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The Queen’s University Human Rights and Equity (HREO) office is hosting a series of events on March 2, to coincide with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. 

The is observed annually on the day the police in Sharpeville, South Africa opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in 1960.

It serves to not only recognize the global history of racism and discrimination but also reflect on the progress made so far and re-commit to continuing the vital work of combatting all forms of racism wherever they may be found.

First in the lineup of events for the day is the latest installment of the HREO’s annual speaker series: featuring Queen's alum and Peel District School Board General Counsel Gigi Basanta alongside Queen’s LLM candidate and executive member of Black Femme Legal, Samantha Peters. The event starts at noon

Inclusion and Anti-Racism advisor Jermaine Marshall, who is moderating the event, says the it seeks to “examine themes of race and sexuality within social, academic and legal institutions, with the goal of exploring ways to address discrimination and exclusion.”

Following this talk, witness spoken word artist, Tedx speaker, and Queen's alumnae Nirosha Balakumar deliver an performance at 1:00 pm highlighting themes of art, activism, and social change.

Balakumar is known for her work as a spoken word artist and TEDx speaker. She graduated from Queen’s University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Global Development Studies, minoring in Gender Studies. She recently graduated from Cambridge University, having pursued an MPhil in Education, Globalization, and International Development as a McKenzie King Scholar and Marty Memorial Fellow.  She currently holds the position of EDI and Anti-Racism Partner in the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University.

An artist, academic, and advocate, Balakumar says her presentation is essentially a letter to her first-year self at Queen’s University.

“I’m proud when I reflect back on the change from first year me to fourth year me,” she explains. “Despite the challenges I faced as a racialized woman, I found a space and a community to call mine, in a place that I wasn’t sure I belonged in. I took the power back and reclaimed those spaces. I learned that your existence is your resistance. A key takeaway I hope resonates with those tuning in, is that you don’t need to conform to society, but rather bring your whole self into everything you do and that will always be enough.”

This Instagram live performance serves as the closing feature of the HREO’s 21 Days of Activism, an ongoing week-long social media campaign leading up to March 21st, featuring daily activism focused posts on the office’s social media channels.  

“These posts are meant to showcase our community's social justice efforts, and the innovative ways they have used to provide support and to eliminate barriers,” says Erin Clow, Associate Director, Education and Learning highlights.

The areas spotlighted by this campaign include: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization, Accessibility, Human Rights, Commitment to Growth and Learning, Student Led Change, Activism, and Intersectional Perspectives.

To learn more about the 21 Days of Activism, follow HERO on or on .

To register for Black Pride & Belonging visit .