April 1, 2021
Inanna Publications/Canadian Woman Studies-les cahiers de la femme will not participate as an exhibitor at Congress 2021. We stand in solidarity with the Black Canadian Studies Association (BCSA). We share their profound concerns about the racial profiling that has taken place at Congress in recent years, the systemic inequalities inherent in its academic infrastructure, and their demands for the Federation’s increased accountability and transparency regarding these matters. Since 2019 the BCSA has made reasonable requests that would help facilitate meaningful dialogue about anti-Black racism and create conditions wherein Congress would be more accessible to racialized scholars, colleagues and graduate students. It is deeply troubling that the Federation has been so reluctant to take these concerns seriously.
Inanna Publications is a press that is committed to representing and disseminating the voices of all women, and our publications seek to address the intersecting axes of marginalization based on sexism, racism, classism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, and Islamophobia. It is deeply troubling to us that, because of anti-Black racism, episodes of racial profiling of its members, and the Federation’s lack of meaningful response to their concerns, the Black Canadian Studies Association has not felt comfortable attending Congress since 2019. The theme of 2020 Congress was “Bridging Divides: Confronting Colonialism and Anti-Black Racism.” As the BCSA noted, it was not possible for some of its members to do this important work when a rapid pivot to an online format created very real barriers to access for some faculty and graduate students. As the BCSA also rightfully noted, gestures toward decolonization cannot be merely performative. The work of confronting colonialism and anti-Black racism must be ongoing. Inanna echoes the calls of the BCSA for Congress to be accountable to Black scholars in Canada.
Inanna Publications Board of Directors and Staff
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