A Statement of Solidarity and Commitment Against Anti-Black Racism from the Graduate Students of SAC UWindsor
As graduate students of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology at the University of Windsor, we would like to add our voices to those across the globe calling for an end to anti-Black racism, systemic discrimination, police brutality and social and structural inequalities that perpetuate and support anti-Black racism and white supremacy.
The persistence of anti-Black violence and discrimination have been brought to light once again with the recent murder of George Floyd by police officers in the U.S. and the suspicious death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet in the presence of police officers in Canada. These events have rightfully created outrage, anger, sadness and grief across the world. Among Black members of the University of Windsor community, they have no doubt been especially difficult. We condemn the inhumanity of these and all acts of anti-Black racism, cruelty, indignity and injustice, recognizing that structural inequality and racism have devastating effects.
As social scientists, we commit to and ask all students, faculty and staff of our own department and indeed all of the University of Windsor community, to condemn these acts and all acts of anti-Black racism. Furthermore, and importantly, we ask that everyone engage in self-reflection and do the work necessary to change the systems, policies, procedures and practices of our institution and communities that are part of the anti-Black racism that permeates all aspects of living, working, studying, playing and more.
We must be persistent, committed and engaged in our actions to make our department, campus and community a site for solidarity with Black community members and a space for critical self-awareness. We need to demonstrate and also enact values of inclusion and solidarity and explicitly work against anti-Black racism and white supremacy.
We stand in solidarity with all those who are demonstrating across the world and all those working to condemn the historic and current anti-Black actions on the part of police forces, governments, institutions, businesses, citizens. We know that structural racism and discrimination pervade our social fabric and as social scientists, we commit ourselves to identify, document, analyze and work to eradicate anti-Black racism with strong opposition to its existence and effects.
We must address institutional racism at all levels of our societies. We must hold ourselves accountable for taking action in the form of amplifying Black voices in academia, advocacy, community organizations and grassroots action. We commit to listening and learning and working for meaningful change to address systemic racism.
In solidarity,
Jane McArthur, Sydney Chapados, Lauren Sharpley, Bridget Nicholls, Celina Badlu, Sarah Yalda, Rebecca Linzner, Ayesha Mian Akram, Haley Butti, Michaela Gubesch, Megan Hemstreet, Sankajaya Nanayakkara, Bailey Trotti, Abigail Baah, Sarah Shaver
If you are a graduate student in Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology at University of Windsor and would like to add your name in an endorsement of this statement, please contact the Department.