Departmental Statement of Support for Anti-Racist Movement

McGill’s Department of Sociology expresses full support for the ongoing protests against police brutality and institutionalized racism in the aftermath of the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and too many others. We, the faculty, are in awe of and inspired by the peaceful mobilization against racism around the world and feel that this is an important time for self-reflection and listening. And the violent deaths of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, Ejaz Choudry, and Chantel Moore forcefully remind us that this is not simply an American affair and that the problem extends beyond anti-Black racism, with discrimination and violence against Indigenous, immigrant, religious, and other communities also being all too common.

These issues and debates directly touch Canadians, Quebecers, the McGill community, and our own Department. Everyone needs to face up to the discrimination, disadvantages, and racism suffered by people both close to home and around the world. We support Principal Fortier’s commitment to confront systemic racism at the level of the university as a whole and commit to doing our part within the Department of Sociology to increase inclusiveness and equity through dialogue, action, and research. We recognize that this message is just a first step, more easily made than implemented, but we must all try to do better.

Matthew Lange
Chair of the Department of Sociology
McGill University