A Deeper Look at the Anti-Black Racism on Campus

by: Donneyha Ellis Geohagen

A series of racially charged incidents, the establishment of an anti-Black racism task force, the sudden departure of the University of Windsor’s Vice-President of Student Experience. It would appear there’s a problem with race at UWindsor.

This semester I will be taking a look at racism at the University of Windsor. My reporting will cover the broad efforts administration is undertaking, such as the work of the task force. I will assess its effectiveness in combating not just overt anti-Black racism, but also the micro-aggressions Black and other People of Colour face on campus.

But experiencing racism is not a new phenomenon for Black, Indigenous and other People of Colour (BIPOC) students on campus, however. I will look into the systems and the forces that led to the situation at UWindsor and you will hear from students who are disappointed with the response of the University and have other ideas of how anti-Black racism should be dealt with. I will also be reaching out to the University administration to give them a fair hearing in describing what the strategy is to make UWindsor a more inclusive and welcoming community.

I welcome your comments and suggestions. Email me, ellisge@uwindsor.ca.