Red Ice News

The Future is the Past

No Whites Allowed: Students Barred from Funded RSU Student Group Event For Being White
New to Red Ice? Start Here!

No Whites Allowed: Students Barred from Funded RSU Student Group Event For Being White

Source: ryersonian.ca

Trevor Hewitt, left, and Julia Knope, right, were barred from an event held by the Racialized Students Collective for being white. (Natasha Gan/Ryersonian Staff)

Two white students were barred from a meeting of the Racialized Students’ Collective March 11.

First-year journalism students Trevor Hewitt and Julia Knope were told that because they were not victims of racialization, they were not allowed to stay in the meeting room and report on the event.

Hewitt and Knope said they made eye contact with an unidentified woman who appeared to be setting up for the event. She approached Hewitt and Knope and asked if they had ever been racialized.

Hewitt said he then told the woman he wanted to cover the meeting for an assignment. He said the woman told him that because he was not a racialized student, he could not sit in on the meeting. Hewitt and Knope then left the room.

“It felt really bad… kind of embarrassing,” Knope said. “If their goal in these meetings was to end racialization then it needs to be something everybody is involved in. If some people are causing the problems, they need to know. Grouping yourself off… is not going to accomplish anything.”

Related: No whites allowed: Illinois HS Principal holds Blacks-only Assembly

The Racialized Students’ Collective is part of the Ryerson Students’ Union (RSU). Its website states that the group “oppose(s) all forms of racism and work towards community wellness for students,” that they focus on “building an anti-racist network” and “fostering an anti-racist environment through campus-wide services, campaigns and events.”

Knope said while she understands they are a support group for each other and don’t want others there, she doesn’t understand why the events are then listed as public and as an RSU campaign.

“It seemed really ironic to me that the meeting was about racialization and they were prohibiting certain people from entering,” she said.

“Right now it’s almost like they’re suggesting they can make racialization go away (and that) if everyone who has been racialized just talks… it will magically go away,” Hewitt added.

RSU coordinator Vajdaan Tanveer told The Ryersonian over the phone that members of the collective have requested a safe space on campus, where they can have an open conversation.

“We don’t want (racialized) students to feel intimidated, that they can’t speak their mind because they are afraid of being judged or something they say might be used against them,” he said.

When asked about Hewitt and Knope’s incident, Tanveer confirmed they couldn’t attend the meeting because they were white.

“In terms of educating, we have some events for public,” he said. “We use the opportunity to tell them about the work and how they can get involved.”

Source: ryersonian.ca

Comments

We're Hiring

We are looking for a professional video editor, animator and graphics expert that can join us full time to work on our video productions.

Apply

Help Out

Sign up for a membership to support Red Ice. If you want to help advance our efforts further, please:

Donate

Tips

Send us a news tip or a
Guest suggestion

Send Tip

Related News

Texas Students Launch 'No Whites Allowed' Magazine
Texas Students Launch 'No Whites Allowed' Magazine
DOJ Accuses Yale of Illegally Discriminating Against White & Asian Students
DOJ Accuses Yale of Illegally Discriminating Against White & Asian Students

Archives Pick

Red Ice T-Shirts

Red Ice Radio

3Fourteen

Con Inc., J6 Political Prisoners & The Pedophile Problem
Kim Coulter - Con Inc., J6 Political Prisoners & The Pedophile Problem
Why European Culture, Art and Beauty Matter
Gifts - Why European Culture, Art and Beauty Matter

TV

Laughter: The New Weapon Of The Far-Right
Laughter: The New Weapon Of The Far-Right
London’s Fourth Plinth To Get Fat Black “Everywoman” Statue
London’s Fourth Plinth To Get Fat Black “Everywoman” Statue

RSSYoutubeGoogle+iTunesSoundCloudStitcherTuneIn

Design by Henrik Palmgren © Red Ice Privacy Policy