UWindsor signs a national action plan to combat racism

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The University of Windsor joined with more than 40 universities and colleges across Canada to sign a national action plan to combat structural racism.

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UWindsor announced that it signed the groundbreaking Scarborough Charter on Thursday, a document that is seen as an important step in addressing equity and inclusion in Canadian postsecondary education.

“The signing of the Scarborough Charter is a really important step for the University of Windsor. I think we know the problems our society has had with racism against blacks, ”said Dr. Clinton Beckford, Acting Vice President for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at UWindsor.

“The Scarborough Charter has asked universities to commit to fighting racism against blacks and also to ensuring the inclusion of blacks on their campuses. In terms of our own efforts as a university, we have been working hard the last few years to really transform our culture, so I think this is a really good time for us and I am very, very happy that the university has decided to be a signatory to the letter “.

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Wisdom Tettey, vice president of the University of Toronto and director of the U of T Scarborough, said the Charter is the result of a year-long collaborative process that began during the first National Dialogues and Action for Higher Education and Inclusive Communities. held in October 2020. The two-day national forum focused on anti-black racism and the inclusion of blacks in Canadian higher education.

“We are signing the Scarborough Charter so that we can be responsible for fighting racism against blacks and building more equitable systems,” Tettey said.

The letter identifies key barriers to black inclusion and approaches to identifying and responding to them. It also contains concrete actions and accountability mechanisms for institutions to fulfill their promise to make structural and systemic changes.