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Advancing YU empowers Black, women students

black women laptop

Advancing YU is a mentorship and scholarship program in York University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) that links Black and/or women third- and fourth-year students with experienced alumni mentors, and provides professional and personal development opportunities.

A critical component of the Advancing YU program is matching student mentees with alumni mentors who share identities and experiences, and who have faced similar barriers.

“By connecting them with alumni mentors who share aspects of their identities, and many of whom have navigated similar challenges, we provide contexts within which our participants can excel and where they receive supports to encourage success in their academic and professional pursuits,” says Michele Johnson, interim dean of LA&PS.

Advancing YU consists of two streams – Advancing Black Students and Advancing Women – and offers a $1,000 scholarship upon completion of the program requirements. The program has benefited over 300 LA&PS students since 2020.

“Advancing YU has been a game changer for our Black and women students, offering targeted mentorship and resources that are meant to address some of their specific needs and aspirations,” says Johnson.

Within the program, students are organized into “quartets” consisting of one mentor and three students. They are required to invest 40 hours total (10 hours per month) into meeting with their mentor, joining workshops and personal reflection.

The program has engaged over 70 mentors in the past three years and continues to provide accomplished Black and/or women mentors a platform to give back to the York U community.

Alumni mentor Anika Holder, vice-president of human resources at Penguin Random House Canada, had this to say about the program: “One of the reasons I wanted to participate in the Advancing YU program is because, at this point in my career, I felt it was time to reach back and lift up. It’s helpful [for students] to have a real-life example who can offer their thoughts and help them to uncover and shape their vision.”

Keisha Porter
Keisha Porter
Lynette Furtado
Lynette Furtado

Lynette Furtado, a past participant in Advancing YU who now works as a policy consultant and mental health advocate, calls the program transformative in helping her navigate post-graduation life.

“[It was] vital in allowing me to network and develop strong connections, while providing resources tailored to my needs,” Furtado says. “My mentor guided me in the complexities of the legal field and helped me explore paths available to me.”

Keisha Porter, a recent mentee in the Advancing Black Students stream, echoes that being accepted into the program was life changing, both professionally and personally.

“Aside from building great contacts and networks, this program has taught me how to show up and advocate for myself in a variety of situations and environments. As a result, I am empowered and prepared to face both future obstacles and victories.”

“This program exemplifies our commitment to supporting diverse groups within our community and creating pathways for the advancement of Black and women scholars,” says Johnson.

Advancing YU student applications are open now until Oct. 4. Students must be in their third or fourth year of study in an LA&PS program, with a minimum of 54 credits completed. To learn more and apply for the 2024-25 Advancing YU program, students can visit the Student Information page.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to share Advancing YU program information and the application deadline with students.

Study examines impact of Quebec’s Bill 21

The senior southeast Asian woman with hijab standing on the blue background

York University Professor Nadia Hasan, in collaboration with the National Council of Canadian Muslims, has published a new study called “Social Discord and Second-class Citizenship” that examines how legislation passed in Quebec has negatively impacted the lives and careers of Muslim women.

Nadia Hasan
Nadia Hasan

Bill 21, a legislation enacted in 2019, prohibits Quebec public servants – teachers, law enforcement officers, prosecutors and others – from wearing religious symbols like the hijab, turban or kippah while at work.

Given the implications of the bill, Hasan, who joined York U’s School of Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies last year, sought to better understand the impact the bill has had on the lives of Muslims and other religious minorities in Quebec since its inception.

After conducting in-depth interviews with 10 Muslim women, surveying 411 Quebec Muslim women and 750 other individuals in the general Quebec population, and drawing on information from Canadian market research company Abacus Data, a clear conclusion – shared in the published study – emerged: “Bill 21 systematically corners Muslim women into vulnerable positions as second-class citizens,” says Hasan. “This study is one of the largest of its kind and it contributes to a mounting body of evidence that illustrates the clearly damaging and harmful impacts of Bill 21.”

Per the findings in the report, Muslim women are experiencing heightened levels of stress and discriminatory treatment from colleagues due to the legislation, in ways that leave many facing a difficult decision between their religious beliefs and their professional careers.

“This important study provides compelling evidence for the real and negative impact of Law 21 on Muslim women living in Quebec, especially regarding access to the job market and career advancement opportunities, mental health, rise in verbal and physical aggressions, and gender equality,” says Professor Amelie Barras from the Department of Social Science, who was an external advisory committee member on the study.

“When you take away people’s rights, when you legislate and legitimize discrimination against them, it is not surprising to find that their lives have deteriorated in multiple ways,” says Hasan 

The negative impact of the bill isn’t limited to individuals, either, the study finds. As many Muslim women are contemplating relocating from the province to seek better opportunities elsewhere, this potential exodus could result in billions of dollars of income loss for Quebec.

“The study shows that these negative consequences are far from being limited to women working in public services affected by the law, but extend to Quebec society at large, affecting both public and private sectors,” says Barras.

The study ends with 11 recommendations to help mitigate the impact of Bill 21, but for Hasan, the hope is the report will help advance what she believes is the most important outcome. “The only real solution is to repeal it,” she says.

York University professor champions arts of the Indian Ocean

Toy boat on a map of the Indian Ocean BANNER

For centuries, the Indian Ocean has been a vital maritime highway, facilitating the movement of people, goods and ideas across a vast region stretching from East Africa to Southeast Asia. Yet the artistic legacies born from these cross-cultural exchanges remain relatively understudied compared to other parts of the world. Zulfikar Hirji, a professor of anthropology at York University, is on a mission to change that.

This past April and May, Hirji co-organized the pioneering Arts of the Indian Ocean conference, which brought together 75 scholars, artists and curators from diverse backgrounds to explore the region’s rich artistic heritage across mediums, geographies and eras.

Zulfikar Hirji
Zulfikar Hirji

“The Indian Ocean constitutes one of the world’s most historic hubs of maritime trade and artistic exchange, but it remains one of the most understudied areas in terms of the arts,” says Hirji. “Scholars and artists working in and on the region provide vital insights into how it has been continually shaped by aesthetic and material exchanges.”

The conference’s wide-ranging program reflected the Indian Ocean region’s incredible cultural diversity. Presentations spanned topics such as Indonesian textiles, Japanese majolica tiles influenced by the Indian independence movement and the monumental Arabic inscriptions of royal palaces in East Africa.

“We had papers covering everything from ceramics to digital arts, from prehistory up to the contemporary period, from East Africa all the way to Japan,” Hirji says. “It really gave a sense of the vibrancy and depth of artistic production across the region over centuries.”

Notably, the conference prioritized including voices and perspectives from the Global South, breaking from the tradition of knowledge about the region being produced primarily from a northern viewpoint. Participants hailed from countries including India, Singapore, Mauritius and Mozambique.

“It was unprecedented in terms of the partnerships we built across Toronto to fund and host this event,” notes Hirji, citing collaborators such as the University of Toronto, the Aga Khan Museum and the Royal Ontario Museum. “Having that diversity of perspectives was crucial.”

A key theme was the threat climate change poses to the Indian Ocean’s cultural heritage and coastal communities. Several artists raised concerns about rising seas, erosion and flooding putting historic sites and traditions at risk of being lost forever without documentation and conservation efforts.

“These are issues that artists in the region are really grappling with,” Hirji says. “Their work sounds an alarm about the need to address these environmental impacts before it’s too late.”

Looking ahead, Hirji hopes to establish the conference as a biennial event and publish an edited volume of selected papers to further scholarly engagement with Indian Ocean arts. But most of all, he wants to inspire more research and creative work illuminating the region’s incredible cultural riches.

“The Indian Ocean world has been a crucible of creativity for millennia,” Hirji says. “By bringing greater attention to its artistic legacies, we can better understand the diverse societies that have shaped human history across this vast maritime region.”

Arnold Auguste reflects on career spent sharing marginalized voices

Arnold Auguste

By Lindsay MacAdam, communications officer, YFile

At York University’s Spring Convocation ceremony on the morning of June 20, an honorary degree was presented to Arnold Auguste, president and publisher of the newspaper Share, which has been serving the Greater Toronto Area’s Black and Caribbean communities since 1978.

Born and raised in Trinidad, Auguste always had a fondness for Canada, so when he had the opportunity to move to Toronto in 1970, he didn’t hesitate. Two years later, a friend asked him if he would be interested in writing a column for community newspaper called Contrast, which covered issues affecting the Black community. And although writing was not something he had ever contemplated or felt capable of doing, he agreed. That was 52 years ago.

Pictured, from left to right: Chancellor Kathleen Taylor, Arnold Auguste, President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton.
Pictured, from left to right: Chancellor Kathleen Taylor, Arnold Auguste, President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton.

“Today, I am proud to say that I’m a journalist,” said Auguste. “But this profession found me; I didn’t go looking for it.”

Growing up in Trinidad, Auguste naturally gravitated towards news media. He had access to three daily newspapers and three weekend tabloids, and he read every one. “I never, in my wildest dreams, thought I would ever write for one – let alone own one,” he admitted.

As Auguste became more involved with Toronto’s Black community, he learned that people were raising funds to provide university scholarships for ambitious youth. He felt a pull to pursue that path, to gain the skills necessary to help him tell the stories of his community in the most compelling way possible. “I felt that if stories needed to be told, they needed to be told well,” he said. “So I entered university to study journalism, where I had the privilege of learning from some of the best people in the business.”

After completing his studies, Auguste worked briefly as an editor at two Black community newspapers, before differences of opinion led to a parting of ways and to Auguste’s eventual decision to start his own publication. Looking to provide a forum where important issues affecting his community could be discussed and debated, he launched Share.

“I never wanted to own a newspaper,” he said, “but if I was to continue working in the Black community, I didn’t see another option.”

Before long, Share took over the market, and the other two publications went out of business.

Auguste was adamant that his newspaper would be free; that it would only publish positive news; that it would not accept any advertising that wasn’t in the best interests of its readers; and that it would not accept government funding. “If the paper was to be successful, it should be supported by the readers,” he believed. And supported it was.

Over the years, Auguste has considered closing his paper several times, but each time that decision has been met with resistance from its steadfast supporters. Last year, he decided again that, after 45 years, it was time to cease publication. This time, he didn’t tell anyone – “I thought I would just sneak out the back door and nobody would notice,” he said.

After the first few weeks, people started calling to find out why they couldn’t find the paper anywhere. Then, the number of calls increased. Eventually, people began offering financial support, thinking that was the reason for the shutdown. Others said they were willing to start paying for the paper that had been free for 45 years. The community had spoken: Share wasn’t going anywhere.

“This experience has instilled in us a renewed sense of Share‘s relevance,” said Auguste, finally realizing how critical his publication is to his community.

With people of colour now working in important positions in Canadian media, academia, the labour movement, police services, the medical profession, as lawyers and judges, at every level of government and in just about every walk of life, Share‘s role, Auguste explained, is to honour those who sacrificed to make that happen.

“As a dear friend reminded me,” said Auguste, “if our history is not written, it is as though we did not exist. Share proves that we existed.”

To conclude his speech, Auguste left graduands with some sage words of advice.

“You have been educated by one of the top universities in the world,” he said. “You are ready to take your place among the movers and shakers. Accept the challenge. Go forward with confidence in yourself and in your training. Be good people. Be honest people. Be kind. Be generous of spirit. Live a life of purpose and help make this world a better place.”

Indigenous students share reflections on National Indigenous Peoples Day

Banner National Indigenous Peoples Day

National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day are times of celebration and reflection. The month signifies the opportunity to welcome learning as well as come together to build connections between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

Each year on June 21, the cultural richness and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people are celebrated. In the spirit of reflection, two Indigenous students who are a part of the York University community have shared what Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous Peoples Day means to them.

Leo Manning

Manning is a third-year psychology student who is Plains Cree on his father’s side, from Saddle Lake Cree Nation, and English, Irish and Scottish on his mother’s side. Manning is also the student success mentor at the Centre for Indigenous Student Services.

Leo Manning
Leo Manning

National Indigenous Peoples Day can be a day to celebrate Indigenous Peoples and their culture; however, the significance to me is more about acknowledging the work that still needs to be done so that healing can take place

For example, it is important to reflect on measurable actions and transparency in progress being made. Notably, initiatives like the Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action must be followed through with, including inquiries into Missing, Murdered Women, Girls, Men, Boys and Two-Spirit folks – especially given that a 2023 report by the Yellowhead Institute, titled “Calls to Action Accountability: A 2023 Status Update on Reconciliation,” showed that last year none of the Calls to Action were completed. This is the work that still needs to be done.

While National Indigenous Peoples Day is complicated for me due to personal reasons, it can allow time to see family and friends and celebrate each other. It can also be positive in the way that non-Indigenous folks and allies can learn more about Indigenous Peoples and culture in a good way, while also respectfully learning about the work that needs to be done and how they can help.

Rainingbird Daniels

Daniels is a third-year psychology student who is proudly Plains Cree, Sioux and Dakota from Sturgeon Lake First Nation located on Treaty 6 territory in Saskatchewan.

Rainingbird Daniels
Rainingbird Daniels

Although I am very conflicted by National Indigenous Peoples Day – it gives me a sense of anger, happiness and unsettling emotions – I am very happy and proud to have a national day to recognize Indigenous people, as we deserve the recognition.

I do hope that by having this national day, it can help properly educate people and newcomers about our Indigenous history on our lands and to learn to live in harmony with each other. For example, I think people can become involved and educate themselves by attending open events hosted by Indigenous people/organizations, watch historical Indigenous movies and researching the history of Canada.

I’ve never celebrated National Indigenous Peoples Day nor done anything special on this day since it was given to us. I know many other Indigenous people have many ways to celebrate the day and to embrace it. But, personally, for myself as an Indigenous person, it has never been a significant day. This year, I will be celebrating my first National Indigenous Peoples Day by hosting a Drum Social as president of the Indigenous Students’ Association at York.

National Indigenous History Month celebrates history, cultural traditions

Indigenous CISS YFile TopStory_HON

Voir la version française

Dear York community,

June is a time for the York community to celebrate the rich history, cultural diversity and ongoing presence of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

For Indigenous community members, this is often a time to celebrate with family and community through participating in cultural traditions and practices.

National Indigenous History Month asks us to contemplate how to integrate Indigenous knowledges and perspectives into the fabric of the University. York has taken steps toward this by funding Indigenous Research Seed Grants, affirming Indigenous cultural practices such as the smudging program launched by the Centre for Indigenous Knowledges & Languages, and supporting our colleagues in providing global leadership on Indigenous issues, like the Indigenous research team that attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference, led by Professor Angele Alook.

There are many opportunities for York community members to learn from and engage with Indigenous ways of knowing and being, such as:

We invite you to visit the Indigenous History Month website to learn about and participate in various events around York University’s campuses. 

Together, we offer our best wishes to Indigenous community members and the wider York community in celebrating National Indigenous History Month and National Indigenous People’s Day on June 21.

Thank you. Merci. Miigwech. Anushiik.

Rhonda Lenton
President and Vice-Chancellor

Laina Bay-Cheng
Interim Vice-President Equity, People and Culture

Susan D. Dion
Associate Vice-President Indigenous Initiatives

Le Mois national de l’histoire autochtone célèbre l’histoire et les traditions culturelles

Indigenous CISS YFile TopStory_HON

Chère communauté de York,

Le mois de juin est l’occasion pour la communauté de York de célébrer la riche histoire, la diversité culturelle et la présence permanente des Premières Nations, des Inuits et des Métis.

Pour les membres des communautés autochtones, c’est souvent l’occasion de célébrer avec la famille et la communauté en participant aux cérémonies et pratiques culturelles.

Le Mois national de l’histoire autochtone nous invite à réfléchir à la manière d’intégrer les savoirs et les perspectives autochtones dans tous les aspects de l’Université. York a pris des mesures dans ce sens en finançant des subventions de démarrage pour la recherche autochtone, en affirmant les pratiques culturelles autochtones comme le programme de purification lancé par le Centre des savoirs et langues autochtones, et en soutenant nos collègues qui exercent un leadership mondial sur les questions autochtones, comme l’équipe de recherche autochtone qui a participé à la conférence des Nations Unies sur le changement climatique, sous la direction de la professeure Angele Alook.

Les membres de la communauté de York ont accès à de nombreuses occasions d’apprentissage et d’engagement dans les modes de connaissance et d’existence autochtones, notamment :

Nous vous invitons à visiter le site Web du Mois de l’histoire autochtone pour en savoir plus et pour participer aux divers événements organisés sur les campus. 

Ensemble, nous présentons nos meilleurs vœux aux membres de la communauté autochtone et à l’ensemble de la communauté de York pour la célébration du Mois national de l’histoire autochtone et de la Journée nationale des peuples autochtones le 21 juin.

Merci. Thank you. Miigwech. Anushiik.

Rhonda Lenton
Présidente et vice-chancelière

Laina Bay-Cheng
Vice-présidente intérimaire de l’équité, des personnes et de la culture

Susan D. Dion
Vice-présidente associée aux initiatives autochtones

Annual Walk with Excellence to celebrate achievements of local high-school graduates

2016 Walk with Excellence

Now in its 11th year, the Walk with Excellence is an annual event that celebrates the achievements of graduating students from high schools in Toronto’s Jane and Finch community. Signifying the beginning of their journey to post-secondary education, the event – taking place this year on Thursday, June 6 – will see over 500 graduating students walk from five local high schools onto York University’s Keele Campus.

The students’ supportive teachers and administrators will be cheering them on along the way, and all York University community members are invited join in welcoming the students onto the Keele Campus in true York U style.

“The Walk with Excellence signals new beginnings and a new season,” said Itah Sadu, founder of the Walk with Excellence and a York University honorary degree recipient. “Walking with the graduating students in this annual urban rite of passage is pure joy.”

Organized by a coalition of community partners – including the York University-TD Community Engagement Centre, local school principals and high-school leaders, the Blackhurst Cultural Centre and A Different Booklist – the Walk with Excellence will feature brief musical performances from each participating high school, remarks from community leaders and Toronto poet laureate Lillian Allen reading a poem she wrote specifically for the event. Organizers look forward to presenting several bursaries this year, generously funded by CUPE Local 4400/Toronto Education Workers, Blackhurst Cultural Centre and York University.

“We are proud to stand alongside our students and school board partners in celebrating the hard work and dedication that define the Jane and Finch community’s collective journey toward excellence,” said Byron Gray, manager of the York University-TD Community Engagement Centre. “Together, we are fostering a brighter future for all.”

All York University community members are invited to take part in the event by cheering for students as they enter the Keele Campus and witnessing the presentation of scholarships and remarks. The students are expected to arrive in front of Vari Hall at approximately 11:30 a.m.

Those who cannot attend or would like to further support the cause can consider contributing to Vice-Provost Academic Marcia Annisette’s Walk with Excellence campaign for 2025, which will offer bursaries to five future York U students – one from each of the five participating high schools.

“This event exemplifies the power of community, resilience and academic achievement,” said Annisette. “It is our vision that a newly initiated campaign will engage all of York University in funding an ongoing Walk with Excellence Bursary.”

Graduands to cross stage for 2024 Spring Convocation in June

convocation

Between June 7 and 21, more than 7,000 graduating students will put on their finest regalia and participate in the time-honoured tradition of celebrating years of academic hard work when York University’s 2024 Spring Convocation gets underway.

This year’s Spring Convocation will feature 13 ceremonies at both the Keele and Glendon campuses and see thousands of students take a big step forward into their futures. Once again, York alumna Kathleen Taylor – who was installed as the University’s first woman chancellor in 2023 – will confer degrees on new graduands as part of her third convocation season.

An emphasis on community will remain a touchstone of the events. Each ceremony will be accompanied by student performers providing music during the academic procession, as well as before and after the events begin. Furthermore, alumni speakers will also take the stage during each ceremony to deliver a welcome message to graduands and their guests. This year’s eight honorary degree recipients will be welcomed into the York fold, sharing their stories and advice with graduands as they embark on new journeys. 

The ceremonies throughout June will embody the principles of decolonizing, equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as respect for Indigenous ways of knowing and being, and the institutional value of sustainability. These elements were recommended by a working group assembled in 2022 by York University President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton to ensure convocations are welcoming to all within the University’s community.

Beyond the ceremonies, community will be fostered through celebrations (launched last year) for 2SLGBTQIA+ and Black graduands – in addition to the existing Indigenous grad event organized by the Centre for Indigenous Student Services – which celebrate and recognize the achievements of the Class of 2024 and those who have supported their journey.

Graduands and their guests can expect a shorter ceremony than in past years, after feedback from the community. In addition, this year diplomas will be mailed to graduates rather than picked up on site.

All convocation ceremonies will be webcast live and a link to the feed, as well as a schedule of ceremonies, will be available on the Convocation website. That way, even those who can’t attend can feel they are a part of the occasion.

York makes progress on Security Services Review recommendations 

York students walking in Accolade Building on Keele Campus

In the year since the release of the Security Services Review report in April 2023, a suite of committees has been actively working to scope, plan for and implement recommendations across the University to make it a safer space for all. 

The review of York’s Security Services, conducted by an internal expert panel, outlined a set of recommendations to transition York to a community-centric model for safety services that is equitable, bias-free, transparent, collaborative, representative and organizationally aligned.  

One foundational recommendation brought forward in the report was a formal acknowledgement of racism in law enforcement. This month, the Community Safety Department released its formal acknowledgement – marking a clear and serious commitment to dismantle systemic racism. 

The formal acknowledgement was established after York’s leadership met with over 120 members of the Black community – including students, faculty and staff – and learned that many had negative experiences related to safety on campus, including lack of personal and emotional safety, daily experiences of racial harassment, exclusion, discrimination, lack of representation, lack of respect, and barriers to academic and career advancement. Going forward, York will foster continuous dialogue and activities aimed at addressing systemic racism within its safety services and security practices. 

Already, action has been taken to address the recommendation to review current call centre procedures and programming. The Call Taker and Dispatch job descriptions have been completed, and all relevant standard operating procedures have been amended, along with the addition of a DEDI statement to each. 

Another recommendation made in the report was to develop alternative approaches to address the presence of individuals experiencing homelessness on York University campuses. York is currently developing comprehensive security protocols to ensure the safety of all members of our community, including those experiencing homelessness. In addition, a working group has been established and a comprehensive draft plan has been created that includes both short- and long-term objectives.  

As mentioned in the plan, a short-term objective York has prioritized is collaborating with external partners who offer comprehensive support services. For example, the University is actively partnering with organizations like the Agincourt Services Association and the City of Toronto to provide tailored assistance and housing solutions for those experiencing homelessness within its community. Individuals experiencing homelessness who need immediate assistance are now provided with emergency kits and essential items, and have access to medical and mental health services through partnerships facilitated by the University.  

Looking forward, York’s long-term plan encompasses mental health and well-being initiatives, as well as implementation and evaluation strategies. The University is committed to collaborating with relevant departments and external agencies to identify long-term solutions and address the root causes of homelessness on University campuses. One of the recommendations from this working group is to explore the possibility of establishing a temporary shelter in collaboration with the City of Toronto to offer support during extreme weather conditions.  

To address the recommendation to align service structures, culture and employment with a community-centric safety model, York has been actively engaging equity-deserving groups and the broader York community to continue the conversation on what makes a “safe” campus. Last November, an advisory group was created, comprised of York University academics, staff and students with expertise in anti-Black racism. This past January, a town hall was held for the York community to receive updates about the implementation of the Security Services Review recommendations and share feedback and questions. During Community Safety Week in March, a panel discussion was held with community leaders and experts to learn more about adopting a community-centric approach to safety. In addition, an engagement plan has been developed to ensure services are responsive and reflective of community needs; for example, by hosting networking opportunities, focus groups, additional roundtable discussions and more.    

“Opportunities for collaboration and honest discourse are vital for the path ahead,” says Orville Wallace, executive director of community safety. “By prioritizing both immediate support and future planning, we’re dedicated to creating a safe and supportive environment for all members of our campus community.” 

To learn more about the Security Services Review, including other recommendations to be implemented, visit the Community Safety website.