Scholar Strike for Black Lives in Canada was held on September 9 and 10 to protest anti-Black murders by the police in the United States and in Canada.
According to their website: “We will be joining thousands of academics in higher education in a labour action known as Scholar Strike to protest anti-Black, racist and colonial police brutality in the United States, Canada and elsewhere. Scholar Strike for Black Lives in Canada will take place on September 9 and 10, 2020.
“For these two days, we will pause our teaching and all administrative duties. We will use this time to organize public digital teach-ins on police brutality and violence in our communities from both historical and contemporary perspectives.”
In a statement issued on yFile, Lisa Philipps, provost and vice-president academic, and Sheila Cote-Meek, vice-president equity, people and culture noted that York recognizes the importance of this social justice action. “We also recognize that many members of the York community, including faculty members, staff and students, experience anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism and other forms of racism or discrimination in their everyday lives.”
Theatre design professor Shawn Kerwin states, “It is impossible not to recognize the ongoing challenges the BIPOC community faces in all walks of life. This is an opportunity for those of us who have positions of privilege within an academic environment to be able to show solidarity.”
I know that if we do not adapt and learn new things, we will be much worse off. This is, in some ways, very exciting. But also painful for many.
When asked about the outcomes of this strike, Kerwin comments: “While I cannot speak for my students, and it was a very difficult decision not to meet with them, I hope these two days will provide a different kind of education, for all of us. I am grateful for the organizers who have created many teach-ins and discussion groups where we can come together.”
Gunes Agduk, a third-year theatre student, says, “I think the scholar strike is a necessary but small step in the fight for anti-racism and to abolish the police.
“I think students who are grumbling about the strike need to ask themselves why they’re not okay with two days of school disruption but totally okay being complicit in the continued murder of black members of our community by police.”
When asked about the future of education in the times that we are currently living in, Kerwin comments: “I do not know of one teacher who has not been working as hard as they can to help students face the upcoming school year. While it has been a huge and very stressful learning curve for myself, for a number of different reasons, I also recognize that I must be open to learning and thinking in new ways.
“I am as much a student as anyone else. I know that if we do not adapt and learn new things, we will be much worse off. This is, in some ways, very exciting. But also painful for many. I must be hopeful, I see no gain in not being hopeful.”
York aims to provide a safe, inclusive place to learn and work. The university strives to build a culture of respect, inclusivity and collaboration.
Philipps further stated: “As an institution dedicated to teaching and learning, we know that there is always more to understand, and that actively engaging with tough questions is part of how we can continue to improve the experience for the entire York community, both here and around the world.”
