GIVING

New Awards at Acadia Address Inequities for Black and Indigenous Students

By Suzanne Robicheau (’03)

It has been a year since George Floyd’s tragic death sparked worldwide conversations about deeply entrenched inequities. Acadia University is committed to amplifying those conversations by supporting Black and Indigenous students, focusing on anti-racism initiatives, and dismantling barriers to post-secondary education through the creation of new financial awards for these students. Speaking in February as part of a panel discussion that included Robert Ffrench (’04), Tracey McGillivray (’87, ’15), and Zabrina Whitman, Junior Moaku (’19) stressed the importance of acting now to make Acadia more diverse and inclusive. For Moaku, this includes promoting Black Lives Matter and Truth and Reconciliation Commission (BLM/TRC) Awards by donating a portion of the proceeds from a special T-shirt in his Save Me Save We clothing line. “These awards will give Black and Indigenous students a fair advantage,” Moaku says. “Fortunately, I benefitted from a basketball scholarship, however, athletic scholarships are not financial opportunities offered to all. I would love to have my little sister be able to come to Acadia as well, so it’s important that she has access to the kind of financial supports that can make it happen.” McGillivray saw a call to action in recent global protests against systemic racism. An engaged member of Acadia’s Board of Governors and the Campaign for Acadia’s Campaign Cabinet, McGillivray jumpstarted Acadia’s BLM/TRC Awards by pledging $1,000 annually to seed the fundraising initiative. “I am a fundamental believer that education is the root of progress at individual, community, and societal levels,” she says. “Ironically, you need to be able to afford a post-secondary education, so it is difficult to break the cycle without external intervention.”

Leveling the Playing Field

BLM/TRC Awards will be granted on an annual and renewable basis to domestic students of African Canadian or Indigenous descent who have financial need in any year of study. All renewed recipients will have demonstrated involvement in campus initiatives and will have helped to foster a welcoming environment for fellow members of the Acadia community.

Zabrina Whitman

Zabrina Whitman, Acadia’s Coordinator of Indigenous Affairs and Student Advising, emphasizes the importance of leveling the playing field for students who arrive at Acadia. “We need to change post-secondary spaces, especially universities, to make sure they are more appealing to all types of learners,” Whitman says. “When you have awards specifically targeted at Black and Indigenous students, it signals that Acadia recognizes them and has a place for them.” Speaking on behalf of the University community, Nancy Handrigan (’92), Vice-President Advancement (Interim), describes BLM/TRC awards as a vehicle for addressing historic injustices that continue to pose educational challenges. “We are very grateful to our alumni and friends for supporting awards that will accelerate progress and empower Black and Indigenous communities,” she says. “We see this as a way to develop leaders who will promote an agenda of equity.”

New Awards

Heartened by recent support for Black and Indigenous students, Handrigan points to other examples of new financial awards for these communities. For instance, Dr. Laura Robinson (‘88), Acadia’s Dean of Arts, and her sister Alva Robinson (’77), established the Lalia Halfkenny Award as a tribute to the first Black woman to graduate from an institution of higher education in the Maritimes, and the only Black graduate in her class at Acadia in 1889. The award is for a Black Canadian student in Arts or Sciences, in rotating years. “As a member of the President’s Anti-Racism Task Force (PART), I heard stories that compelled me to act immediately and materially in a way that would make a difference,” Robinson says. “I talked to my sister, Alva, and we both saw the importance of giving back to Acadia in a way that would improve and encourage access.”

Robert Ffrench ('04)

Recognition for another Acadia graduate through generous gifts from a wide variety of alumni donors created the Edwin Borden Awards: renewable awards that acknowledge community engagement and leadership among Black Nova Scotian students. One of the first Black individuals in Canada to be granted a Bachelor’s (1892) and Master’s (1896), Truro-born Edwin Borden went on to earn a PhD and enjoy a distinguished career as a church leader and college president in the United States.

“The cultural significance of the achievements of Lalia Halfkenny and Edwin Borden is a powerful example to which all our students can aspire,” says Acadia University President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Peter Ricketts. “The University is grateful to alumni donors for celebrating the impact of these remarkable individuals by establishing awards to support members of our Black student population.”

For Ffrench, CEO of the Valley African Nova Scotian Development Association (VANSDA) and one of the February panelists, it all boils down to asking ourselves what kind of university we want to be and what kind of university we want to support. That, says Ffrench, is the bottom line.

What kind of university do you want Acadia to be? What kind of university do you want to support? The choice is yours. Donate to Acadia's BLM/TRC Awards

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