{"id":20869,"date":"2026-06-15T13:15:50","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T17:15:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/africanstudies\/?p=20869"},"modified":"2026-06-15T13:15:50","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T17:15:50","slug":"scarborough-charter-forum-brings-leaders-together-in-ottawa-to-advance-black-flourishing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/africanstudies\/2026\/scarborough-charter-forum-brings-leaders-together-in-ottawa-to-advance-black-flourishing\/","title":{"rendered":"Scarborough Charter Forum Brings Leaders Together in Ottawa to Advance Black Flourishing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ottawa welcomed more than 200 senior leaders, scholars, students and community partners on May 14 and 15 for the third Inter\u2011Institutional Forum of the Scarborough Charter on Anti\u2011Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education.<\/p>\n

Hosted by the\u00a0Scarborough Charter Secretariat<\/a>, Carleton University and the University of Ottawa, the forum drew representatives from post\u2011secondary institutions, student associations and community groups working to advance Black inclusion across the sector. This year\u2019s event marked the forum\u2019s largest signatory member representation to date with delegates participating from 43 of the 63 Charter members and nine additional non\u2011member institutions. The strong participation emphasized the sector\u2019s ongoing commitment to Black excellence in higher education.<\/p>\n

\"Awad
Awad Ibrahim Vice-Provost, Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Excellence, University of Ottawa, Marie-Eve Sylvestre President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ottawa, Wisdom Tettey President and Vice-Chancellor, Carleton University and No\u00ebl Badiou
\nAssociate Vice-President, Equity and Inclusive Communities, Carleton University<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Centred on the theme \u201cAdvancing Black Excellence and Opportunities in Challenging Times,\u201d the two\u2011day gathering examined how institutions can strengthen Black access, participation and leadership amid shifting political and economic pressures.<\/p>\n

Day One at Carleton University<\/strong><\/p>\n

The opening day began with a performance by the West African Rhythm Ensemble. Carleton president Wisdom Tettey acknowledged the pressures facing universities and urged leaders to maintain their commitments.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWe cannot allow challenging times to weaken our resolve,\u201d he said. \u201cOur responsibility is to ensure that Black inclusion and flourishing remain central to the mission of higher education.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Keynote speaker Liban Abokor, founder and CEO of Reimagine LABS, outlined the political, social and economic forces reshaping equity work and challenged institutions to consider what meaningful adaptation requires.<\/p>\n

A panel on intentional Black inclusion brought together scholars from journalism, architecture and African Studies who emphasized that representation, spatial justice and knowledge production shape Black experiences on campus and argued that inclusion must be embedded in institutional culture rather than treated symbolically.<\/p>\n

A presidents\u2019 panel later in the day highlighted the role of senior leadership in sustaining equity commitments, pointing to governance, accountability and resource allocation as essential components.<\/p>\n

Carleton\u2019s Associate Vice\u2011President, Equity and Inclusive Communities No\u00ebl Badiou closed the day by highlighting solidarity and measurable action.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cProgress requires bold leadership, intentional investment, expanded opportunity and measurable accountability, all undertaken in genuine solidarity with Black communities whose experiences and expertise must guide institutional action,\u201d he said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

\"Members
Scarborough Charter Board of Directors<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Day Two at the University of Ottawa<\/strong><\/p>\n

University of Ottawa president Marie\u2011Eve Sylvestre opened the second day by emphasizing the importance of linguistic diversity in equity initiatives. A panel examined how bilingual and Francophone institutions can integrate linguistic realities into their approaches to Black inclusion.
\nKeynote speaker Malinda Smith spoke about the role of disaggregated data and data justice in tracking progress, arguing that institutions cannot dismantle systemic barriers without robust and meaningful data.
\nRead more<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\n
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ottawa welcomed more than 200 senior leaders, scholars, students and community partners on May 14 and 15 for the third Inter\u2011Institutional Forum of the Scarborough Charter on Anti\u2011Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education. Hosted by the\u00a0Scarborough Charter Secretariat, Carleton University and the University of Ottawa, the forum drew representatives from post\u2011secondary institutions, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1,277],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nScarborough Charter Forum Brings 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