U of M anti-racism task force calls for streamlined incident response

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This article was published 27/02/2023 (958 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A new report calls on the University of Manitoba to create a streamlined process for responding to incidents of racism and publish all events that happen both in-person and online spaces.

One year after it was formed, U of M’s first-of-its-kind anti-racism task force has released its initial findings, and issued seven recommendations to improve safety for all community members.

The authors tout the importance of defining measurable targets and developing clear accountability structures to uphold the university’s commitment to anti-oppression work.

“The task force is really mindful that many task force reports get done, and nothing really happens,” said Tina Chen, a history professor who was appointed executive lead of equity, diversity and inclusion at Manitoba’s largest post-secondary institute in early 2022.

“What I hope is quite different in this moment is that the reports that we’re seeing about anti-racism (now) are a result of broad-based community activism that is insisting the work be done,” she said Monday, noting the momentum that has been built around centralizing equity initiatives on campus in recent years is reason to be optimistic.

Senior administrators have established numerous working groups to outline ways to improve U of M’s approach to inclusion since a series of signs bearing the phrase, “It’s OK to be white” were posted on school buildings in 2018.

A now-defunct equity, diversity and inclusion committee, which was formed in 2019 and laid the groundwork for the latest task force, concluded an absence of co-ordination and underfunding resulted in EDI being perceived as a decentralized and devalued “side-project” across campuses.

Chen and her colleagues are prescribing a holistic approach, with the introduction of a universal policy overseen by the office of human rights and conflict management and promotes a trauma-informed response to incidents.

“(An overarching policy) is needed to create a campus environment that is physically and psychologically safe as well as free of all forms of racism and discrimination… It must be comprehensive in scope, going well beyond any one faculty, office or policy,” states an excerpt from the newly-released report.

The calls to action also include providing education for decision makers at all levels — from residence advisors to deans — on using an anti-racism lens on the job and collecting and releasing demographic data to identify and close diversity gaps.

Many students are unaware of when or how to disclose microaggressions, among other issues, Chen said, adding all employees should be able to “listen for understanding” without judgment and know about potential avenues to help an individual decide whether they want to take further action.

“Having a capacity to report is a way of empowering people and ensuring that their experiences are validated,” the professor said.

Chen indicated there is also potential for sustained and ongoing change by building equity assessments into policy creation and review processes, one of the report’s key recommendations.

Systemic inequities need to be acknowledged every time brainstorming begins and leaders must then think critically about how they are present in existing policies so new ones do not perpetuate gaps — “rather than just thinking that best practices are neutral,” she added.

Chen used Manitoba’s decision to roll out COVID-19 vaccinations in a way that prioritized Indigenous peoples, citing race-based data on health outcomes, as an effective example of how to do just that.

The task force’s interim recommendations, submitted in November, were released earlier this month. A final followup report is anticipated in the spring.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie