A fresh face on campus in the late 1980s, Audrea Golding, BA’92, remembers walking into the Student Union Building one day and spotting a former classmate from her high school in Jamaica.
“We just exploded with laughter because we were so desperate to make connections. We were both so far from home,” says Golding, who was feeling overwhelmed about living alone in a big city for the first time.
Golding soon found a welcoming community at McGill through her involvement with the Caribbean Students’ Society and the Black Students’ Network (BSN). These groups were an important source of friendship and belonging, as well as a safe space for political debates and a launching pad for advocacy work on campus.
Now a successful immigration lawyer based in Silicon Valley, California, Golding recently reconnected with her McGill roots. She has established an award for Black students who are graduating not just with diplomas but with a track record of leadership and impact in their communities – much like the Black student leaders Golding knew during her time at McGill.
Audrea Golding, BA'92
When Torie Williams, BA’21, found out that she had been selected as one of the two inaugural recipients of the Audrea Golding Black Student Leadership Award, she felt proud and excited to be acknowledged by the University.
“At predominantly white institutions where anti-Black racism runs deep, it’s easy for Black students to develop imposter syndrome or feel like they have to do 20 times more to get the same level of recognition,” says Williams. “Having awards dedicated to Black students helps ensure that our diverse set of accomplishments are celebrated and acknowledged.”
During her studies, Williams was an active member of the BSN and the McGill Women in Leadership group. She served as President of the BSN during the 2019-20 academic year and organized events like Black Grad and Black Orientation, all while completing an honours degree in Economics with minors in International Development Studies and French.
“It's really nice to see Black alumni giving back to the community and making these awards possible,” say Williams. She adds that it was even more special to receive an award created by someone she already admired, having met and interviewed Golding for an “Alumni Spotlight” feature on the BSN website.
Torie Williams, BA'21
Her co-recipient Sommer Knight, MSc’20, says the Golding Award felt like something she was receiving on behalf of all the people in her community – her mother and grandmother, her friends and her church – who have helped her get this far in life.
Growing up, Knight experienced firsthand the barriers that racial minorities in Canada face when trying to access mental health services. “This ignited my passion to advocate for improved services for Black youth and families who I feel are often under-treated or under-researched,” says Knight, who has been working to address these inequities through community engagement and academic research.
While completing a master’s in McGill’s Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, she got involved with groups on and off campus, including the Black Community Resource Centre, the Jamaica Association of Montreal, and McGill’s Peer Support Centre.
“The award means so much because it helps validate the fact that I, as a Black woman, have a voice in the field that I'm in, and that there are people supporting me,” says Knight.
Layers of impact
Golding was invited to announce the launch of her award at the 2021 Black Grad ceremony, held virtually in June to celebrate the achievements of Black students at McGill.
Remembering the financial pressure of being a student, Golding created the award to help alleviate some of that stress and “motivate people who are giving that extra effort to better the community and the learning environment.” She emphasizes that “the need doesn’t stop” after convocation.
Williams, who got a consulting job in Toronto after graduating, appreciates the financial leeway the Golding Award has provided as she continues to chart her career path and considers further educational opportunities.
Williams has received guidance and advice from Golding, who has offered up her services as an informal mentor to Black McGillians – particularly those like Williams who have an interest in law school.
Golding says it’s important for Black students and recent graduates to have access to people who “look like them, that have had experiences like them, and are willing to help them along their professional paths.”
“Connections are so important in this world, and it’s amazing to see Black women supporting other Black women,” says Williams. “Black mentorship is powerful in its ability to help students develop their passions and establish their purpose.”
Sommer Knight, MSc'20
For Knight, the Golding Award has provided additional resources and motivation to continue her commitment to community leadership as she pursues a PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Ottawa.
She has gotten deeply involved in equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) efforts at uOttawa, joining the School of Psychology’s EDI committee and the university-wide Action Committee on Anti-Racism and Inclusion.
As a researcher, Knight is continuing the work she started at McGill. “I’m focusing on how to address the unmet mental health needs of Black families and how to incorporate more culturally appropriate interventions into mainstream mental health care,” says Knight. She hopes her research will translate into tangible solutions for families like her own who “operate at a disadvantage.”
A brighter outlook for Black graduates
Up until recently, Golding was the first and only Black partner at her law firm. She knows what it’s like to navigate a work environment where you’re the odd one out and you become the go-to person for questions about racial diversity.
“It’s been tough being that one voice on certain issues,” says Golding, who has taken it upon herself to support the career advancement of other Black lawyers. After seeing some progress in the past couple of years, she is hopeful that Knight’s and Williams’ experiences in the professional world will be different than hers, as individuals and organizations become increasingly aware of the value of Black leaders.
Impressed by what she witnessed at the Black Grad event this summer, Golding is also glad to see more Black faces in leadership roles at McGill. She was recently moved to tears when she received a holiday card from McGill signed by Dr. Yolande E. Chan, the first Black Dean of the Desautels Faculty of Management. After posting about the card on social media, Golding was shocked to discover that Dr. Chan is not only a fellow Jamaican but is yet another graduate of her high school in Jamaica.
For Golding, reconnecting with McGill has led to many unexpected and rewarding experiences like this one. She encourages other Black alumni to get involved because she has seen the positive impact it has on students and young graduates, and the ripple effect it can have in the community.
“There are so many connections that we all have and, as alumni, we can motivate people through those connections,” says Golding. “It’s what we’re here to do.”
McGill is currently accepting applications for the 2022 Audrea Golding Black Student Leadership Award. The deadline to apply is April 4.