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Sports Follow-up on the systemic review of the Black student-athlete experience
It’s been two years since the allegations so, what has changed? members of the Marauders. “Sure, I think that the “Just one of the horrible situations that school has been taking Black athletes have found themselves in goes Sava Jankovic way back to 2014, I believe. Essentially, a Sports Reporter some steps to reduce the student athlete wished to discuss a problem he had within the squad and arranged a meeting systemic racism within the with personnel higher up. However, when he ust under two years ago a McMaster Uniarrived at the meeting, nobody was there to versity student athlete, Steven Archachan, sports department, which welcome him or speak to him. He was left alone was accused of tweeting racist posts on social in the situation and had nobody to help him,” media, which provoked a mass reaction to get is good news. For instance, said Serbeh. the player off the team. Although Archanan Although there’s plenty that McMaster was kicked off the lacrosse team, there are still the Black Athlete Student can still work on to improve the experience many issues surrounding McMaster athletics of Black student-athletes and the way that and systemic racism. Body has been formed, yet they are treated, the school has taken steps to Another issue the school encountered create spaces and opportunities for them. For was surrounding Glenn DeCaire, the director I just don’t think that it’s example, the school just recently announced of parking and security, who allegedly faced that the Athletics department has created 21 enough to counter the 60 a many allegations of racist behaviour. At one financial awards for Black student athletes, in point, over 6,000 individuals signed a petition page document that listed an effort to create a more welcoming and motito fire the now ex-police chief from his role on vational atmosphere within the community. campus. enormous racial instances,” “I think that there is much more to do for While all of these incidents occurred in
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the past, after the Systemic Review of the Black Student-Athlete Experience and the McMaster Athletics Climate was released, there was a major outcry yet again. Many news sources, incluing The Silhouette, covered it and many students were surprised to see this many controversial incidents happening at McMaster. What exactly did McMaster do to combat these events after the document was released? “Overall, I think that the McMaster response has been somewhat effective. There are many areas where we have seen some improvement, but there are still many areas that haven’t even been looked at. Sure, I think that the school has been taking some steps to reduce the systemic racism within the sports department, which is good news. For instance, the Black Athlete Student Body has been formed, yet I just don’t think that it’s enough to counter the 60 page document that listed enormous racial instances,” said Nana Yaw Serbeh, a member of the Marauders football team. “Ever since I came to McMaster in 2018, it’s evident that the Black student experience just hasn’t been the same compared to other races within the athletics department. I think that the document released a few years ago clearly outlines that. There are so many instances where Black student athletes were not treated the same as other races and it really does make me angry,” explained Serbeh. In the system review published by the athletics department in October 2020, there were multiple instances of different Black athletes being put down by coaches and other
Nana Yaw Serbeh
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McMaster athletics. One of the things that I’d like to see is a more welcoming atmosphere to the Black student athletes and more Black student athletes in general. I think that we are making some movement, but it’s simply not good enough yet. We’ve raised a lot of awareness and I think that the community should be more aware of the incidents that occur on campus and that they should be addressed correctly,” explained Serbeh. There have certainly been efforts on behalf of McMaster to rectify the challenges and racism faced by Black student athletes. They have made considerable efforts to welcome Black student athletes to the sports scene, but is that enough to create meaningful and lasting change?
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