TRU to sign Scarborough Charter, committing to action on anti-Black racism
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) will join a national commitment to confront anti-Black racism, becoming the 61st Canadian post-secondary institution to sign the Scarborough Charter.
Signing the charter, which will happen on Feb. 25 as TRU honours Black History Month, commits TRU to specific principles and calls to action, including work to strengthen accountability, support Black inclusion across campus and improve representation among faculty and staff, while connecting Black students, faculty and staff to a national network of institutions advancing this work.
The Scarborough Charter was created in 2021 at the University of Toronto Scarborough, following the 2020 National Dialogues and Action for Inclusive Higher Education and Communities. It sets out principles, actions and accountabilities intended to address anti-Black racism and strengthen Black inclusion in Canadian post-secondary education.
The charter is organized around four guiding principles: Black flourishing, inclusive excellence, mutuality and accountability, which were developed through a cross-country co-creation process with Black communities and post-secondary partners.
Signing the Scarborough Charter signals the university’s commitment to increasing the representation of racialized faculty and staff, provides TRU with support and guidance on building equity initiatives, and connects Black faculty, staff, and student groups at TRU to a national network.
“As a signatory, TRU will make an important commitment to the Charter’s principles and calls to action, to redress anti-Black racism and foster Black inclusion at our university and in higher education nationally,” said TRU President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Airini. “We make this commitment as we close out Black History Month to remind us that goals of equity and inclusion are for all months of all years.”
“Membership affirms TRU’s ongoing work to create inclusive, supportive environments for students, faculty, and staff while strengthening accountability and coordinated action in our community and across Canada.”
Ensuring space to flourish
TRU’s Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism has been preparing for the signing by linking the charter’s calls to action with work already underway on campus. Keisha Morong, EDI manager with the office, said the charter builds on TRU’s recent anti-racism work and sharpens the focus on anti-Black racism and representation.
“With the excellent work done by TRU’s Anti-Racism Taskforce in 2021, the university recognized that inherent to our overall goals of equity, welcoming, and inclusion, is the responsibility to ensure we specifically address aspects such as racial discrimination and underrepresentation,” Morong said.
“TRU already has a history of promoting diversity and interculturalism. It’s really important that we ensure our Black students — many of them international students — find a space to flourish here, free of anti-Black racism.”
Morong said collecting equity data and building recruitment strategies are ways TRU can move forward in meeting the goals of Black inclusion. Through the Scarborough Charter Inter-Institutional Forum, TRU will take part in shared learning, sector-wide initiatives, and upcoming 2026 activities that help guide institutions in advancing equity and anti-racism.
Event series invites learning, action and celebration
Airini will officially sign the Scarborough Charter during a Black History Month community panel discussion hosted by the TRU Black Law Student Association (BLSA) at the Brown Family House of Learning.
Throughout February, TRU and community partners are joining for a cohesive, holistic declaration of the university’s commitment to Black inclusiveness and excellence through a series of Black History Month events.
Silencing and Silent in Fugitive Spaces, a guest lecture on Feb. 10 by Dr. Marva Ferguson from Mount Royal University, will explore anti-racist discourse, civility and the Scarborough Charter. At the TRU Art Gallery, The Black Canvas exhibit runs Feb. 2 to 13, featuring work celebrating the 2026 Black History Month theme, “30 years of Black History Month: honouring Black brilliance across generations — from nation builders to tomorrow’s visionaries.” A family-friendly reception at the exhibit on Feb. 7 will also include Afro-Caribbean food and performances. See the schedule below for more Black History Month events at TRU and in Kamloops.
“Black History Month is about education, reflection and celebration and we hope to do all three at TRU this year,” said Morong. “A guest lecture, book display, quiz series and community panel aim to educate and instigate action, while an art exhibition and gala are times for cultural celebration, with diverse music, art and food.”
TRU students from the TRUSU Afro-Caribbean Student Association (ACSA) and the BLSA have been instrumental in planning these events, alongside the Office of EDI and AR, the Faculty of Education and Social Work, TRU World, the Unique Get Together Society and the Caribbean Diaspora Society of Kamloops.
Planning has also begun on TRU’s annual EDI conference this spring, which will be an Anti-Racism Symposium incorporating components of anti-Black racism and the Scarborough Charter.
Black History Month events at TRU:
Feb. 1–28: Black History Month Book Display, TRU Library
Feb. 2–13: The Black Canvas Art Exhibition (Reception Feb. 7), TRU Art Gallery, Old Main
Feb. 10: Silencing and Silent in Fugitive Spaces, Panorama Room, International Building
Feb. 25: Community Panel Discussion and signing of Scarborough Charter, HL 190, Brown Family House of Learning
Feb. 28: ACSA Black History Month Gala, Mountain Room, Campus Activity Centre
Black History Month events in Kamloops:
Feb. 8: Kamloops Black Film Society presents 40 Acres, Paramount Theatre
Feb. 15: Kamloops Black Film Society presents Judas and the Black Messiah, Paramount Theatre
Feb. 21: Ebony Roots Concert, Kamloops Symphony Orchestra, Kamloops Alliance Church
Feb. 21: Valid Dreams Foundation Dinner and Celebration, TRU Grand Hall, Campus Activity Centre
Feb. 22: Kamloops Black Film Society presents Sinners, Paramount Theatre
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