Cassandra Williams, Vice-President University Affairs

University of Toronto Students Union

12 Hart House Circle
Toronto, ON, M5S 3J9
vpuniversityaffairs@utsu.ca

Statement Regarding Racism at the University of Toronto Students Unions

February 9 Board Meeting

Throughout the year, UTSU has heard concerns about racismparticularly anti-
Black racismat UTSU. Some of these concerns are connected to the ongoing
lawsuit against Sandy Hudson. Others (most) have not been. But a common
theme has been of the UTSU consistently engaging in bad faith (or at the very
least, refusing to engage meaningfully in good faith) with Black members so as to
understand and address their needs. Past commitments to meaningfully address
issues of racism and anti-Blackness have proven to be empty. This is something
that UTSU ought to find tremendously concerning. Apparently it does not.

At our January board meeting, a working group of the Union began drafting a
motion to commit UTSU to engaging with Black students and student groups on
the issue of anti-Black racism, as well as the lawsuita topic for which we have
repeatedly heard concerns about anti-Black racism. Although the motion was an
item of interest with its own dedicated working group of the Union, and although
the Exec of the Union had access to the motion throughout this process, the
motion was erroneously excluded from the agenda, demonstrating either a
deliberate effort to not have it discussed at the board, or abject negligence for
issues of racism and for Black students. Despite its exclusion from the agenda, a
number of Black students attended UTSUs February board meeting specifically
to discuss with us matters of anti-Black racism.

As a consequence of its exclusion from the agenda, adding the motion to the
agenda at our February meeting would require unanimous consent from the
Board. When it came time to discuss adding this motion to the agenda, the Board
voted to go in camera, kick those Black students out of the room, and ensure that
there would be no record of the Boards private conversation. Throughout this
process, and subsequently, I and some others repeatedly articulated concerns
about us moving in camera to discuss non-confidential matters, stressing that
there was no reason for this discussion to take place in camera unless UTSU
was acting deliberately to avoid accountability and transparency, particularly to
Black students, and that we absolutely should not be kicking them out of the
room. Woodsworth College Director Christina Badiola attempted to silence these
concerns by citing procedural technicalitieseffectively silencing discussion
about UTSU acting non-transparently, and acting in a way that could be
reasonably considered racist. There was a long in camera discussion, which I am
not permitted to speak about because UTSU went in camera specifically to
prevent people like me from speaking about it. This resolved in an in camera vote
which decided that the motion would not be added to the agenda. Just as I
cannot speak to the contents of the discussion, I also cannot speak to who voted
in what way, since the board decided to have the entire vote privately in camera,
strictly so as to mark it as confidential and prevent reporting and open
communication. Ironically, having this vote in camera was also contrary to
procedure, as was later pointed out by one student who was kicked out of the
room. It would appear that strict adherence to procedure is only relevant when it
can be used to silence criticisms of non-transparency and of racism at UTSU.

We exited camera, and invited those Black students back into the room. I asked
that the in camera discussion be summarized and put on the record, noting that
absolutely no confidential matters were up for discussion. I stressed and
reiterated that UTSU was failing in its duty to our students, and deliberately
acting to avoid transparency in its dealings with these matters. These comments
seemed offensive to some on the Board. New College Director Sila Elgin referred
to my comments as disgusting, and claimed that it was justifiable to kick those
Black students out of the room and have an off-the-record discussion because
not everyone feels comfortable speaking openly. Vice-President Internal &
Services Mathias Memmel also referred to my comments as disgusting and
accused me of merely throwing around buzzwords like transparency. These
concerns were not at any point addressed beyond attempts to silence and
dismiss them as disgusting attacks on the comfort and safety of members of
the board.

After clarifying what had happened regarding the motion, and witnessing these
attempts to censor discussion and censure those speaking out against this
censorship, the students who had attended to discuss anti-Black racism left,
noting that UTSU always talks the talk when it comes to social justice and equity,
but never walks the walknever even crawls.

It is highly problematic that our Board refuses to have an open conversation

about racism and anti-Black racism, especially at a meeting for which Black
students attended specifically to discuss that issue. It is highly problematic that
UTSU would attempt to quell criticisms regarding its non-transparency and
racism by any means necessary, beginning with procedure and ending with
personal attacks against those who dare speak up, by calling our comments
disgusting and citing concerns to comfort or safety (the big scary trans woman
strikes again? The scary Black students? Who knows...).

For the comfort of individual student politicianswhatever comfort is supposed

to mean in this contextto be prioritized over fairly and responsibly representing
students with long-standing concerns is a tremendous problem. The comfort of
student politicians, while acting in their capacity as student representatives,
should not take precedence over a) accountability to marginalized students, b)
transparency in our engagement (or non-engagement) with issues of racism, nor
c) engagement with Black students and racial justice more broadly. In camera
sessions may take away the record of what is said, but they do not remove our
duty to Black students and to addressing their needs, no matter how frequently
the UTSU ignores these basic duties.

Even more telling is that Sila Elginthe same director who referred to my
comments as disgusting and cited comfort as a reason for kicking Black
students out of the room and moving in camerahas in the past also
commented that it is wrong to criticize UTSU for its lack of commitment to trans
students and trans issues because not everyone feels comfortable enough to
be an ally and support trans people. The individual comfort of student leaders in
addressing issues of marginalization and oppression that directly affect their
constituents is neither the point nor priority of the UTSU. This line of thought has
consistently been used to shield UTSU from criticism regarding its negligence
towards marginalized students, and it is a travesty of justice each and every time
that it is uttered.

These events constitute just one chapter in what seems to be a never-ending

story about the Unions neglect for Black students and issues of anti-Black
racism.