“While the university does not care about our safety, we cannot risk the safety of those here,” said Jamal Koulmiye-Boyce.
Jamal Koulmiye-Boyce
In a tale that seems to be as old as time, the University of Ottawa administration has once again come under attack for not doing enough to fight anti-Black racism on campus.
The sit-in to demand a meeting with president Jacques Frémont has now lasted over 65 hours inside of Tabaret Hall as of the publication of this article.
The University of Ottawa announced on Thursday evening that it had appointed professor Boulou Ebanda de B’béri as the university’s first special advisor on anti-racism and inclusion.
“The very presence of more Black folk validates the [new President’s Action Committee for an Anti-Racist and Inclusive Campus] and validates Frémont’s inaction. Any validation for the University of Ottawa to move forward with the committee is a step against systemic change for anti-Black racism at the University of Ottawa,” said Jamal Koulmiye-Boyce.
During a public forum promoting inclusion and anti-racism on campus on Thursday, University of Ottawa president Jacques Frémont called the June 2019 carding incident of Jamal Koulmiye-Boyce, a Black U of O student, “a good crisis,” drawing backlash from the school community.
