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Black History Month Special Issue Cover by Charline Arts
Published by The Daily Publications Society, a student society of McGill University.
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table of Contents
February 24, 2020 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
Table of Contents 3
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editorial • Introduction • Centre Black Activism Every Month
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Suzanne Weiss, Holocaust Survivor, Speaks on Her Life and Activism “Till all are free, none are free” “Our commitment is Fred’s legacy” Wet’suwet’en Blockade Divest McGill Blockades James Admin
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Commentary • “Not Me, Us,” Includes You, Too • Desirable Woman: It Shouldn’t Be So Complicated to Love a Black Woman
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EDITORIAL
Volume 109 Issue 19
editorial board
680 Sherbrooke Suite 724, Montreal, QC H3A 0B8 phone 514.398.6784 fax 514.398.8318 mcgilldaily.com
The McGill Daily is located on Kanien’kehá:ka territory. coordinating editor
Kate Ellis
managing editor
February 24, 2020 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
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An Introduction to This Issue: This week, the Daily is running a special issue with co-creative direction from the McGill Black Students’ Network (BSN), dedicated to celebrating Black History Month, as well as the work and advocacy that has been done and continues to be done within the McGill community. Our coverage of Black History Month will also continue beyond this issue. As an entirely non-Black editorial board, we recognize our responsibility to centre the lived experiences of the Black community at McGill. Particularly as a news organization, we have the ability to direct campus conversations to a certain extent, and we have a duty to do that responsibly. We recognize that our coverage historically has been lacking, and we intend to improve upon this. We need to do better, and we will. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank BSN for their work in helping us to create this issue.
Willa Holt
news editor
Yasna Khademian Emily Black commentary + compendium! editor
Michaela Keil culture editor
Vacant
features editor
Pandora Wotton science + technology editor
Leslie Brown sports editor
Vacant
video editor
Vacant
photos editor
José Noé De Ita Zavala illustrations editor
Daisy Sprenger copy editor
Justine Ronis-Le Moal design + production editor
Vacant
social media editor
Vacant
radio editor
Amy Lloyd
cover design
Charline Arts contributors Charline Arts, Emily Black, Zanele Chisholm (with The Eyeopener) Willa Holt, Michaela Keil, Yasna Khademian, Abbas Mehrabian, Ally Pengelly, Abigail Popple, Daisy Sprenger, Pandora Wotton le délit
Grégoire Collet
rec@delitfrancais.com
Published by the Daily Publications Society, a student society of McGill University. The views and opinions expressed in the Daily are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of McGill University. The McGill Daily is not affiliated with McGill University.
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Sebastien Oudin-Filipecki (Chair), Boris Shedov, Michaela Keil, Kate Ellis, Grégoire Collet, Niels Ulrich, Antoine MiletteGagnon, Jonathan Cruickshank All contents © 2018 Daily Publications Society. All rights reserved. The content of this newspaper is the responsibility of The McGill Daily and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University. Products or companies advertised in this newspaper are not necessarily endorsed by Daily staff. Printed by Imprimerie Transcontinental Transmag. Anjou, Quebec. ISSN 1192-4608.
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Centre Black Activism Every Month
s the University’s 200th anniversary approaches, McGill’s presentation of history will undoubtedly be altered by what the administration chooses to represent. Black activism has been present at McGill for more than half a century, yet the University continues to censor and undermine these efforts, and the Black community is severely underrepresented in McGill’s faculty. According to research by the Black Students’ Network (BSN), there are around 12 Black professors and assistant professors at McGill – out of the 1,707 faculty members at the University.* This is unacceptable. There is a rich history of Black Power in the McGill community. Non-Black students at McGill have a responsibility to recognize and uplift this work. BSN has been active since approximately 1985 and was predated by the Black Students’ Association (BSA), which was founded in the late 1960s. The group has been instrumental not only in fostering a strong Black community at McGill but also in creating institutional change – for example, leading the call for divestment from South African apartheid in 1985. As a result of student action and mobilization on campus led by BSN and the McGill South Africa Committee, the Board of Governors voted for divestment in November 1985. Today, BSN continues their activism on campus in a number of ways, including their annual CKUT radio marathon, Black Talk; hosting a series of talks and workshops; and supporting projects on campus that fall within their mandate. They also provide social and community spaces for the Black population at McGill through projects like Black Frosh, Soul Food Friday, and Black Grad. Through their VP Advocacy, Chloe Kemeni, BSN is in the process of passing a Black Students’ Bill of Rights, a document that would ensure an “institutional advocacy framework” through which Black students at McGill can advocate for their needs. Even though students have been calling for a Black Studies program for decades, McGill still does not have one. In the December 3, 1991 issue of the Daily (Vol. 81 No. 049), BSN published an opinion piece reaffirming their commitment to fight for the establishment of an Africana Studies program. Nearly 30 years later, as reported by The McGill Tribune, BSN is still advocating for the development of an Africana Studies program. Then-VP Finance of BSN, Ommu-Kulsoom J. AbdulRahman, explained that “an Africana Studies program would provide a novel intercontinental perspective by adopting a great focus on diasporic African communities.” Although students can currently major in African Studies as a part of the Institute for the Study of International Development, the program is small, and does not accommodate for research that captures diverse experiences of Blackness, particularly those of diasporic communities. It is unacceptable that McGill continues to ignore these student and faculty demands. There are a number of initiatives that McGill students, faculty, and organizations have created in order to work around the lack of an Africana Studies program, providing critical alternative education. This semester, Dr. Charmaine Nelson, an art history professor, is teaching ARTH 411: “James McGill Was a Slave Owner and the History of Universities.” Students have described the course
as focusing on the “material change within McGill’s colonial legacy.” ARTH 411’s final assignment entails researching and writing a collective list of recommendations for the administration regarding how the University should address its colonial legacies, which permeate its current conditions. The African Studies Students’ Association also does work to create an academic community that supports Black scholarship, improving and enriching the existing African Studies Program. Their work extends to organizing their own community events, conferences, and panels for interested students. The McGill chapter of the Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG-McGill) also engages in anti-racist activism, including their annual workshop series Culture Shock, which “seeks to bring together racialized communities to discuss issues relevant to their lives, as well as to allow those who do not belong to these communities to learn more about struggles against racism, colonialism and border violence.” The organization also supports the work of Black activists and academics through grants and research programs. Their orientation event, Rad Frosh, and School Schmool (an alternative academic planner filled with anti-oppressive articles and community resources) work to empower students to question the colonial background of the institution as soon as they arrive. These examples are not comprehensive, and it is important to support, and uplift the diverse forms that resistance can take. We urge readers to boycott events associated with McGill’s bicentennial, which will likely attempt to address its colonial legacies. It is hypocritical for the administration to claim to recognize Black history, activism, and resistance without confronting its history of colonialism and its roots in the institution of slavery. Despite decades of student and community celebrations happening for decades, the McGill administration did not recognize or institutionalize Black History Month until 2017. McGill does not have the right to appropriate the history of the Black community on campus. You can honour Black Power, or you can celebrate 200 years of colonialism; you cannot do both. Support Black Power during and beyond Black History Month. Attend events held by BSN and other student and community organizations – McGill Black History Month events can be found on their Facebook page. This issue of the Daily also features an expanded events calendar on page nine. Support BSN as it works to create institutional frameworks that promote the rights and needs of Black students on campus, and advocate for the passage of their Bill of Rights. It is also important to recognize that Black History Month is more than just recognizing the past, but rather a critical movement in order to support ongoing Black activism and Black resistance. Celebrating Black history does not end on March 1. To learn more about the history of Black activism at McGill, read our feature, on pages 11-13. Black students who would like to contribute to BSN’s consultations on the Bill of Rights can fill out the form online. *This number is comprised of tenured or tenure-stream faculty members, drawn from the 2019 factbook.
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February 24, 2020 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
News: McGill
Suzanne Weiss, Holocaust Survivor, Speaks on Her Life and Activism Abbas Mehrabian News Contributor
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n February 18, Holocaust survivor and social activist Suzanne Weiss spoke at Concordia University about her life, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Islamophobia, and the climate crisis. “Back in 1942, Adolf Hitler marked me down for death. I was only one year old. Why did Hitler want to kill me?’’ Weiss started her speech by recalling the first time her life was at risk. Born into a Jewish family in Paris in Nazioccupied France, she answered the question herself: “Because he was a racist, a white supremacist.” It took her several decades to find out how she was saved: “There was a civilian resistance which obstructed the Nazi rule and provided refuge for thousands of Jews, including me,” she told the attendees, adding, “It was also a multitude of individuals who helped [in various ways]. A multitude of small individual acts of courage and kindness forged a chain of solidarity across the country, which helped defeat the Nazis.” Her parents did not survive – Weiss’ mother was deported to Auschwitz, while her father died of war wounds, leaving her an orphan. After the liberation of France, at age nine she was adopted by a Jewish American family in New York. Her stepfather had a narrow view of women, believing their
destiny was to “find a mate, marry, and take care of [their] husband and household and their children.” She rejected this stereotype, and at age 17, she left home and took refuge with a girlfriend. Weiss recalled, “It was illegal for a girl of my age to leave home without permission. My parents had me arrested and charged my girlfriend’s mother for influencing me to be a lesbian!” Weiss has recently published a memoir, Holocaust to Resistance, My Journey. Abigail B. Bakan, a professor of social justice education at the University of Toronto, has called it “a page-turning narrative about her remarkable life of survival, resistance and solidarity,” asking “everyone who wants to change the world” to read the book. At the age of 17, Weiss became a social activist. She has engaged with the Black Power movement, the women’s liberation movement, the Labor Union Movement, and the Cuban Revolution. She also became an advocate for peace during the Vietnam War and a justice supporter in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Weiss said “The mass movements of those years profoundly changed society. All the different movements were allied and had a collective impact. Today, we call it intersectionalism.” The event was organized by the Independent Jewish Voices Canada (IJV), a grassroots organization
grounded in Jewish tradition that opposes all forms of racism and advocates for justice and peace in Israel-Palestine. IJV has active branches at Concordia and McGill. Weiss believes that Israeli Jewish people and Palestinians are both victims: “The victims of one great historic injustice, the Jews, themselves became the agents of an inflicting injustice on an indigenous innocent population, the Palestinians.” She added that Palestinians have found allies among Indigenous peoples of Canada, whose land was stolen through a similar process of colonialism. In Weiss’ words, “Palestinians and natives of Turtle Island, they have been both colonized and subjected to ethnic cleansing.” Drawing a parallel with the apartheid regime in South Africa, Weiss reminded attendees how the racist system in South Africa collapsed: “a global boycott contributed to the non-violent outcome, an agreement seeking racial justice and reconciliation.” Similarly, she said, we need to achieve peace and justice in Palestine through nonviolent methods of persuasion, boycott, divestment, and sanctions, or BDS. She expressed her deep concern about a new rise of antisemitism, a hatred of Jewish people, but she emphasized, “Antisemitism is not caused by Palestinians. Hatred of Jews is a form of racism, deeply
rooted in European society and closely linked to white supremacy. We need to reject racism.” Weiss noted the importance of defining antisemitism properly. On January 28, 2020, a motion to have Montreal adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism was withdrawn when Montreal mayor Valérie Plante proposed to further study the matter. Weiss summarized this as, “The city of Montreal was asked to officially state that antisemitism means undue criticism of Israel. The city council said no! Well done!” In contrast to the IHRA definition, IJV defines antisemitism as hostility, prejudice, or discrimination against Jewish people because they are Jewis people, stating that the vital battle against antisemitism is undermined whenever opposition to Israeli government policies is automatically branded as antisemitic. Weiss emphasized the catastrophic risk of racism in view of the climate crisis, saying, “The victims of the climate crisis are mostly people of colour in the Global South. The racists have an answer: build walls, keep them out. If racism and climate barbarism triumph, they will infect and poison every aspect of our lives and destroy our world.” The phrase “climate barbarism” was coined by Canadian author, social
activist, and filmmaker Naomi Klein, to refer to the combination of white supremacist violence and vicious anti-immigrant actions. When asked about her view on Islamophobia, Weiss replied, “The Muslims helped us in France […] They gave us garments and all kinds of help. […] The move against the Muslims now in this society is part of white supremacy.” She stated that Muslims are being targeted just like Jewish people, people of colour and immigrants, arguing, it is important to unite against white supremacy rather than turning against each other. IJV Canada will be co-hosting an event with SPHR McGill on February 25, where anti-occupation activist Zohar Chamberlain Regev will speak on her work with Freedom Flotilla Coalition and the 2020 Gaza Freedom Flotilla. IJV will also co-organize a movie and pizza night on February 26 at McGill, screening Junction 48, an award-winning movie about young Palestinians in the city of Lod. IJV Canada will be co-hosting an event with SPHR McGill on February 25, where anti-occupation activist Zohar Chamberlain Regev will speak on her work with Freedom Flotilla Coalition and the 2020 Gaza Freedom Flotilla. IJV will also co-organize a movie and pizza night on February 26 at McGill, screening Junction 48, an award-winning movie about young Palestinians in the city of Lod.
“Till all are free, none are free”
IJV, SPHR, and Weiss Call for Open Discussion on Campus Emily Black News Editor
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head of Suzanne Weiss’ talk at Concordia, members of SPHR and IJV, as well as Weiss herself, gathered outside of the James Administration building on Monday, February 17, to call for open and free discussion of Israel-Palestine on McGill campus. Surrounded by students holding a banner that read “STAND AGAINST OPPRESSION – STAND FOR JUSTICE IN PALESTINE,” Weiss read aloud a letter addressed to Deputy Provost of Student Life and Learning Fabrice Labeau. Her speech referenced Labeau’s letter to the McGill community on December 2, 2019, and raised concerns with the “irresponsible accusations of antisemitism” following the campus debate regarding free propaganda trips to Israel. “I find no evidence of antisemitism here. What I see is a passionate debate on the politics of Israel-Palestine,” Weiss said, voicing her “alarm” with the “unfounded charges of antisemitism.” Weiss added that the suppression of these
discussions “put[s] Jewish people at risk by weakening our ability to focus on genuine acts of antisemitism,” and leaves Palestinians to “face an implacable attempt to silence them entirely.” Organizers with both IJV and SPHR also denounced the administration’s “attempts to stifle student activists” on campus. Speaking to the debate around the free trips, they criticized Labeau’s presentation of Jewish students as a “monolith” and his “conflation of antiZionism as antisemitism,” highlighting Labeau’s call for “ensuring respectful debate on campus.” Both spoke to the common ground that Palestians and Canadian Indigenous peoples share in their “vibrant fights against settlercolonialism,” emphasizing the need for solidarity and the prevention of “willful ignorance” on campus. After directing their words towards the James Administration building, members of SPHR and IJV presented Weiss with a keffiyeh from Palestine. Followed by both groups and attendants of the demonstration, Weiss entered the lobby to present Labeau with a physical copy of her
letter. While the group waited, chants of “Solidarité avec la Palestine” continued. Eventually, Labeau’s secretary agreed to see Weiss, but only if the rest of the gathered students left the building and waited outside. Initially, security refused to let anyone besides Weiss remain in the building, and IJV and SPHR had to request multiple times that one person stay to assist her, as she is hard of hearing. Though Weiss was originally told she would be able to meet with Labeau in his office, she instead was met by his secretary and communications coordinator, and was not allowed past the lobby. Weiss was successful in delivering the letter, and although she did not get to hand it to Labeau personally, she affirmed that she made her feelings clear to the administration. She exited the building back into the Community Square to cheers from the demonstrators. As the group dispersed, Weiss thanked the gathered students for attending, commending their efforts to fight for the rights of Palestinians and Indigenous peoples of Canada.
Emily Black | News Editor
February 24, 2020 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
News: McGill
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“Our commitment is Fred’s legacy” Jeffrey Haas, Lawyer Representing Fred Hampton, Speaks on His Life and the Black Panthers
Pandora Wotton Features Editor Content warning: police brutality
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his past December marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Fred Hampton, the Deputy Chairman of the national Black Panther Party (BPP). On February 12, 2020, as part of Black History Month programming at McGill, the African Studies Students’ Association (ASSA) and Black Students’ Network (BSN) hosted a talk by lawyer and activist Jeffrey Haas. Haas represented Hampton’s family, as well as the survivors of the BPP after the Chicago Police Department raid on December 4, 1969. He also wrote a comprehensive book on the raid and the trial, entitled The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther. The talk, “The Assassination of Fred Hampton,” detailed Hampton’s life and activism, the
raid, and the trial. It described how Haas and his legal team exposed the Chicago Police Department’s and the FBI’s involvement with the raid, which resulted in the murder of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, as well as the injury of four other Black Panthers. Hampton’s life of activism began when he was a young student. “[Hampton] led a walkout at the high school because Black girls were not being considered for homecoming queens. And then another walk out because there weren’t enough Black teachers or administrators. Finally, he led a demonstration to the city hall because there was no swimming pool for Black kids in the summertime [...] He took 300 people there to demand a recreation center,” said Haas. He continued on to explain the heavy policing and profiling of Hampton and fellow Black activists: “the police saw so many young Black people coming, they responded with tear gas, and while Fred was negotiating for a bigger room, some of the kids ran down the street and broke some windows. And they’re
being charged with mob action. Even though he was nowhere near where the windows had happened,” Haas added. “Early on, Fred stood up against injustice and also became a target of the police.” Haas became connected with the Black Panthers and Fred Hampton through his work as a lawyer, but with the organization he worked at originally – Legal Aid – he could not represent criminal cases. So, when Hampton asked for “lawyers for the people,” Haas and his associates began the People’s Law Office. The law office worked with many clients, including the Panthers and Students for a Democratic Society, as well as community activists and members of the civil rights and Black Power movements in Chicago. After Hampton’s assassination, Haas represented Hampton’s famly in a civil suit that Haas pursued for 13 years before being able to prove the true events, exposing the police coverup and the FBI’s involvement. The trial faced countless barriers, including a racist and explicitly biased judge, high paid defense
lawyers that used inaccurate evidence and smear tactics, as well as the overwhelming attempts of both the justice system and the media to spread misinformation about the Panthers and to cover up the actions of the police and the FBI. Judge J. Sam Perry had Haas arrested at one point during the trial, and at another, agreed with Haas that he was not going to give him a fair trial. Still, Haas and his legal team proved that there was an FBI informant of five to six years in the Chicago Police department that was directly involved with the assassination, in connection with a secret FBI program, COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program). This program specifically targeted groups and individuals considered “subversive” or “radical” by the government, including communist or socialist political organizations, anti-Vietnam groups, and especially the civil rights and Black Power movements. Specifically, the program stated that the FBI must “prevent the rise of a messiah who could unify, and electrify
the militant [B]lack nationalist movement” and explicitly worked to suppress Black activism. Notably, the informant, William O’Neal, joined the Panthers in order to collect intel, including to make a floor plan of the headquarters to assist the police in the 1969 raid. This information gained O’Neal a $100 bonus from the FBI. Haas closed the talk with a quote from Hampton: “‘We are not all required to risk our lives for the principles we believe, but those who did inspire all of us. If you are not ready to make a commitment at the age of 21 only because you’re afraid to die, then you are dead already.’” Haas compared Hampton’s words with the importance of continuing these commitments today, saying, “if you’re not ready to make, or continue your commitment to ending racist, authoritarian, and corporate control of our government in 2020 and fighting for our children’s future – you and all of us are dead already. Our commitment is Fred’s legacy. Silence and inaction equals death.”
Pandora Wotton | Features Editor
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NEWS:McGill
February 24, 2020 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
Holding Space in Solidarity with Wet’suwet’en
Reporting by Emily Black and Willa Holt News Editor and Managing Editor
In collaboration with SSMU Indigenous Affairs, Indigenous Youth for Wet’suwet’en held an event on Monday, February 17 in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en Nation’s opposition to the proposed Coastal GasLink (CGL) pipeline. The event began at McGill’s Y-intersection at 3:00 p.m. before moving towards Sherbrooke Street, where close to 100 allied demonstrators formed a circle around Indigenous land defenders. The solidarity action, in tandem with blockades across Canada, paused traffic on Sherbrooke Street for the duration of the event. Succeeding in blocking Sherbrooke on both the East and West sides approximately 30 minutes after people began to gather, demonstrators stood linked in front of traffic, holding banners that read “Solidarity with Wet’suwet’en.” Soon after the street was blocked off, around 3:45 p.m., the SPVM arrived and posted several cars, vans, and tactical units at the intersecting streets. Police presence did not directly interfere with the demonstration, but several SPVM officers were seen speaking to student organizers. The event began with a statement of thanks to the lands, waters, and aspects of the natural world led by land defenders and Indigenous Youth. Several Indigenous land defenders guided the group in call-and-response chants, including “How do you spell racist? RCMP” and “Land Back,” calling for Indigenous sovereignty. Addressing the gathered land defenders, students, and other allied demonstrators, SSMU Indigenous Affairs Commissioner Tomas Jirousek emphasized that this action should not be considered a blockade, instead describing it as a “cultural, community-centred expression of sovereignty and holding space.” He also expressed that Indigenous actions across the country can’t be reduced to “simple protest” or “demonized as criminal activity,” but are grounded in land-based practices, oral histories, laws, and kinship networks.
“Stand up, speak out, pressure your MPs to stop this pipeline, and most importantly, trust us to lead. Center our voices. Listen to our elders. Listen to our people on the frontlines. Indigenous peoples know where we come from, we know that relationship. We know what it means, and we are not going anywhere.” – Carlee Kawinehta Loft
Yasna Khademian | News Editor A group of drummers led the attendees in two round dances, and all Indigenous attendees were invited to share songs, chants, stories, and hold space. One community member, who self-identified as Dené and Inuvialuit, shared their throat-singing, explaining that “60 years ago, you would have been able to turn around and tell the cop to arrest me, because what I’m about to do was illegal.” They expressed that their performance was an act of protest – and a show of deep pride. Towards the end of the event, the attendees were invited to join hands and participate in songs. The allied demonstrators who had previously been giving space to the Indigenous land defenders at the centre were also invited to close the gap in a show of community. After approximately two hours, the demonstration formally ended and the group began to disperse just after 5:00 p.m., clearing the street and allowing traffic to resume. Solidarity events continued through the week, including a demonstration hosted by the Association facultaire étudiante des sciences humaines de l’UQÀM (AFESH-UQÀM). Ongoing blockades near Kahnawake have been blocking the CN and VIA rail lines, and a blockade on the South Shore of Montreal began on Wednesday, February 19. On Thursday, February 20, injunctions were issued and carried out by the Sûreté Québec. The next evening, demonstrators and land defenders abandoned the blockade due to pressure from police, eventually evacuating the encampment in Saint-Lambert around 10:00 p.m.
Yasna Khademian | News Editor
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NEWS
February 24, 2020 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
“The land defenders at Unist’ot’en, and the Indigenous folks involved in occupation and blockades across Turtle Island, are not villains with personal vendettas. They aren’t armed. They aren’t dangerous. They’re peacefully taking the necessary steps to bring the Canadian government to the table. They’re shutting down Canada. They’re inconveniencing Canadians. They’re staying until Wet’suwet’en law is respected, until Indigenous sovereignty is recognized.” – Carlee Kawinehta Loft
Yasna Khademian | News Editor
Yasna Khademian | News Editor
“As Indigenous Nations, we can’t separate our ideas of sovereignty or nationhood from a deep and intimate understanding of land and water protection. We have always been fighting to protect this land, and we always will.” – Tomas Jirousek (SSMU Indigenous Affairs Commissioner)
“Action like this needs to centre ourselves in culture and ceremony, as taught through the very land which now finds itself threatened. For our non-Indigenous allies: recognize the way in which your history has contributed to the inability of Indigenous land protectors in many circumstances to continue in protecting and safeguarding this territory. Don’t centre yourselves in this story, but use your own platform to amplify and support Indigenous voices. Also, know the other ways that you can and should be supporting Wet’suwet’en territory. You can find very explicit ways that the Wet’suwet’en are asking for support.” Yasna Khademian | News Editor
– Tomas Jirousek
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February 24, 2020 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
News: Mcgill
Divest McGill Blockades James Admin “Business as Usual” Distrupted
Michaela Keil Commentary Editor
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t 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 18, students affiliated with Divest McGill and Greenpeace McGill entered the James Administration building on McGill’s downtown campus, blocking the entrances and preventing any further staff or students from entering the building. Administrators and building staff who were already there were free to leave at any point during the day. Within a few minutes, signs were posted on all exits that read “James Administration closed for the day until fossil fuel divestment. Thank you for understanding :)” Within 10-15 minutes, the building was locked down at all access points including exterior entrances and annexes. According to members of Divest McGill, the purpose of the blockade was to prevent the Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR) from meeting in the James Administration building. The scheduled meeting was planned to “develop an implementation plan to operationalize the approved recommendations.” The recommendations in question come from CAMSR’s December 3, 2019 recommendation to the Board of Governors, advising decarbonization – not divestment –
from the University’s endowment. Although CAMSR was not able to convene in the James Administration building, the meeting occurred as scheduled – albeit after a short delay – in the Macdonald Engineering building. Students participating in the blockade presented flyers to all staff remaining in the building – including Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Fabrice Labeau and Vice Principal (Administration and Finance) Yves Beauchamp – and posted them on all exterior doors. The notice outlined Divest’s demands, explaining that “Divest McGill will not allow the university to continue its business-as-usual operations while the university funds companies causing immense human and environmental harm […] Given the current violence towards Indigenous peoples and the urgency of the climate crisis, disruption to the university’s operations is necessary.” Divest’s demands refer to the University’s nearly $6 million investment in TC Energy, the company responsible for attempting to build a pipeline through the Hereditary land of the Wet’suwet’en Nation in British Columbia. An injunction was approved on December 31, 2019 by the Supreme Court of British Columbia, opposing an eviction notice posted to Coastal GasLink employees by Hereditary
Michaela Keil | Commentary Editor
Chiefs of the five Wet’suwet’en clans. Since the injunction ruling, the RCMP have been illegally invading the Unist’ot’en and Gidimt’en camps, violently arresting Indigenous land defenders and allies, as well as enforcing a media exclusion zone. Divest affirmed that their actions are allied with demonstrations across the country, stating to the Daily that “We are responding to the call for solidarity from Wet’suwet’en by demanding immediate divestment from Coastal GasLink.” McGill’s investment in TC Energy makes up only $6 million of the more than $40 million that was invested in other oil and gas companies as of March 31, 2019. At approximately 10:00 a.m., McGill security arrived and posted themselves outside each exit. Divest explained to the Daily that “once we communicated the main intention of this blockade [through a security liaison], which is to prevent access, [security] blocked off from outside of the doors.” Press – including student publications – were not allowed in, and the CBC was also blocked from entering. In the early afternoon, McGill security inquired about the student’s plans in the event of an emergency evacuation, concerns also voiced by Labeau and Beauchamp earlier in the day. Students explained that people
were allowed to leave the building, but no one could enter. Staff who remained in the building began leaving at approximately 2:00 p.m. At this time, security was seen near an alarm panel, causing concern among students that McGill Security would purposefully trigger the emergency alarm system to force an evacuation. The Daily eventually got past security and were able to enter the building. When asked about the significance of the event, blockaders explained that “It’s just not enough to prioritize individual change. We have to target people who are making the major decisions.” According to students at the second checkpoint, despite frustration from many of the building’s staff, “there were also a lot of people who were extremely supportive. For example, one of the employees here was very kind to us, offered to make us hot chocolate, [and] was checking in on us.” The blockade is part of a history of protests by Divest McGill. On the importance of these protests, Divest explained that “blockades and actions like this are a way to have our voice heard and demand action on issues of injustice. Like the Coastal Gaslink pipeline. And we encourage students to get involved with Divest McGill active projects on campus which are taking away the social licence of destructive companies.”
The blockade ended at 4:00 pm; students inside left of their own volition. At the time of publishing, McGill administration and CAMSR have yet to comment on the demonstration. Though the demands of the blockade were to block off the building until McGill agreed to divest, the demonstration ended with the work day, and further steps to meet these demands are unclear.
Though the demands of the blockade were to block off the building until McGill agreed to divest, the demonstration ended with the work day, and further steps to meet these demands are unclear.
Michaela Keil | Commentary Editor
February 24, 2020 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
Culture
McGill and Montreal Black History Month Events Calendar Birthwork as an Ancestral Practice Wednesday, February 26 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. 680 Sherbrooke West, Room 1825 This event, hosted by Black History Month at McGill, Black Students’ Network, and the Social Accountability and Community Engagement office of the Faculty of Medicine, will “explore birthwork and reproductive justice from Black and Indigenous perspectives.” Speakers include Ariane Metellus, Hirut Melaku, and Iehente A. Foote.
Our Dance of Revolution Film Screening Monday, February 24 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. SGWU Alumni Auditorium, H-110 Cinema Politica and Massimadi Montreal are hosting the Quebec premiere of Our Dance of Revolution, a 2018 film directed by Phillip Pike. Synopsis: “No, the revolution wasn’t televised. But it was hugged, chanted, marched, and danced into existence. Our Dance of Revolution tells the story of how Black queer folks in Toronto faced every adversity, from invisibility to police brutality, and over a four-decade span rose up to become a vibrant, triple-snap-fierce community.” This event is Pay What You Can.
The Roots of Step Saturday, February 29 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Espace Knox This is the inaugural show of the Montreal Steppers. It will focus on the art of stepping and its evolution in the African diaspora. The show will “highlight the resilience and creativity” of the Black community and “the importance of [...] coming together to live, succeed, thrive, and SHINE.” Adult tickets are $20.00. Guests may attend either the 4:00pm or the 8:00pm show. The proceeds of ticket sales will be donated to community organizations.
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Selma Film Screening Tuesday, February 25 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Douglas Hall, TV Room
Toni Morrison Tribute Monday, February 24 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. La Citadelle, 3rd floor
The Community Engagement and Equity Committee (CEEC) is hosting a screening of Selma to celebrate Black History Month.
Black History Month at McGill, McGill African Students Society, Black Students’ Network, and the Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist studies are hosting a talk by Professor Caroline Brown from the Universite de Montréal. Prof. Brown specializes in 20th-century United States literature and culture, women’s studies, and the literature of the African diaspora. The talk will be followed by a discussion and collective voicing of Morrison’s work. Racines 2.0 will also be selling books by Morrison and other Black authors.
Note: this event is only open to students in residence.
Commemorating Christie V. York, 80 Years On Saturday, February 29 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Mawell Cohen Moot Court This symposium will discuss the life and activism of Fred Christie as well as the present-day situation of racism and the law in Canada. Speakers include Mr. Terry Brazill, Hon. Juanita Westmoreland-Traore, Professor Barrington Walker, and Me Marie-Claude Landry, Ad. E.
Coffee Hours February, February 28 1:00 p.m. - 4:00p.m. 3471 Peel BSN is hosting Coffee Hours, which they describe as as chance to “chill, relax, and have fun with fellow students.”
Rackeb Tesfaye on Broad Science and Intersectional Approaches Wednesday, March 11 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Arts 150 The Feminist and Accessible Publishing/ Communications Technologies Series and the Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies are hosting a talk by Rackeb Tesfaye, a PhD student in McGill’s Program of Integrated Neuroscience and co-founder of Broad Science. Broad Science is a Montreal-based “initiative dedicated to making science inclusive, engaging, and intersectional, through audio storytelling.” The talk will “discuss the importance of using storytelling as an effective tool for engaging broad audiences with science and how digital storytelling can be used to empower communities who have historically been underrepresented in science narratives.”
NSBE Black History Month: Black Legacy Dinner Friday, February 28 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. La Citadelle, 3rd floor The McGill chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers is hosting a legacy dinner, which will include panels and speakers from a variety of fields and the opportunity for Black engineering students to network with professionals. Tickets are $10.00.
Black Studies in Translation Conference Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 Concordia University The Black Studies department at Concordia Collective is holding its second annual conference. The organizers invite all attendees to think about “the sense of movement, transformation, and possibility that is intrinsically found within Black studies. We are inspired by the multiplicity of symbolic meanings that Black as an identity and a political praxis can hold, and how identity is created and translated across different contexts and scales. At the same time, this multiplicity signals a need for deep engagement, translation, and study, the work of Black studies offers as a discipline and a praxis.” The conference will consist of two plenary lectures, as well as a series of perfomances, workshops, and other events.
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Culture
February 24, 2020 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
Diversity Through Animation A Review of Matthew Cherry’s Film Hair Love
Daisy Sprenger Illustrations Editor
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air Love, the Oscar-winning short animated film by Matthew A. Cherry, is an endearing story about a young African American girl, Zuri, and her father, Stephen, learning how to style her hair together. Messages of perseverance and familial love are packed into a brief but beautifully animated six minutes, as Zuri’s curly hair is transformed from a dilemma to a sense of pride and accomplishment. But beyond simply being cute, well-executed, and, as one viewer described it, “resplendent,” Hair Love has been praised by many for its positive representations of a Black family, and its attempt to counter problematic Eurocentric beauty standards. In an interview with NPR, Cherry outlined his vision for the film, emphasizing the importance working towards diversity in the animation industry: “There wasn’t a lot of representation in animated projects. You know, oftentimes they would cast actors of color but […] they’d be playing inanimate
objects or animals.” Cherry also explained that he wanted a chance to create a film that presented a positive representation of an African American father, because this archetype is the one which tends to get the most negative representation in the media. The film started with a Kickstarter campaign to fund the film as well as the accompanying picture book. The overwhelming success of the campaign is evidence of people’s support for the project. One striking aspect of the project is the theme of never giving up, even in the case of something that may seem as mundane as hair styling. Hair Love speaks to how even if patience and perseverance aren’t always easy, they are worth it in the end. As one viewer commentd, “this movie means how life is tough but still you are loving what you are doing now [and] fighting for it.“ The final scene in which Zuri and Stephen visit her mother in the hospital is a cumulative, heartwarming way to finish the short. There is a tender moment when Zuri’s mother admires her hair. As she admires her daughtor’s
hairstyle, her approval and pride feels like the moment that the film has been building towards. Up until this point it’s unclear what Zuri and Stephen have been getting ready for. Learning that they are going to visit her mother in the hospital because she has cancer is a revelation which is as heartwrenching as it is beautiful. There is a melancholy symmetry to Zuri’s hair styling misadventures when viewers realize the mother has lost all her hair, presumably from chemotherapy. But as some have
This film is powerful because it is for kids, and yet still able to convey a very serious message in an unassuming and cheerful way.
commented, the fact that her hair starts regrowing in the credits contributes to the film’s overall message of hope. Hair Love demonstrates how addressing issues of diversity and representation can come in many forms. Tackling issues like institutionalized oppression and racialized violence with direct and honest depictions of these realities is important. But representing the smaller life-style details, important things like love, representation, and something as silly as a bad hair day, can be just as effective and critical aspects of empowerment. As one viewer put it, “I like how this isn’t about oppression. I feel like that’s all Hollywood does for black actors and it’s nice to see normal average stories. I can relate to that.“ What’s so powerful about this film is that it is for kids, and is able to convey a very serious message in an unassuming and cheerful way. Perhaps the hopefulness of the film is to indicate on a larger scale, an optimism that these positive representations of an African American family can
be continued, as an antidote to the exclusionary and harmful representations that tend to dominate mainstream media. Even when these representations are out there, unfortunately they often miss mainstream attention. People were pleased that this film won best animated short, in light of the movement #oscarssowhite. One viewer expressed “the Academy has made some questionable choices over the years, but this film absolutely deserved an Oscar fair and square.“ As Cherry put it in his interview with NPR, “Media is so powerful. And when you grow up and see magazine covers and TV shows and movies and you don’t see yourself represented, but you see every other type of hairstyle represented, you know, that can really affect your self-confidence.” The fact that Cherry’s short has been recognized is indeed hopeful. As viewers, it’s up to us to dig below perpetuated mainstream ideals and uplift these voices and stories, and most importantly, listen to them.
Reno McCarthy Takes Ursa Mtl A Piece from City is Pretty Culture Column
Ally Pengelly Columnist
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afe by day and event space by night, URSA mtl is a hidden gem of artistic creativity and expression. Owned and operated by Montreal-raised singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright, the eclectic venue is located in Mile End and is home to a broad spectrum of events, ranging from improv shows to British tea accompanied by classical music. On February 13, 2020, URSA showcased the musical talents of Montreal musician Reno McCarthy, an alternative indie artist whose first LP, Counter Glow, was released early last year. McCarthy’s two-hour set began around 9:30 p.m., pausing only for a brief ten-minute intermission. Performing seated on a small stool and backed solely by his acoustic guitar, McCarthy’s initial tracks were primarily slow-paced and folkinfluenced, evolving throughout the second-half of the performance to reveal a more groovy and upbeat sound. With a tracklist of twenty songs, he focused heavily on material from his recent 2019 album. While slower songs such as “Time & Place” showcased McCarthy’s indie background, tracks such as “Even
Light” revealed a more bluesy and soulful sound. The musician’s use of finger picking in a variety of songs gave the set an intimate feel, while his whistling throughout “Selfish” imbued the track with a folksy charm. Songs such as “Be There,” “Man of the City,” and “Deep Dive” energized the audience, who enthusiastically clapped along. McCarthy ended his set with “Arithmetics” and “Forever Ago” respectively, two catchy songs that concluded the performance on a joyful note. The small, cozy nature of URSA allowed for McCarthy’s guitarplaying and voice to resonate throughout the space, and enhanced the performance’s intimate and casual feel. This ambiance was matched by McCarthy’s relaxed composure, as the musician casually sipped a drink throughout the set while chatting to the audience in between tracks. Usually discussing the specific nature or origin of the next song, he built an easy rapport with the audience. This let the audience gain a closer connection to each number before it was played and set the tone, which shifted throughout his performance. McCarthy’s discussion of a song centring upon his father’s death contextualized it, allowing the audience to fully appreciate the
heartfelt performance. On the other end of the spectrum, his description of an “embarrassing” song he wrote as a teenager made the performance funny and endearing. The venue’s simplistic seating arrangement enhanced the set’s relaxed atmosphere: small wooden tables and a couple of rows of chairs faced the stage, while a few audience members stood casually in the back. It was clear that many audience members were familiar with McCarthy and his repertoire, generating a sense of camaraderie that further added to the friendly and informal nature of the night. This relaxed, comfortable feeling is unmistakably a goal of URSA itself. Greeted by friendly employees, one initially enters a cozy foyer with a bar and comfortable couches. The venue space lies behind this lounge area, containing a small stage covered in rugs and musical instruments. With grey brick walls, hanging strings of colourful confetti, and dim lighting consisting of scattered lamps, Christmas lights, and candlesticks, the space is inviting, eclectic, and intimate. Wainwright’s influence is obvious from the moment one steps into URSA. The entrance contains
Daisy Sprenger | Illustrations Editor a chalkboard highlighting her chili, and photographs of loved ones - including brother Rufus Wainwright - cover the venue’s walls. As Wainwright explained in an interview with The Globe and Mail, URSA opened last spring in order to foster a sense of community, and was put together by Wainwright’s own circle of family and friends. Of URSA, Wainwright explains that she wants “people to feel like anything can happen here […] as long as it promotes positive things.” Reno McCarthy’s set was engaging and refreshingly casual, which is representative of the many artistic events hosted by URSA. This venue’s sense of
coziness and artistic appreciation is clear, transparently showing love and support for Montreal’s creative community. Despite the famous name attached to this cafe and cultural space, the building’s inconspicuous exterior matches the laid-back and intimate feel inside. URSA is the perfect spot for a relaxed night out with friends to enjoy Montreal’s local music scene, inspiring a sense of community and appreciation for both local talents and Montreal itself. To find out more information about events taking place at URSA mtl, check out https://www.facebook. com/ursamtl/
FEATURES
February 24, 2020 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
Black Student Activism at McGill: Past, Present, and Future
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Features
February 24, 2020 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
Black Student Activism at McGill: Past, Present, and Future October 11-14, 1968 McGill hosts the second international Congress for Black Writers. According to a McGill History timeline compiled by SSMU University Affairs, the Congress “brought together intellectuals of African descent to examine, discuss, and debate concerns related to culture and identity. The event was attended by thinkers and activists from Canada, the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean – including C.L.R James, Stokely Carmichael, Miriam Makeba, Rocky Jones, and Walter Rodney.”
September 23, 1970 The McGill Daily publishes an article regarding the first meeting of the McGill’s Black Students’ Association (BSA). At the meeting, chair Sally Cools says that Black students are “being fucked around left, right, and center at McGill.”
1980-1985 September 1991 BSN demands that McGill “establish an African-American history course by [the] next fall and an interdisciplinary Africana studies program within the following year.”
November 1995 The Africana Studies Committee present a vision document to Carmen Miller, the Dean of Arts. Melanie Newton, the political coordinator of BSN, says that she doesn’t “think a serious education at any university in this world can exclude the continent of Africa or peoples of African descent.”
A number of student groups, including the Black Students’ Network (BSN) and the McGill South Africa Committee, advocate for McGill to divest from their holdings in Apartheid South Africa. On November 11, 1985, BSN published an opinion piece in the Daily calling for total divestment. After years of activism, McGill’s Board of Governors voted for divestment in November 1985.
Features
February 24, 2020 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
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BSN hosts the first installment of their annual event, Hair Day. Every year, the organization provides free services from Black hair stylists to members of the McGill community. This year, a number of Black student vendors were also present.
November 3, 2016
October 2019 BSN announces that they are “working to pass a motion this year through the McGill Senate that would establish several rights that Black students would be entitled to on campus,” according to The McGill Tribune. An online consultation form is available for Black students who would like to be involved in the development of this legislation.
November 2000 BSN proposes a new constitution, which includes a preamble that “refers to James McGill as a slaveowner and notes the socioeconomic disadvantages Blacks face in society.” SSMU rejects the constitution. Members of BSN suggest that “SSMU executive could use some training in racial sensitivity issues.” Amaraki Laryea, SSMU’s Equity Commissioner at the time, says that at McGill, “equity issues are not even a priority and that trickles right down to the SSMU.”
Our Shared Spaces (formerly known as Rez Project) launches their race workshop (then known as Race Project), after 11 years of hosting a gender, sexuality, and consent workshop. Jenny Zhang, a Race Project facilitator, said that the workshop was developed “to give everyone a base level of knowledge on these antioppression topics in order to hopefully make [residence] a safer space.”
Winter Semester, 2016
October 2007 QPIRG and SSMU host the first installation of Culture Shock, which the Daily described as “a two-week event intended to expand cultural education and exploration at McGill.” Now, Culture Shock is solely hosted by QPIRG and focuses on issues such as border violence and prison abolition.
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Commentary
February 24, 2020 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
“Not Me, Us,” Includes You, Too On the Potential of Senator Bernie Sanders
Abigail Popple News Reporter This piece presents an individual perspective, and does not constitute an endorsement, formal or informal, by the Daily editorial board.
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cGill often touts its reputation as a diverse university with a student body comprised of students hailing from dozens of different countries. However, when I speak with my international and Canadian friends alike, I usually find that they’re blissfully unaware of anything happening outside of the McGill bubble; apparently, our exposure to the rest of the world’s affairs stops at the Roddick Gates. Despite the international notoriety of the current American president, most Americans I know are clueless about the process of voting abroad. These claims about the lack of political advocacy in McGill’s American student body are not founded solely upon anecdotal evidence: according to the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s 2016 Overseas Citizen Population Analysis Report, only about half a per cent of Americans abroad in Canada vote. McGill boasts a large chapter of Democrats Abroad (DA), with almost 1,000 likes on their Facebook page. However, given the historically low voting turnout of Americans abroad in Canada, it seems unlikely that this organization alone is potent enough to encourage expatriates to participate in the political process. Because DA is not meant to endorse any particular candidate, they can do little other than urge Americans abroad to vote – hardly a compelling argument
for students preoccupied with midterms, paying bills, and general university-related stress. It is through no fault of DA that voter turnout is so low; it is just that, by the nature of its noncommittal stance, the organization doesn’t have the persuasive leverage to mobilize voters abroad in an effective way. DA is a valuable resource insofar as it organizes American expats into a collective group, and provides readily-available information concerning how to vote from abroad. But this alone is not sufficient infrastructure to get out the vote. Students should be motivated by candidates first, and their political agency second: this is why the group Montreal for Bernie exists: to provide an alternative to the traditional get-out-the-vote efforts of DA. It is possible to work within the framework of DA and make use of its wealth of resources, but this must be done in conjunction with a motivation to elect a candidate one cares about – otherwise, voting from abroad will be relegated to one of many tedious, menial tasks that already weigh on McGill students. There are a number of reasons to be invested in the Sanders campaign from abroad, not the least of which is a general sense of empathy for our southern neighbours. While Canada is by no means a perfect country, it does a better job at providing many citizens with basic needs such as healthcare. It seems to me that those who enjoy the privilege of universal healthcare ought to feel that everyone deserves such a basic right, regardless of their nationality. Given the close relationship between Canada and the U.S.,
It is possible to work within the framework of DA and make use of its wealth of resources, but this must be done in conjunction with a motivation to elect a candidate one cares about – otherwise, voting from abroad will be relegated to one of many tedious, menial tasks that already weigh on McGill students.
Phoebe Pannier | Staff Illustrator Canadians are often drawn into American politics whether they wish to be or not. Let’s consider, then, the many facets of American politics which do impact Canadian lives, and the ways in which a Sanders presidency could influence Canadian politics as a whole. First of all, many issues transcend borders; climate change, for example, is clearly an international issue. Anyone who claims to be concerned about the catastrophic results of increasing greenhouse gas emissions and our dependence on fossil fuels should put their support behind politicians committed to reducing the effects of climate change – Sanders’ Green New Deal and his endorsement from the Sunrise Movement are clearly a testimony to such a commitment. The Sunrise Movement is an
international movement led by youths with the goal of pushing environmentally-friendly policies to be implemented across the world, so this endorsement speaks to the universal nature of environmental politics. It is also worth looking at warfare politics: the United States has been occupying the Middle East and funding war for almost my entire life (I was born shortly before the 9/11 attacks), and Sanders is one of only two candidates who have taken a strong anti-imperialist stance against these endless foreign wars. However, it is valid to criticize the argument that one should be invested in American politics solely due to the country’s economic and military power. If your only reason for being involved is that you fear America, you have essentially been bullied
into your political views. This is why it’s important to consider the ideological influence which the U.S. holds over the world, particularly given the Labour Party’s recent loss in the UK. Having a socialist in one of the most powerful offices in the world would create the ideological space for other leftist parties to gain more credibility in the context of electoral politics. The pervasive idea that the left has no appeal to voters will persist so long as there’s not a clear show of support for such politics. The advantage to Sanders’ campaign in this regard is that it has inspired a mass movement: Sanders has a unique ability to mobilize working-class voters, and this same mobilization should be extended to elsewhere in the world. To be sure, the level of support which Sanders has outside of the
Commentary
February 24, 2020 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
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Phoebe Pannier | Staff Illustrator U.S. is already remarkable: as of now, he is the only candidate who has an official group of supporters in Montreal. It is worth considering why he has garnered such interest from expatriates and non-American citizens. Sanders presidency would be beneficial in some way to those outside of the United States.
I believe that Sanders has earned the valuable time of so many activists abroad because his campaign presents a strong of the opportunity to exercise political agency both within and without the electoral systems. I believe that Sanders has earned the valuable time of so many activists abroad because his campaign presents a strong opportunity to exercise political agency both within and without the electoral systems. Sanders himself often characterizes his campaign as a “political revolution,” and while I often shy away from such dramatic rhetoric, it is certainly clear that the campaign is about much
more than electing one man to a political office. What Sanders embodies is not the result of some tired calculations of electability done by innocuously liberal technocrats, but rather the potential for significant, lasting political change. Granted, there are plenty of leftist movements independent of electoralism, but such movements could gain far more mainstream influence if they were taken to be reflective of the interests of the electoral body. While grassroots activism is effective, it still requires the continued lobbying of elected officials to get any policies put in place. For groups whose goal is to pass legislation pertaining to their cause, having an elected official who shares their values in office would provide more direct, effective support for their cause. Were the American election to shift the Overton window left, it is quite possible that many elected officials, or candidates for office, would come to embrace the leftist policies that these organisations work so hard to get governments to adopt. The ideals that are currently characterized as radical could be realized in a direct, timely manner if they found their way into the White House, Canadian Parliament, and beyond. America is usually to the ideological right of Canada. If a candidate who identifies as socialist could succeed there, it would open up any number of possibilities here in Canada. If such a candidate fails, however, it will almost certainly be taken to be a confirmation of the belief that the left will inevitably fail in democratic elections. What we are presented with in the 2020 American election is not simply a choice from a series of stale candidates virtually indistinguishable from one
another; we finally have a viable alternative to the status quo, quite possibly the last antiestablishment candidate which the left-of-center will see for a long time. It is imperative that you concern yourself with this election if you are invested in promoting the interests of the working class and marginalized groups. Americans abroad have a great deal more political agency than they seem to realize, and other McGill students likewise have the capability to enact considerable change by promoting a movement which can build a foundation for a political movement that puts the interests of working-class and marginalized voters first.
Montreal for Bernie is a means to not only get out the vote abroad, but also to create a network of activists which can later serve the interests of progressives here in Montreal. While I sympathise with other students, for whom voting is just one of many burdensome concerns, it is clear that Americans at McGill do in fact have a great deal of political agency which we often fail to exercise. I like to think of myself as someone who can help to change the world, and I suspect that many McGill students have a similar selfimage. If you’re serious about enacting change, this is your opportunity; you can either be part of a widespread movement seeking to create lasting political change, or you can keep your place as a student rooted firmly in the McGill bubble. If you’re an American, of course, you should vote: you can vote in the global primary or cast an absentee ballot on March 3 at Hurley’s on Crescent Street. Anyone is welcome to volunteer for the Sanders campaign - Montreal for Bernie organizes weekly phone/text banking events, and recently took several trips to
What Sanders embodies is not the result of some tired calculations of electability done by innocuously liberal technocrats, but rather the potential for significant, lasting political change. New Hampshire to canvass in the U.S., but it’s also possible to volunteer on your own. The infrastructure for enacting serious change is being built around you. But whether you choose to take advantage of it, or stay complacent, is solely up to you.
While I sympathise with other students, for whom voting is just one of many burdensome concerns, it is clear that Americans at McGill have a great deal of political agency which we often fail to exercise.
How to vote abroad (from votefromabroad.org): - As an abroad voter, you need to send in the form to request your ballot for every calendar year in which you wish to vote. The form, the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) is only one page and will cover you for all elections in the calendar year: Primary, General and Special Elections (that you may otherwise not be aware of ). - Submit your completed FPCA to your Local Election Official (LEO) in your state (submission methods and deadlines for your state – which vary by state are included in the instructions). - To submit your completed FPCA by Fax or Mail: print out the completed FPCA and instructions. Sign and date the form, then fax or mail it directly to your LEO using the contact information in the instructions. - When you receive your ballot, be sure to fill it out and send it to your LEO by the indicated date. For more information and other resources, visit: votefromabroad.org, democratsabroad.org, and overseasvotefoundation.org
February 24, 2020 mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily
Commentary
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Desirable Woman: It Shouldn’t Be So Complicated to Love a Black Woman
Zanele Chisholm The Eyeopener
This article originally appeared in The Eyeopener, Ryerson University’s largest independent campus publication.
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pon reading an article on how Black women and Asian men are the least desirable when it comes to dating online, I remember wanting to hold every Black girl in my arms. I felt my heart in my stomach, eating itself with a slow-chew. Since moving here for university in 2018, I found that Canada seems to be in a crisis of sorts when it comes to confronting the elephant of their own prejudice. Being neighbours with the United States allows for much of Canadian racism to be forgotten in the midst of hypervisible discrimination taking place in the U.S. But Canadians inability to acknowledge the falseness of their reputations as saints seeps into the way Canadians do dayto-day things, like dating. For me, casual racism in the world of dating often reveals itself through comments about my hair. I remember talking to one guy who always felt the need to make it clear how he preferred my hair. When it was neatly braided and contained, he would compliment me, telling me how amazed he was that my hair could do that. But his discomfort with my natural hair would come through in questions like, “How do you do your hair like that? You really like that style, huh? Why did you take your braids out? How long does this all take?” When a date asks me what I do, and I tell them I write about Black women, suddenly there are no more questions. Their interest depletes and they retreat away into a quiet discomfort. Yet these are the same individuals who rant to me about marginalized people and how much they care about social justice. These people constantly express their liberalness while maintaining actions that imply a Black woman’s love as lesser than. I remember talking to one guy who I was particularly excited about. On the first date, we discussed consent, climate change, feminism and white supremacy, all while eating ice cream and
Jimmy Kwan | The Eyeopener walking the streets of Yorkville. I kept wondering what the catch was. Then when the conversation came around to an issue affecting the Black community, it seemed like he was memorizing my answers. Further, he’d speak over me on issues we disagreed on, or phase out once I tried to move the conversation past politics. There were never any questions about my personal life, nothing that could have allowed him to really get to know me.
There is a fundamental lack of thought and passion invested in loving a Black woman. Our conversation dwindled and then stopped all together maybe four days after our second date. Maybe there was no connection? Maybe he wanted to have a story about going out and hooking up with a Black girl. It wouldn’t be the first time that I’ve felt like a box to be checked. There is a fundamental lack of thought and passion invested in loving a Black woman.
Growing up as a Black girl, I invested so much of my self-worth into dreams of being loved. I was afraid of his fingers getting caught in my hair, and what he’d say when they did. I was afraid he’d never call me beautiful and of unrequited love. I was always told of the hard exterior Black women have – I wondered if my skin would grow thick to be like them. There is a fundamental lack of thought and passion invested in loving a Black woman. This is especially the case for Black women with darker skin, coarser hair, broader noses and bigger lips – women lacking physical features that adhere to popularized, eurocentric beauty norms. The more recognizably Black we are, the more people resist. For this reason, we’re often depicted as people who have to be cracked like eggs to get to the good stuff. Nothing of their original form is ever good enough. Oftentimes, we’re attracted to people we see ourselves in. But if a partner can’t see themselves in my skin, it leaves me wondering – is my love uncomfortable? With time, I realized that as a straight-passing, queer Black woman, other queer women didn’t see me. And as a Black woman, men saw and desired me but only in the shadows. I learned very quickly that the process of desiring
another and being desired, as a Black girl, is confounded in crushing traditions of racism, sexism and heteronormativity. I’ve run into so many guys who have “sleep with a Black woman” on their list of fantasies. Dating outside your community as a person of colour often comes down to that question of being a checked off box. Black women are underrepresented in discussions on love and yet hypersexualized by media, solidifying the idea that we are an experience for someone, but not a person worth sharing your life with. We are human enough to provide pleasure but not enough beyond the physical. Our emotional and mental well-being will always be secondary to our physical presence in the world so we can serve others. I learned very quickly that the process of desiring another and being desired, as a Black girl, is confounded in crushing traditions of racism, sexism and heteronormativity. In the new year, I entered a stage in my life, and it’s all about being gentle with myself and loving myself. I’m still trying to figure out what that means to me, but part of it is staying away from dating apps for a while. I used to think falling in love was the final form of healing. I
worked so hard to make myself something picturesque for loving that I became disassociated from it. My romantic self has been wagered and molded to fit comfortably inside others’ ideas of love – to a point where, now, love feels violent to me. But, things have gotten better. As I’ve learned to prioritize my desires, my self-love comes before everything and anything else. Self-love is a radical act as a Black woman, and these days, that is my most important dream.
I learned very quickly that the process of desiring another and being desired, as a Black girl, is confounded in crushing traditions of racism, sexism and heteronormativity.