Black at SMU
Written by Nathan Robichaud
Photos by Jeremy Hebb
The year 2020 already feels like a roller coaster threatening to veer off of its rickety tracks and into chaos. On top of the pandemic, the ugliest parts of humanity have not faded into the background. Anyone watching news coverage of the protests following the murder of George Floyd will find this abundantly clear. These are important protests which confront the abysmal treatment of black Americans within the United States, particularly regarding police brutality and other instances of systemic oppression. The voice against racial injustice against the black community is being echoed beyond Minneapolis as many around the globe— including substantial protests here in Halifax— are speaking out and refusing to remain silent.
I spoke to Asha Graham, former SMUSA VP of Student Affairs, who shared her experiences and opinions as a black student from Antigua. In our conversation, we discussed several actions that students can take to show solidarity and to speak out against racial injustice.
Don’t assume racism isn’t on campus
Be vigilant, campus racism isn’t always overt and often takes the form of microaggressions. Even if you are not experiencing it directly, recognizing that your student experience is not universal can lead you to being better prepared. If you are in a position to speak out against racism of any kind, please do. Whatever discomfort the experience causes you is probably minimal compared to the individual experiencing the situation directly. If you’re afraid to do so, tell a friend and approach the situation together.
Even if you are never in a position to intervene, acknowledging that racism can exist on campus promotes a culture where individuals are not afraid of sharing their experiences and recognizes there is a problem that has to be addressed.
Hold yourself and others accountable
If someone you know was a victim of police violence, would you seek justice? If so, consider having the tough conversations with your friends and family when they say something harmful about racialized minorities.
This also means pressuring institutions to ensure services the black community needs are available to them. Although Saint Mary’s has recently employed its first African Nova Scotian/Black Student and Community Liaison to better serve its student body, students of the black community feel there are more issues to be addressed. Several students, for one, have mentioned they would feel more comfortable speaking to a councillor who shared similar lived experiences unique to the black community; however, this is not yet an option at the university's Counselling Centre.
Make an effort
If you feel motivated to do something about systemic oppression, there are several actions that can be taken to help change materialize.
Check in with your black friends. Experiencing racial injustice or seeing it done to others, can be isolating and hard to deal with.
Educate yourself and others on how to help the black community and the experiences they live through.
Support the black community however you can (show up at protests, donate to community organizations, etc).
Hold those with power accountable by demanding action.
Avoid posting graphic violence on social media.
Don’t get comfortable once coverage slows down.
A lot of actions can be pursued to make a difference, but the desire to help starts with a degree of human understanding. That is why it’s important to educate yourself on the instances of oppression members of the black community face regularly.
Although it may seem convenient to ask black people in your life for information on these issues, you shouldn’t assume that they are experts on black issues or that they are comfortable sharing their experiences with you. It can be difficult for an individual to relive a traumatic instance in order to recount their lived experience. As there are a number of resources available online that can help you understand what it means to be black, consider seeking these out. Many of these resources are being circulated on social media right now.
The SMU Journal actively denounces systemic oppression and racism on and off-campus.