FOSTER BLACK FLOURISHING

Concordia has been recognized as a leader in accessible higher education. In times past, the university attracted among the highest numbers of first-generations students — students who were the first in their families to attend a university — in Quebec and Canada.

We also strive to be a welcoming destination for students from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, including those of historically and structurally excluded communities.

Spurred by renewed calls for racial justice across Canada and the world, the President’s Task Force on Anti-Black Racism was created in 2020-21 to provide recommendations that address race-related issues among Concordia members and within the university’s institutional fabric.

The task force’s final report, published in fall 2022, came at the same time the university apologized for its mishandling of race-based student complaints and the subsequent outcomes of the 1969 Sir George Williams University student protest.

An implementation team now oversees the adoption of the report’s recommendations. They include a call to create scholarships allocated to Black students, celebrate Black Concordians through publicly accessible artworks displayed on campus, and to develop a bridging program that enables more prospective Black students to undertake a university education at Concordia — and in the fields they aspire.

In consultation with Black alumni, we are mobilizing to support these two objectives through Foster Black Flourishing — a fundraising drive to rally Concordia friends and alumni of different communities.

Your contribution will help make a lasting impact on generations of brilliant minds.

By supporting Foster Black Flourishing, you will be contributing to two main objectives:

Scholarships

Scholarships enable recipients to plan for university with greater financial security and allocate more time to focus on their studies. For some, access to a scholarship is one of the biggest factors in determining their choice of where to study — and if they can study at all.

Foster Black Flourishing aims to create three undergraduate scholarships valued at $2,500 per year and one graduate scholarship valued at $5,000 per year. Each would be renewable, meaning selected candidates would receive the award for each subsequent year of their studies. Eligible candidates would be selected based on academic standing and would:

• Be full-time undergraduate or graduate students
• Identify as Black
• Be Canadian citizens or permanent residents
• Be registered with Concordia’s NouLa Centre for Black Students
• Provide a brief personal statement

Create a named award

With a commitment to fund $2,500 per year for three years or more, donors to Foster Black Flourishing can create their own named annual scholarship designated for Black students. While the minimum amount is $2,500 (for a total pledge of $7,500 over three years), the suggested amount is $5,000 per year — representing the total cost of annual tuition and fees for a Quebec resident — for three years.

Scholarships may be named in honour of their donor or after a loved one, mentor, or organization, etc. Additional award selection criteria may be stipulated, such as a faculty, department or program.

Bridging Program for Black Students

Concordia has laid the groundwork to launch the Bridging Program for Black Students. This novel initiative is designed to assist historically underserved candidates, including mature-entry, first-generation and low-income Black students and prospective students.

To mitigate the barriers that have prevented so many from attending and thriving in a university environment, the Bridging Program for Black Students will provide:

• Centralized support
• Relationship building, check-ins, mentorship
• Liaisons to external and internal resources
• Integration activities
• Skill-building workshops

Honouring Black Presence at Concordia

A new public art program, Honouring Black Presence at Concordia aims to serve as a platform for a wider public debate on the role of public art and civic spaces in Montreal, while recognizing vital and historically undervalued contributions of Black communities and Black students.

Located on the East corner of the Hall building at 1450 De Maisonneuve Boulevard West, the program will feature works of art that centre around Black aesthetics, knowledge, and identities at Concordia.

Honouring Black Presence at Concordia will provide a place where the plurality of Black voices and experience are bolstered on campus. Donations will pay artists and cover the costs of the program.

Your commitment will ensure the success of Black students and acknowledge the contributions of Black Concordians. Please give generously today.