February 5, 2019 - Agenda and Minutes - President's Advisory Committee on Building an Inclusive Community (PACBIC)

Members Present: Ameil Joseph (Co-Chair), Arig al Shaibah (Co-Chair), Grace Pollock (Vice-Chair, Staff), Vanessa Watts, Amber Dean, Miranda Clayton, Jocelyn Heaton, Andy Crowell, Rodrigo Narro Perez, Chris Roberts, Karen Sutton, Anne Pottier, May-Marie Duwai-Sowa, Sashaina Singh, Shelley Porteus, Yimeng Yang

Member Regrets: Dawn Unwin, Karen Arnott, Sarah Cairns, Tanya Rumble, Esra Begizi, Catherine Booker, Jim McAndrew

Equity and Inclusion Office: Kate Brown, Craig Foye, Chelsea Gibson, Joan Johnson (regrets sent), Pilar Michaud, Princewill Ogban, Tolulope Ojo (Minutes), Khadijeh Rakie, Meaghan Ross, Vilma Rossi.

Community Members Present: Carrie McMullin, Jordan Lentinello, Calvin Peruse Ayo Osinowo

1) Welcome and Introductions
Ameil opened the meeting by acknowledging that McMaster University sits on the traditional territories of the Mississauga and Haudenosaunee Nations, and within the lands protected by the Dish With One Spoon wampum agreement

(ref: IEC May 2016). Participants were then invited to introduce themselves and their affiliation with the University.

2) Adoption of Minutes
The Minutes of February 5, 2019 were approved.

3) Presentation: Arig al Shaibah, PhD. – Reflections on the McMaster Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) consultations
The following key points were discussed regarding the presentation of community feedback from EDI presentations:

(a) accountability of committees

(b) chair responsibility

(d) creating strategies

(e) policies

The following questions were posed:

(a) What does the language of proportionality mean? What is it relative to?

(b) The language of quotas and what does it mean to exceed quotas?

4) Discussion: Jordan Lentinello, Reflections and learnings from coordinating Black History Month (BHM) at McMaster
Jordan (BHM Coordinator) presented the calendar of events for February 2019. This year there has been collaboration with other groups for various events in combination with key events during BHM. The events focus is on community building.

The following areas were flagged for improvement for future BHM event planning:

(a) Develop and secure resources earlier

(b) Jordan is developing a report which will contain resources for future coordinators (c) Additional resources for social media and advertising will be needed

(d) Develop a more formal BHM committee

(e) Look at budget requirements

5) PACBIC Members & Working Groups – Updates & Reports Working Groups

First Nations, Metis and Inuit (FNMI) Priorities
Vanessa Watts raised the issue of relying on self-identification mechanisms to establish quotas as a practice that limits the hiring and promotion/inclusion of Indigenous people in particular but would apply to/affect equity seeking groups in general; i.e., if people self-identify as Indigenous and the community data/census data says this meets/matches, then institutions will promote a sense of accomplishment while also suggesting that attention to the hiring of Indigenous people is no longer necessary.

6) Announcements

• Black History Month Events

February 6, 2019: Francis Jeffer’s African Inventor’s Museum

9:30 am – 4:00 pm at MUSC Atrium

February 9, 2019: Let’s Talk about Islamophobia: Discussion

Hamilton Downtown Mosque, 221 York Blvd, Hamilton, ON L8R1Y6 1:30pm

Keynote speaker: Sarah Jama

February 11, 2019: Access to Justice for Hamilton’s Black Community

Hamilton Central Library 4:30 – 6:30 pm

February 12, 2019: Blackness and Academia: Robyn Maynard and Sandy Hudson

1:00 – 3:00 pm at Celebration Hall

February 15, 2019: Vital Signs: Dismantling Racism in Hamilton

Mulberry Coffee House – 193 James Street North 8:00 – 8:45 am

Princewill Ogban and Ameil Joseph

February 16, 2019: Black to the Future – a panel discussion on Afro Futurism (HARRC et al.) 1:00 pm

Workers Arts and Heritage Centre – 51 Stuart Street

Tuesday February 19, 2019: We Now Recognize – Khari Wendell Mcclelland (projecthumanity.ca) 8:00 pm

Lincoln Alexander Theatre – 160 King Street East

February 25, 2019: Dr. Malinda Smith: A discussion with Dr. Arig al Shaibah Details: TBD

February 26, 2019: Angela Davis – Freedom is a constant struggle

University of Guelph 7:30 pm Tickets $15

• Thrive Week: February 4 – 8, 2019 – various events

• McMaster Hillel: February 8, 2019

Interfaith Shabbat dinner: 6:30 pm Celebration Hall

• Pride Community Centre: February 12-15, 2019

Transcendence: A week dedicated to the wonderful Transgender students on campus

• First Nations Metis and Inuit Priorities: February 14, 2019

Dr. Lana Whiskeyjack ipkDoc – Ohtisly, Disruption and Innovation 2:30 – 3:30 PM in HSC 1A5

7) Adjournment and Next Meeting
The meeting was adjourned at 11:35 a.m. The next meeting is scheduled for March 5, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. in Gilmour Hall Room 111 (Council Chambers).

Please send regrets to pacbic@mcmaster.ca.