On October 2, the McGill Desautels Faculty of Management hosted a panel titled "Addressing Anti-Black Racism: Strategies for Integration in the Classroom," aimed at fostering inclusive learning environments and addressing anti-Black racism. Organized by the Desautels EDI Team, the event featured speakers Professor Anicet Fangwa (Strategy Organization), Brittany Williams (Assistant Dean (Students) & Dean’s Lead, Black and Indigenous Flourishing), and Antoine-Samuel Mauffette Alavo (McGill Black Student Liaison). Stephen De Four-Wyre, McGill Desautels’ new Anti-Black Racism Lead, moderated the discussion.
Open to students, staff, and faculty, the panel drew in over 60 attendees and opened with remarks Yolande Chan, Dean of the Faculty of Management, leading into a discussion focused on practical approaches to integrating ABR within classrooms. The panel, led by Black faculty, researchers, and staff sharing personal and professional experience, featured a dynamic and impassioned dialogue which drew attention to various practical strategies for addressing anti-Black racism, insights in potential challenges to classroom integration, and offered a deeper understanding of our Faculty’s commitment to inclusion.
The event featured a lively question and answer period which resulted in a thoughtful conversation about creating “brave spaces” within the Faculty where anti-Black racism can be confronted. In addition, practical strategies for recruiting prospective Black students were discussed as a critical aspect of changing the culture and enhancing diversity within the student body. Ensuring that students could “see” themselves at McGill Desautels and demonstrating a clear career path was highlighted as being essential.
The event was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback, sparking conversations that laid the groundwork for future initiatives to combat anti-Black racism at McGill Desautels. The themes discussed will contribute to McGill Desautels’ forthcoming ABR plan, which aims to complement the Faculty’s EDI Action Plan by increasing diversity among students and faculty and creating more networking and professional growth opportunities for Black students. These initiatives will be key focuses for the 2024-25 academic year.
The EDI team welcomes interest from community members who wish to join the McGill Desautels ABR Working Group. For details, please contact karrie-noelle.plohman [at] mcgill.ca (Karrie-Noelle Plohman), Associate Director - EDI. Additionally, Black History Month events are in the works for February 2025, including a community luncheon.
Article written by Karrie-Noelle Plohman, Associate Director, EDI
