We must lead the Change
Our Vision is a united BIPOC coalition to support BIPOC academics, in all stages of their careers, through Education, Research and Advocacy by revealing how higher education functions to maintain Whiteness at the expense of high-quality research, community service and teaching.
As academics, we would be hard-pressed to provide historic or current examples of dominant groups within institutions giving up their sole ownership of privilege to others. Still, the BIPOC community is told by White academics and administrators, who overwhelmingly hold power within Canada’s universities, that they are committed to “difficult conversations”. The BIPOC community is assured by White administrators and academics that they will eventually “disrupt the status-quo” through such conversations. At the same time, “patience”, “resiliency” and White versions of “civility” are required of the BIPOC community, in spite of these “difficult conversations” primarily being challenging for the status quo.
In Canada, while the current discussions on Truth and Reconciliation, decolonization, and anti-racism are being discussed in the hallowed halls of higher education institutions, in the same breath one must also examine the characteristics of Whiteness in academia. The marginalized and often isolating lived experiences of BIPOC students, staff, and faculty are symptomatic of the White power structures that have long prevailed in higher education institutions. Through research and discussion, we at BIPOCAC aim to further define the features that are used to uphold this Whiteness in academia.
We believe that the BIPOC community must openly acknowledge that the status-quo will not lead the change. It is up to us to disrupt the status-quo through education, activism and research and foster awareness in Canadian society that their public universities lower the quality of research, community service and teaching through systemic racism.
These changes of racial equity in public universities will benefit all Canadians.
If you agree with our vision, and would like to become a member of our community, please click the “join” button below.