Feedback for the Convocation 2023 Planning Team at Wilfrid Laurier University
An email I sent to the President, Interim Associate Vice President of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and the Convocation Team of Wilfrid Laurier University providing feedback about my convocation ceremony on October 13, 2023
Dear Convocation Planning Team,
On Friday, I attended my convocation ceremony for my Master of Arts in community music. As discussed, I wore my graduation stole bearing the Philippine and Canadian flags and was permitted to do so. I have some overall feedback for the team regarding the ceremony.
Firstly, based on my experience yesterday, it was indeed possible for me to wear the stole without disrupting the ceremony even though established policies suggested otherwise. It continues to disturb me the level of refusal to allow me to wear the stole in our communications over the summer. I was initially told, that no cultural items at all were allowed due to policy. But as the conversation progressed, I learned that preferential racial treatment was given to Indigenous and Black students. Why are you choosing which race you want to uplift and employ this textbook strategy of racial division? My hunch is that your team suffers from chronic racist predisposition, which I will elaborate on further in a moment.
What if I was a student who didn’t know how to self-advocate? Know that your strict policies and responses to accommodations are hurting students at Laurier like you’ve hurt me.
Some comments about the ceremony in general:
In my row, several students are I were attempting to cope with the overly explicit imperialist, colonial, and White supremacist nature of the ceremony. The procession music was from the western canon (and not a great choice, in my opinion as a classical musician). The chancellor’s attempt to provide neutral and compassionate acknowledgment for the genocide against Palestinians ended up being a tone-deaf call for sympathy for the oppressors. She didn’t even mention Palestine’s name. I’m sure it was well-intentioned, but again, good intentions from White people typically result in the pain and oppression of people of colour. A valuable lesson to take away from my email.
The number of White staff on stage and working the event as martials was disturbing. How are we decolonizing when descendants of the colonizers still hold power over us? The decorum of the ceremony reinforced the institution of White power and the God-given right to confer authority. These are not benign and innocent traditions. My people have been killed, oppressed, and committed genocide against by your White ancestors who created these procedures. It seems horrifying that I can only receive my degree under these circumstances. In addition, do not suggest that I abstain from coming to convocation. That is not the answer. Changing the procedures to make it more inclusive is the answer.
It’s been several years since my undergraduate convocation. I had no idea the ceremony was still so colonial and imperialistic. All that’s really changed is the addition of a land acknowledgment sandwiched between sympathy for Israel and nationalistic anthems. The chancellor really thought they were doing the right thing by calling out terrorism. I’m (starting) to feel that White administrators actually do not have the worldview to successfully decolonize the university. There are daily fumbles and blunders where BIPOC look at our White leaders and ask “When are they going to realize that their Whiteness and hunger for power is what is getting in the way of equity? And are they able to approach this problem without becoming defensive, aggressive, and violent toward BIPOC?” Currently, there is no convincing evidence to suggest they can.
I envision a world where White admin step down and get out of the way for BIPOC to get the job done. The job that has been elusive to this university’s staff for at least a decade since I left. Please let go of your attachment to White supremacist decorum. It’s hurting BIPOC at your school.
The stole meant so much to my community. It was a beacon for our unity and for the community work and research I did which rallied our community. The stole was not for me. It was for them. And your ignorance nearly took that away from them, as expected of White people struggling with racist predisposition.
I hope you circulate this email to all who will benefit from it. I hope this results in actionable change at our school instead of silence and inaction, as most of your BIPOC students expect from you at this point. I am happy to meet to discuss this in further detail.
Sincerely,
Dion
