Spaces designated for students from marginalized backgrounds are spreading across Canadian universities, as officials say they are a necessary and overdue response to decades of racism on campus.
Toronto Metropolitan University officially opened a space late last month for students who self-identify as Black.
The lounge -- equipped with a kitchen, other facilities and a mural painted by a Black student artist -- can fit up to 25 students at a time. “One of the reasons why young people struggle with their mental health is because they think they're the only ones to go through what they're going through,” she said. “Having these spaces makes you more confident and say, 'oh, I'm not alone.”
“That is why UBC is taking steps ... to help foster a sense of belonging ... for Black community members.”She dismissed that charge as “foolishness,” arguing such accusations were written by people who had no knowledge of what a system of segregation is.“Anti-Black racism is not dependent on even being Canadian. It has nothing to do with your citizenship.”One critic of the lounges is Adaeze Mbalaja, the president of the York Federation of Students.