In the wake of an investigation that exposed hateful and bullying posts on social media, the University of Windsor is on board with a national plan of action.
The university is one of over 40 postsecondary institutions across Canada that has signed the Scarborough Charter, a 22-page document that requires schools to abide by certain forms of principles, while they work to fight anti-Black racism on campus.
Dr. Clinton Beckford, U of W's Acting Vice-President of Equity, Diversion, and Inclusion, calls the school's acceptance of the Charter a key step in addressing systemic racism.
"The Scarborough Charter has asked universities to commit to combating anti-Black racism and also ensuring Black inclusion on their campuses," said Beckford. "In terms of our own efforts as a university, we’ve been working hard the past couple of years to really transform our culture, and so I think this is a really good moment for us and I’m very, very happy that the University has decided to be a signatory to the Charter."
The Scarborough Charter was created as a result of a conference at the University of Toronto. In its preamble, the Charter strives to affirm the importance of higher learning, recall the legacy of Black people in Canada since pre-Confederation, and respond to existing pacts on human rights created by the United Nations and other entities. The Charter also appreciates the importance of public policy within the university community and recognizes the importance of addressing discrimination and racism.
U of W's acceptance of the Charter comes the week several students were sanctioned following an investigation into the Delta Chi fraternity. A series of online posts that were racist, sexist, and homophobic were tied to the fraternity. While U of W has described the punishment as significant, it has not disclosed the number of students involved, citing privacy concerns.
---with files from Maureen Revait
