Good day,

 I write today as a humble, middle-aged white male, a person who has never had to endure the vile specter of racism. I have never been followed in my vehicle because of the colour of my skin. I have never had all eyes on me when entering a shop or restaurant. I have never been forced to live according to a different set of narrow-minded societal expectations.

 In short, I write to you all today as someone who has no lived experience relatable to the millions of people around the world who are determined to have their voices heard.

UNBC participated in #BlackoutTuesday. We silenced our social media channels, delayed our traditional good news and promotional stories, and instead displayed one simple image, indicating our community’s support for the campaign against racism and intolerance.

Yet I wanted to share some thoughts with you as members of the University community. 

 The events we are witnessing in the United States and indeed around the globe are shocking. We are seeing a lack of leadership, and a division between people sown by hate, ignorance, malevolence, and scorn. The situation is alarming at best, terrifying at worst. Of course, we are appalled by racism, and do what we can to stamp it out when we see it. Yet when I speak with people who have been the target of such insidious behaviours, I come to understand that it is our responsibility to speak out, to demonstrate leadership, and to help bring a voice to a conversation that is in desperate need of not just balancing, but re-positioning in its entirety. It is not enough to act within our own spheres of influence; we must lend our voice as allies, champions, supporters and advocates for diversity, for inclusion and, above all, for humanity.

 I know the University community stands against racism and intolerance. Yet we must challenge ourselves to do more than issue statements and return to the daily tasks at hand. We must have conversations amongst ourselves about what we can do each day to live our values. I welcome your thoughts regarding real, tangible steps we can take to foster conversation and engage in meaningful actions here at UNBC.

This past weekend illustrated the dichotomy that exists in our world right now. On one hand, the streets were flooded with the disenfranchised seeking to have their voices heard on what should be a very basic human right: equality. Yet on the other hand, we saw a momentous occasion in our ongoing exploration into space, an initiative that can teach us so much about where our focus ought to lie, which is furthering inclusion, knowledge development, and humanity’s capacity for great achievements.

 To any member of our community who has been subjected to racism, I want you to know that I will do all I can to support you and to better understand your perspective. Today, these are words, and it’s my job to be accountable, to foster action and to take meaningful steps forward.

 As a University community, we have much work to do, not just to say we oppose racism, oppression and intolerance, but to live a life that actively promotes positive values and represents a commitment to abolishing a systemic approach to marginalizing others.

 I look forward to taking that journey with all of you. 

 Geoff Payne

Interim President and Vice Chancellor