Moving Beyond Diversity

Using Critical Race Theory and Black Feminist Thought to Foster Black Excellence Through Undergraduate University Admissions

Authors

  • Christopher Stuart Taylor University of Waterloo
  • Grace A. Gomashie University of Waterloo

Keywords:

admissions, anti-Black racism, Black affinity groups, equity and inclusion, restorative justice, systems change

Abstract

This paper argues that concrete actions are needed to address anti-Black racism and foster Black inclusion in Canadian higher education. These pertinent actions should target the systemic barriers faced by Black students when accessing post-secondary institutions. Through our reflections on current admissions practices of research-intensive Ontario-based universities, this paper highlights how currently used frameworks of diversity and inclusion may not be effective in disrupting the myth of meritocracy and mitigating systemic barriers faced by Black undergraduate applicants. We recommend that undergraduate admissions practices be grounded in a critical understanding of the four principles of the Scarborough Charter (Black flourishing, inclusive excellence, mutuality, and accountability) to support Black admissions, and that critical race theory and Black feminist thought be used as frameworks to create specific admissions practices and programs that disrupt anti-Black racism. The paper will generate further discussions on what it means to foster Black inclusion through university admissions and enrolment in a transformative manner.

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Author Biographies

Christopher Stuart Taylor, University of Waterloo

Christopher Stuart Taylor is the Associate Vice-President of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism (EDI-R) at the University of Waterloo. He is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of History. He completed his PhD at Western University (Canada) in History and Migration & Ethnic Relations (MER). His book, Flying Fish in the Great White North: The Autonomous Migration of Black Barbadians, is available from Fernwood Publishing. He also worked in the Ontario Public Service (OPS) and began his career as a Policy Coordinator Intern in the Deputy Minister's Office at the Ministry of Labour. He was the Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator in the Ministry of the Attorney General's Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility Office; a Senior Policy Advisor at Ontario's Anti-Racism Directorate; and Manager of Social Justice & Change Cluster at the Ontario Correctional Services College. Dr. Taylor is a proud founding member of the University of Waterloo’s Black Faculty Collective (BFC). Twitter/X: @DrCSTaylor

Grace A. Gomashie, University of Waterloo

Grace A. Gomashie, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture, Mount Allison University, Canada, where she researches topics on equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization. She holds a PhD in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, where her doctoral research focused on language vitality in Indigenous communities. She has published in the areas of onomastics, Indigenous language maintenance, Spanish varieties, community studies, and translation studies.

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Published

2024-08-26

Issue

2024: Early View

Section

Original Research

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Copyright (c) 2024 Christopher Stuart Taylor, Grace A. Gomashie

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