Statement Reaffirming McGill Student Associations’ Commitment to Racial Equity and Inclusion

SSMU, PGSS, MEdUSA, MUSA, DSS, MCSS, AUS, SUS, ASUS, LSA/AÉD, GEEC, BSN, IAC, ILADA, DIBS, M-AISES, ISA, MSA, PAC, IJV, CSS, MSS, NUS, EUS, SAPEK, EdUS, NSBE, MASS, BESS, FSA, DHNUS, BLSA, MUS, SWSA, PSSA

November 27, 2020

CONTENT WARNING: racism, white supremacy. We encourage you to prioritise your mental and emotional wellbeing as you choose how you want to engage with this statement.

To the McGill Community,

The Students’ Society of McGill University, the Post-Graduate Students’ Society, the Music Education Undergraduate Students’ Association, the McGill Music Undergraduate Students’ Association, the Dental Students’ Society of McGill University, the Macdonald Campus Students’ Society Executive Council, the Arts Undergraduate Society, the Science Undergraduate Society of McGill University, the Arts & Science Undergraduate Society, the McGill Law Students’ Association, the Graduate Engineering Equity Committee, the Black Students’ Network of McGill, the SSMU Indigenous Affairs Committee, the Indigenous Law Association, the Desautels Indigenous Business Society, the McGill American Indian Science and Engineering Society, the Indigenous Student Alliance, the Muslim Students’ Association, the Pan-Asian Collective, Independent Jewish Voices McGill, the Caribbean Students’ Society, the Medical Students’ Society of McGill University, the McGill Nursing Undergraduate Students’ Society, the Engineering Undergraduate Society, the McGill Student Association of Physical Education and Kinesiology, the Education Undergraduate Society, the National Society of Black Engineers McGill, the McGill African Students’ Society, the Bioresource Engineering Student Society, the McGill Food Science Association, the McGill Dietetics and Human Nutrition Undergraduate Society, the Black Law Students’ Association, the Management Undergraduate Society, and the Social Work Student Association reaffirm our unequivocal commitment to racial equity and inclusion, recognising the extremely difficult year this has been for many racialised peoples and religious minorities, notably people of Asian descent, Indigenous Peoples, Black people, and Muslims. Likewise, we express our explicit, wholehearted, and unequivocal condemnation of white supremacy, white nationalism, and all derivative structures of oppression and marginalisation of Black people, Indigenous Peoples, People of Colour (BIPOC), and religious minorities, including but not limited to Jews, Muslims, and Sikhs.

In the interest of prioritising the wellbeing of our BIPOC community, and not giving a platform to hateful dialogues, we will not detail the recent vocal presence of white supremacy on campus. That said, we must acknowledge the harm and distress caused to BIPOC community members and religious minorities as a result. To our BIPOC community, please put yourselves first, and surround yourselves with people who understand and validate your lived experience. We have included a list of support and reporting resources at the end of this message.

No group or organisation promoting racial hatred has now, or will ever have, any affiliation to the signatory associations of this statement, or any legitimate standing on our campus. Any assertion otherwise must be recognised as a shameless and baseless attempt to gain a platform to harm BIPOC students, which we condemn categorically. For this reason, we urge everyone to centre BIPOC community members in interacting with racially hateful discourse, to ensure that it is not amplified as it is condemned. Make use of content warnings, amplify the voices of those directly affected, and educate yourself about their lived experiences.

As we balance our determination both to denounce hatred and to foster a safe social environment, each of us must recognise the limitations of our own social position and centre those most affected by racial injustice. At the same time, we must recognise our social privileges where they exist, and use them to dismantle the oppressive structures on which they rest. The signatories to this letter reaffirm our personal and institutional responsibility to promote concrete, systemic advances to social and racial equity within all organisational aspects of our associations, as well as McGill University and society at large.

Signed,

Students’ Society of McGill University Executive Committee
Post-Graduate Students’ Society Executive Committee
Music Education Undergraduate Students’ Association Executive Committee
McGill Music Undergraduate Students’ Association Executive Committee
Dental Students’ Society of McGill University Executive Committee
Macdonald Campus Students’ Society Executive Council
Arts Undergraduate Society
Science Undergraduate Society of McGill University
Arts & Science Undergraduate Society
McGill Law Students’ Association Executive Committee
Graduate Engineering Equity Committee
Black Students’ Network of McGill
SSMU Indigenous Affairs Committee
Indigenous Law Association
Desautels Indigenous Business Society
McGill American Indian Science and Engineering Society
Indigenous Student Alliance
Muslim Students’ Association
Pan-Asian Collective
Independent Jewish Voices McGill
Caribbean Students’ Society
Medical Students’ Society of McGill University
McGill Nursing Undergraduate Students’ Society
The Engineering Undergraduate Society
McGill Student Association of Physical Education and Kinesiology
McGill Education Undergraduate Students’ Society Council
National Society of Black Engineers McGill
McGill African Students’ Society
Bioresource Engineering Student Society Executive Committee
McGill Food Science Association Executive Committee
McGill Dietetics and Human Nutrition Undergraduate Society Executive Committee
Black Law Students’ Association of McGill
Management Undergraduate Society
Political Science Students Association

Here are some institutional reporting mechanisms within student associations and at McGill University:

Here are some equity resources available within McGill student associations:

SSMU Equity Committee
SSMU Indigenous Affairs Committee
Black Students’ Network of McGill and the SSMU Black Affairs Committee
Pan-Asian Collective
Muslim Students’ Association
PGSS Equity and Diversity Committee

Below is a list of mental health resources at McGill and in Montreal:

Keep.meSAFE, 24/7 access to licensed counsellors available to all McGill students
Peer Support Centre at McGill
McGill Students’ Nightline
Tel-Aide: 514-935-1101
Crisis Text Line: Text ‘CONNECT’ to 686-868
Suicide Action Montreal: 1-866-277-3553
Centre for Gender Advocacy Peer Support Line: 514-848-2424 x7880
Trans Lifeline: 877-330-6366
Interligne: 514-866-0103 (Toll-free/text messaging: 1-888-505-1010)
Project 10: 514-989-4585

Statement Reaffirming McGill Student Associations’ Commitment to Racial Equity and Inclusion