Black Student Centre, Scarborough Charter
Sustaining hope: the ongoing journey of Black inclusion in higher education
911吃瓜 marked Black History Month with an in-conversation event featuring , Chair of the Scarborough Charter Inter-Institutional Forum and President and Vice-Chancellor of Carleton University, and Dr. Yabome Gilpin-Jackson, 911吃瓜鈥檚 Vice-President, People, Equity and Inclusion (VPPEI). The gathering brought together students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members and senior leaders to reflect on progress, name ongoing barriers and consider what it means to sustain hope through action.
Held February 19 at the First Peoples鈥� Gathering House, the morning opened with welcome, grounding and a territorial acknowledgement from Chris (Syeta鈥檟tn) Lewis, followed by opening remarks from Dr. Dilson Rassier, Provost and Vice-President, Academic, on behalf of President Joy Johnson. The event was emceed by Dr. Jennifer Kandjii, Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (Student Services), and featured melodic Afrobeat violin performances by .
Lewis welcomed attendees to the First Peoples鈥� Gathering House and underscored an important context for the conversation: the work of advancing Black inclusion in Canada cannot be separated from the ongoing realities, rights and leadership of Indigenous Peoples. Hosting the event in this space aligned with the gathering鈥檚 intent and signalled the kind of institutional leadership and solidarity at 911吃瓜.
鈥淎 continuous journey鈥�
In his opening remarks, Rassier emphasized that advancing equity in higher education is a long-term commitment, particularly given universities鈥� histories of exclusion for underrepresented groups, including Black communities. He pointed to sustained advocacy by Black students, faculty and staff as a driver of change and highlighted recent milestones at 911吃瓜, including the university鈥檚 commitment to the Scarborough Charter and the opening of the Black Student Centre.
From reckoning to action
Tettey began by thanking 911吃瓜 for its early role in the work that led to the Scarborough Charter, recalling student voices that insisted, 鈥淲e have something to contribute.鈥� He recognized those who invested time and energy even when they might not be the direct beneficiaries, calling it a powerful expression of the kind of citizenship institutions hope to cultivate.
He described 2020 as a 鈥渕oment of reckoning,鈥� when it was easy for institutions to issue statements about racism elsewhere without confronting inequities within their own communities. For Tettey, the Charter represented a shift from rhetoric to action and a renewed commitment to higher education鈥檚 鈥渟ocial compact鈥� with communities.
Academic freedom and belonging
Tettey also addressed the claim that inclusion initiatives are incompatible with academic freedom. Academic freedom, he argued, should expand inquiry and knowledge, not narrow it. He urged participants not to be discouraged by backlash, framing pushback as evidence that change is taking hold.
Sustaining hope through follow-through
In the moderated conversation, Gilpin-Jackson and Tettey returned to the event鈥檚 theme of hope, emphasizing that hope must be earned through integrity and consistent follow-through. Tettey cautioned that broken commitments could erode trust, particularly for those who advocate for institutional commitments in community spaces.
He closed by underscoring that accountability is shared and reflected in everyday decisions, including, 鈥渉ow we review curriculum, whom we hire, whom we mentor and how we resist reproducing the same familiar networks and patterns.鈥� He ended with a reminder that institutional values must endure, especially during challenging moments: 鈥淰alues are not seasonal. Values should endure.鈥�