management, public speaking, marketing, and much more. Most importantly, they are an opportunity for students to learn and become further integrated into their own culture. As a minority, I feel that it’s easy to feel like you’re losing your identity by trying to fit in, or have no sense of one. Having a space that recognizes and strengthens your identity is invaluable.

I believe that U of T still has a long way to go in recognizing and appreciating its population of Black students. One way to do so is to offer more support to Black student clubs. As a club executive, I see the realities of operating behind the scenes. Unfortunately, smaller clubs — as cultural clubs often tend to be — receive less funding in comparison to course unions. For instance, course unions receive funding annually from their respective departments or colleges, even before applying for other funding opportunities. This is a form of support that many cultural clubs like EESA do not receive. 

EESA aims to forge a space for Eritreans and Ethiopians like myself to come and enjoy their time at U of T with each other and to bolster academic success. We don’t believe students should have to pay to participate in such events and opportunities. The University of Toronto Students’ Union’s policies often make it difficult for us to create the space that we want to see, especially since funding is prioritized for clubs that “have developed or are developing a consistent source of revenue that reduces or will reduce the expenses to which the UTSU is being asked to pay for.” 

Alternative funding options exist, but from my experience on the EESA, these options consist of long, difficult processes to secure the money we need to support our club, several of which involve reimbursement policies. Many student club executives end up spending out of pocket with no guarantee of being reimbursed in full. U of T should be doing more to support cultural clubs, and through them, support its own students.

Cultural clubs are more powerful than they are given credit for. They are significant politically, historically, and globally. When countries are divided, wars are waged, and conflicts surge, students remaining united in cultural clubs is a sign of hope. Participating in such communities is not only important to me, but will be to every student after me, as well.

Black History is actively created every day on campus through student cultural clubs.

Nardos Wakjira is a second-year psychology major. She is also the Opinion Section’s Campus Affairs Columnist and an executive member of the Eritrean and Ethiopian Students Association.