The Black Students’ Network (BSN) believes that McGill’s Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism is a good start to addressing systemic and anti-Black racism, but that the group will continue to work with members of McGill’s Black communities and the administration to ensure its effective implementation. On Sept. 30, McGill[Read More…]
Tag: racism
Quebec’s racist health care system needs reform
On Sept. 28, Joyce Echaquan, an Atikamekw woman and mother of seven, livestreamed the moments before her death at Joliette Hospital. The widely-shared video shows hospital staff making racist comments towards Echaquan, and sparked outrage across the country. The horrific situation highlights the deep flaws inherent in the Canadian health[Read More…]
McGill begins Black History Month celebrations with Opening Ceremony
McGill held its fourth annual Black History Month Opening Ceremony at the Faculty of Law on Feb. 3. The event was a collaboration between the Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Christopher Manfredi, the Black Students’ Network of McGill (BSN), and the McGill African Students’ Society (MASS). The ceremony[Read More…]
SPHR hosts talk to explore the presence of racism in Quebec
The Islamic Studies Library hosted “Islamophobia as Racism,” on Jan. 31, a talk that focussed on the phenomena of racialization and racism, especially with regard to Muslim women. Organized by the Students in Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) McGill and the World Islamic and Middle East Studies Student Association[Read More…]
Anti-immigrant sentiments hurt Quebec
Following through on campaign promises made by premier François Legault, the Quebec government proposed long touted changes to the Quebec Experience Program (PEQ) on Nov. 1. The PEQ is a provincial program that offers immigrants to Quebec who are studying at an educational institution fast track to permanent residency following[Read More…]
Don Cherry is a symptom of a larger problem
Don Cherry is known for many things: His wacky suits, strong opinions, and unfortunately, over the years, a series of racist remarks. On Nov. 9, Cherry added to the list of reasons why he should no longer have a public platform with a rant claiming that immigrants do not wear[Read More…]
Reflections on racism from the election
The 2019 federal election was my first experience voting. When I was a child, voting seemed like a distant, adult future; growing up outside of Canada also made that future seem more inaccessible, because my participation in Canadian political issues was always online, thousands of kilometres away. But finally, this[Read More…]
Addressing hate is a collective action
On March 28, the Quebec government tabled its proposed secularism law, which would bar anyone working in the public sector in a ‘position of authority’—including bus drivers and teachers—from wearing visible religious symbols such as the hijab and kippah. Like the failed 2013 Charte des Valeurs , Bill 21 is[Read More…]
Black History Month highlights racism in Canada
As part of McGill’s Black History Month 2019, the Black Students’ Network of McGill (BSN) and Black Law Students’ Association of McGill (BLSAM) hosted a panel titled “Racism and Systemic Discrimination: The Canadian Context” on Feb. 4 to shed light on the realities of black lives in Canada. Moderated by[Read More…]
Reflecting on the Quebec mosque shooting two years later
I remember crying when I first heard about the Quebec City Mosque shooting. I saw the faces of my father, my uncles, and my friends in the faces of the victims. I remember asking how this could have happened in a country that claims to value immigrants and diversity. I[Read More…]
