racism Archives - Queen's Journal

Alleged racially motivated incident demonstrates reality faced by students of colour in Kingston

Written on January 21, 2022. Posted in Editorials.

Two racialized graduate students at Queen’s say they were targeted by a driver who almost ran them over when they were crossing the road at an intersection on Jan. 6. The women later told The Kingstonist the driver didn’t show any signs of remorse or guilt before driving off, and they believe he deliberately...

Academic freedom is no excuse for racism in the classroom

Written on November 19, 2021. Posted in Editorials.

On university campuses, ‘academic freedom’ can sometimes be code for racism. Last fall, University of Ottawa professor Verushka Lieutenant-Duval was suspended after using an anti-Black racial slur in her classroom. A recent open letter signed by past and current faculty demand the University apologize...

Student alleges mistreatment by campus security

Written on November 12, 2021. Posted in News.

This article includes descriptions of racism and may be triggering for some readers. The Peer Support Centre offers drop-in services and empathetic peer-based support and is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Online services can be accessed here. Alex Wang, ArtSci ’22, was at Stauffer library finishing...

Racism is as deadly as the pandemic. Queen’s Student Code of Conduct should reflect that.

Written on April 2, 2021. Posted in Editorials.

The University is using the Student Code of Conduct to punish off-campus public health violations, claiming it applies because they threaten university operations. Yet this so-called loophole hasn’t been used to address off-campus acts of racism—a notable double standard that shows Queen’s administration...

To address vaccine hesitancy among Black and Indigenous Canadians, the government must act on racism in healthcare

Written on January 26, 2021. Posted in Editorials.

Despite being disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, many Black and Indigenous Canadians are hesitant to receive the vaccine. They have every right to be. As the government enacts its COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan, it must tackle vaccine hesitancy among Black and Indigenous Canadians...

Sexual liberation while racialized

Written on January 22, 2021. Posted in Features.

This piece uses “Queer and Trans Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (QTBIPOC)” to refer to the experiences of Queer racialized students. We acknowledge this term is not universal. Sexual liberation has always been core to the feminist movement. In North America, for a long time, that has looked...

Canada must address anti-Indigenous racism within medicine

Written on November 13, 2020. Posted in Editorials.

Protests broke out this summer when an Indigenous woman named Joyce Echaquan died in a Quebec hospital, shortly after live streaming on Facebook. In the video, she detailed racist verbal abuse she’d suffered and worried she’d been given too much morphine. While the autopsy has yet to be released,...

O Canada: The reality of anti-Indigenous discrimination

Written on November 13, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle.

In the weeks leading up to the US election, die-hard Trump supporters took to social media to announce they’d be moving to Canada if the incumbent president wasn’t re-elected. Canadians took offence. We pointed out that Americans whose beliefs aligned with Trump’s wouldn’t find Canada’s strict gun...

The new Disney+ disclaimers help us step forward into an era of conversation

Written on November 6, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Last month, Disney made a small but significant change to how it presents certain films on its streaming platform—and it’s one for the better. Disney+ made the addition of 12 second, non-skippable disclaimers on a select few of their movies—among them are Peter Pan, Dumbo, The Aristocats, Aladdin,...

You should believe the lived experiences of BIPOC as soon as you hear them

Written on September 29, 2020. Posted in Editorials.

Any claim requires some sort of evidence to back it up. When it comes to racism on campus, the lived experiences of BIPOC students should be evidence enough. Yet these experiences are completely devalued at Queen’s and viewed in a way that’s inherently white supremacist. This past summer, pages like...

Commentary: lack of diversity manifests on stage and behind the scenes in Queen’s theatre

Written on July 27, 2020. Posted in Arts.

Dhanish Chinniah, director of 2019’s Fun Home, was the second visible minority to direct a Queen’s Musical Theatre production since 2012. In an interview with The Journal, Chinniah, ArtSci ’19, openly recognized the incredible opportunity of having full creative control over a musical as a student...

‘A safe haven’: The impact of Stolen by Smith, as told by QTBIPOC students and faculty

Written on July 18, 2020. Posted in Features.

This piece uses “Queer & Trans Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (QTBIPOC)” to refer to the experiences of LGBTQ+ and racialized students. We acknowledge this term is not universal. On July 3, the Stolen by Smith Instagram account launched. Inspired by Black at Harvard Law, Stolen by Smith...

‘Stolen by Smith’ Instagram account details systemic violence at Queen’s business school

Written on July 8, 2020. Posted in News.

QTBIPOC students are opening up about their experiences of systemic violence at Smith School of Business through a student-run Instagram account called Stolen by Smith. The initiative was launched by Kelly Zou, Comm ’21, on July 3 through Instagram. She declined The Journal’s request for comment. According...

Finding a safe space in a white and straight place

Written on June 16, 2020. Posted in Features.

This piece uses “Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC)” to refer to the experiences of racialized students. We acknowledge this term is not universal. Kelly Zou, Comm ’21, is frustrated with having to censor her views and experiences when discussing race and queerness at Queen’s. “I don’t...

Racism over coronavirus outbreak is senseless

Written on March 13, 2020. Posted in Opinions.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has a lot of people scared and looking for someone to blame. We can see this hysteria reflected in the stock market going down, and in people bulk-buying toilet paper, hand soap and other amenities. But most dishearteningly, we can see it in the...

Coronavirus doesn't justify racist aggression

Written on March 13, 2020. Posted in Editorials.

The conversation around coronavirus is intimidating, but by standing in solidarity with Chinese students at Queen’s, we can combat the effects of the virus more effectively. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus, prejudice and bigotry toward Chinese students on campus has...

Our failure to acknowledge different perspectives sets back our progress

Written on February 28, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Postscript.

When I was in my final year of high school at a diverse school, I remember telling my friends I was planning to accept my offer to Queen’s. I was instantly told about the university’s stereotypes: that it’s a snooty school that’s predominantly white. I brushed off these comments and refused to let...

Why we’re done complaining

Written on February 28, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Student Life.

“I’m still angry after 19 years on Earth. I’m angry every time someone has a conversation with my chest, or asks if my parents—who I assume they envision as Islamic tyrants—would be okay with me dressing provocatively. I’m angry every time I look at the sea of white faces surrounding me and question...

Post-themed party, racial insensitivity is alive and well on campus

Written on February 13, 2020. Posted in Opinions.

Editors’ Note: The author has been granted anonymity out of concern for personal safety. To start the decade, news of the novel coronavirus made headlines, spreading panic and fear faster than the virus itself has spread. Though much of the information being circulated in the media is false—or perhaps...

Coronavirus party shows Queen’s hasn’t learned from its past

Written on February 7, 2020. Posted in Editorials.

An inappropriately-themed party on campus last weekend, and the subsequent response, demonstrated that Queen’s still has a long way to go when it comes to addressing insensitivity and discrimination in our community. The Journal reported that on Feb. 1, Undergraduate Trustee Tyler Macintyre was...

Letter to the Editor: January 7th

Written on February 7, 2020. Posted in Opinions.

Dear Editors, I am from Guangzhou, China. At present, my family and tens of millions of Chinese families are bravely fighting against the spread of the virus. My mother has launched several fundraising operations to buy various medical supplies for doctors. Our Chinese students at Queen’s University...

“Heartbroken”: Chinese students responds to Coronavirus party

Written on February 7, 2020. Posted in News.

“We all make mistakes and it is important to acknowledge them.” These were the words that Summer Chen, incoming ASUS senator, said in an interview with The Journal on Tuesday in response to the Coronavirus-themed party that took place on Feb. 1. After The Journal reported on Monday that a Coronavirus...

At Assembly, members discuss racism on campus

Written on February 7, 2020. Posted in News.

AMS Assembly gathered Thursday night to discuss recent events on campus, including a special discussion period set aside to discuss racism in the community. The discussion comes three days after The Journal reported that students held a Coronavirus-themed party over the weekend, which led to the resignation...

Addressing the persistence and foundations of South Asian anti-blackness

Written on January 24, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Postscript.

A cruel and unaddressed racist rhetoric in South Asian communities means that we might just take the trophy for self-righteous anti-blackness. I grew up in Toronto, one of the most diverse cities in North America, and one that’s wrongly viewed as having evolved beyond daily racism. This is predicated...

UPDATE: Kingston Police confirm Chown Hall investigation closed

Written on January 17, 2020. Posted in News.

This article was updated with new information at 4:55 p.m. The Kingston Police Department has closed its investigation into the racist and homophobic note discovered in Chown Hall in October, according to an email reviewed by The Journal. On Friday evening, Residence Life Manager (Operations), Rebecca...

How to productively accept your privilege

Written on January 14, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Student Life.

In the age of a reinvented conservative shift, it’s no wonder that new and creative ways to be racist are created each day. From the emergence of colorblind racism to the widespread worship of stars that spray-tan their ways to cultural appropriation, it’s a confusing time to be a person of colour...

We need to analyze why Don Cherry wasn’t cancelled a long time ago

Written on November 22, 2019. Posted in Opinions.

Anyone who’s had the displeasure of spending their Saturday nights from October to April watching the Toronto Maple Leafs lose on Hockey Night in Canada knows that if you can get through the first period without throwing the remote at the television, you see something special. After a beer commercial...

An open letter to the writer of the racist and homophobic note

Written on October 18, 2019. Posted in Opinions.

Last week, a racist and homophobic note was posted in Chown Hall residence. While there’s a need to address intolerance in the Queen’s community on a greater scale, I want to address the individual who wrote this note. I hope you are only in the first few months of your first year of university, so...

“We’re going to let this strengthen us”: students of Chown Hall floor speak to racist note

Written on October 18, 2019. Posted in News.

Emily* was on her way to class on the morning of Oct. 10 when she found a note taped to the wall in her common room on the fourth floor of Chown Hall. The note was written in verse and addressed to LGBTQ+ and Indigenous students using derogatory and violent language. Emily wrote a message to her...

Queen’s formally apologizes for Black medical student ban

Written on April 25, 2019. Posted in News, University.

More than a hundred years ago, Queen’s banned Black medical students from enrolling in the program. On April 16, the University apologized. At Senate, Daniel Woolf, Queen’s outgoing principal, and Richard Reznick, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, signed a formal letter of apology for a 1918...

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