Ryerson Racism

Toronto-- A year-long study into racism at Ryerson University culminated today with a 107 page report calling for fundamental changes at the downtown university, including the establishment of anti-racism and diversity training.

Ryerson sits in the heart of the downtown core, right off the most famous street in Canada’s most diverse city, yet Ryerson apparently lacks the inclusiveness that Toronto the City often trumpets.

“The Genesis of this study came about as a result of a number of incidents that arose in 2008 involving students and faculty.” Said Ryerson professor Grace-Edward Galabuzi.

Some of the incidents include the burning of an African students' association bulletin board and death threats against another student leader for being a "race traitor."

As a result a task force was set up to study the issue. “The task force found there were incidents of young white males, reasserting their rights to place. Complaining about people of various ethnicity. They were concerned that other groups were somehow taking over their campus”. Galabuzi said.

Not what you would expect from a University situated downtown. But the professor says many of the students are not from Toronto and didn’t grow up in an ethnically diverse community. “Remember, a lot of the students come from outside of Toronto, but regardless of where students grow up, some people are uncomfortable with what they deem is a power shift.”

The report states that some students found it hard to fit in because of overt and subtle forms of racism that permeate throughout the campus.

The report also found that a disproportionate amount of the students who were facing potential disciplinary hearings have been students of colour, 90%. This suggests that the problem is not just student to student, but rather faculty to student as well.

To the university’s credit, they have accepted the finding in the study. Now, faculty, including the university President and vice-President will be taking part in the anti-racism and diversity training.

Professor Galabuzi says there needs to be a change in culture, not an easy thing to achieve, but he is hopeful.