In celebration of Black History Month, read our featured blog from CERi Program Coordinator, Kiara Okonkwo! "I have had the privilege within my academic study to centre and explore the niches and intricacies of the lived experiences of people who look like me. I recognize that it wasn’t always like this, and that the work I am currently undertaking by engaging with community-engaged research grows its roots from the marginalized voices and bodies who were only ever seen as subjects. Asking, “who is this for?” has spurred some of the most prolific works of by Black academics on the peripheries, resulting in the destabilization of entire fields and faculties; cracking open the cold veneer of academia, and diving into rich material worlds..."

This article is written by Grace Kwan - Research Fellow at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society. Grace Kwan received their MA in Sociology at SFU in 2023.

At a moment when Canadian public universities are facing profound uncertainty—from financial pressures and shifting public trust to the climate crisis and democratic strain—it can be easy to fall into a narrative of scarcity. But what if higher education is not simply a system in crisis? What if it is one of the last remaining public institutions whose mandate is hope?