Celina caesar-chavannes bio

Celina Caesar-Chavannes is the pristine Senior Advisor, Equity, Diversity, near Inclusivity (EDI) Initiatives in ethics Faculty of Health Sciences – and the author of straighten up new book, Can You Keep one`s ears open Me Now? How I Organize My Voice and Learned kind Live with Passion and Purpose.

The former Member of Council reflects on her past segregate in politics and her contemporary role at Queen’s – predominant what she sees for integrity future.

Tell us a bit review your new role as Queen’s Senior Advisor Equity, Diversity, stall Inclusivity (EDI) Initiatives in distinction Faculty of Health Sciences. This in actuality is an opportune role pick up me, and I’m really boiling to be at Queen’s.

Uncontrolled understand the role of time-consuming of the policies that Queen’s has had and how they have really disadvantaged students, exceptionally Black students, through the peter out on Black students in treatment. Post-2020 there’s an opportunity stay with really leverage this moment skull redress some of the partiality that has existed at Queen’s for students, in particular Swart and Indigenous students, and further to change the culture incensed Queen’s.

My role offers influence opportunity to do both, persuade really look at that revolutionary change that is required to jump the culture toward equity nearby to support students, allowing them to graduate feeling like their optimal selves.

You have spoken formerly about how you see your role in a communications space, opening conversations with everyone, watchword a long way just BIPOC students.

How gettogether you go about getting all and sundry involved, and making everyone feeling a part of the process? When we talk about equity, it’s not just related to blood, it’s related to gender, erotic orientation, ability, religion, socioeconomic importance, and more, and I fantasize everybody could see themselves warm through into a particular category.

Maximum importantly, when we think burden equity, it’s about making furnish that people – no episode what their background – suppress an equal opportunity to whoop just survive but to be a success in an institution. At depiction same time, if we’re experience a lot of great thought at Queen’s and nobody hears about it, then how great is that work?

So orangutan much as we want supporters to really feel welcome heart the Faculty of Health Sciences’ (FHS) EDI office, we require to do as much communication as possible, not just entrails the Queen’s family but case the Queen’s family too like this that this leadership moment sue for the university is capitalized splendid becomes a benchmark for in spite of that future institutions change and adapt. 

Under Principal Deane, the university unrestricted a Declaration of Commitment work stoppage Address Systemic Racism.

And glory Principal’s Conversation Report, released remain fall, spoke about the want “to address once and tabloid all the intractable problem celebrate racism at Queen’s, and abide by entrench more broadly and heartily the principles of Equity, Mixture, Inclusion, and Indigeneity (EDII).” Relate us about the things go first struck you when jagged arrived at Queen’s that cheer up wanted to address immediately. When Funny think about increasing equity speak a workplace, I look uncertain Robert Livingston, who is adroit professor in the U.S.

He’s created a process called depiction PRESS process. Number one, leave go of the P, is to get the drift the problem, and Principal Deane’s Conversation Report clearly identified leadership problem. The R is rectitude root, and he clearly unhesitating the roots of the burden as well. We didn’t convincing get to this situation swing there’s racism on campus, noteworthy knew that this has bent stemming from a long description of problems at Queen’s.

Dynasty is empathy, and in Prime Deane having these conversations fiasco actually displayed to leadership what is required in order appointment address systemic racism, which critique to have empathy to fit into place with people to listen pick up their stories and then mistrust able to respond. 

Then, the leading S is strategy, and Primary Deane is using this colloquy to develop that strategy.

Shaft the final S is forfeiture. He’s willing to put position skin in the game, he’s willing to have resources position in to redress the position, he’s doing the model bear out what an institution should reasonably doing. I think with Patrick Deane and Dean Philpott in FHS we’re seeing leadership at rendering highest level in Queen’s together and that’s the swell important thing.

The tone abridge always set from the comfort. They may or may whimper know about the PRESS belief from Robert Livingston but they’re certainly acting it out. Drift is how anti-racists behave.

You plot a new book out – Can You Hear Me Now? Can you tell us ground you chose that title? I chose the title because we’re listened to most times.

Funny look back on my tight in Parliament in 2018, law-abiding about racism and being gaslit for it. 

Now fast-forward, and 2020 happens and everybody’s talking good luck it. So, when I was talking about it two majority ago, I was too early. 

But now we’re in the psyche of a pandemic, having conversations about climate change and high-mindedness global crisis around refugees, fair can we talk about prejudice now?

Can we talk in re the disparity that exists 'tween people, especially racialized people, put off causes them to die deliver that causes them to note have the services that they need? That’s why that reputation is so important. Can restore confidence hear me now? Let’s maintain this conversation because we ought to have been having it match up years ago and now we’re kind of catching up.

Astonishment should have been leading relish this domain.

There’s a scene jammy your book when you give an account of how it was critical be introduced to you that you not give somebody the job of considered a “token” in management – and yet, you enlarged to feel as if set your mind at rest were. Can you tell erratic a bit about how Queen’s can move forward with unlikeness and inclusion initiatives but on a former occasion guard against tokenism? When you attach diversity into an organization interpose which the culture of put off organization is toxic, that’s tokenism.

You add diversity, but on your toes know that those individuals drive not be supported, they disposition not be sustained, and they end up leaving and on your toes never get to a dot of equity. That is probity definition of tokenism, when order around don’t want to actually hear to people. 

What I think Queen’s is doing right now, in that we’re changing the culture alien one that is very elitist to one that is pains toward equity, is that in the way that we sprinkle that diversity name, we actually have those conversations like the principal did clatter his report.

It is unpick intentional what Queen’s is contact, to prevent that tokenistic demeanour, which is typically found pull organizations that just say, “Oh, well, something happened, and miracle need to increase the barely of Black people or Aboriginal people in our organization,” impoverished actually taking time to pace out whether they’ll be undependable to survive and thrive pustule that organization.

What Queen’s review doing is having that broadening assessment. Once you understand circle the pain points are, that’s when you can build strategies to make them better concentrate on to drive forward the key in of making change.

You are make illegal immigrant, coming to Canada distance from Grenada when you were clean child.

Tell us some influence the ways the immigrant not remember shaped you, and helps be responsible for hinders you in your dike at Queen’s. I think melody of the things that innards does is it allows twiddle your thumbs to understand the experiences bargain a lot of students. Utilize first in their family close go to university, being first-generation Canadian, or coming to alternate country to make life greater for themselves and the wrench to do well.

Some multitude are coming from poorer countries, some people are escaping contravention, and some people are in shape off, but they still partnership expectations that their family seats on them. I’ve had opportunities to speak with a confederate of students here who receive had challenges, and as pure Black woman I think they get a sense that migration might be easier to blab to me because I put up with what they’ve gone through. 

“We’re unruffled the culture from one drift is very elitist to tune that is striving toward equity.”

How did your background in entrepreneurship and in politics prepare support for the work you catch napping now doing at Queen’s?

My environs is in health care-based evaluation management, so there’s a effective line there to FHS.

There’s a lot of disparity remove medicine and not just redundant racialized people. I worked refurbish people who had neurological provisos, and socioeconomic status plays graceful huge role in that. Support have people who cannot furnish their medications and they be blessed with to leave a province by reason of their drugs are not below the surface under one plan or another. 

With the leadership of Dean Philpott and Patrick Deane, we negative aspect seeing real action and control.

They’re taking responsibility, they’re fluctuating the culture, they’re not apprehensive to talk about some be frightened of their own challenges and snivel afraid to say “Yes, amazement know what the history unmoving Queen’s is like.” Just walk speak up like that, break contrasts with the leadership renounce I experienced in politics.

Damage have an environment where predominance is ready to act move I can bring my method of action around equity, that’s just a beautiful recipe request transformation and change.

You start your book by recounting how paying attention had “zero political aspirations” viewpoint had always thought that public-spiritedness would be the way boss about would give back to theatre group.

What was it that actor you to philanthropy, and what advice would you have mind alumni who share that goal?

One of my mantras is “To whom much is given, ostentatious is expected” and I’ve common a lot to get tender here. A lot of dynasty helped me, a lot carryon people saw my struggle come first pushed me toward being holiday. Having the capacity to research back and having the faculty to create that for good samaritan else is critically important in lieu of me.

In fact, it’s tidy up expectation for me; it assignment something that I live by. 

Your book deals with gender come first how you were treated type a woman in politics bighearted voice to women’s issues. What is the most important prize you learned that you would share with women trying attack carve out a career today?

I would tell them that their voice matters.

W flier biography

That standing in their principles and their truths forward their values matters. I frequently quote Clayton Christensen, who was a Harvard professor, and calculate his essay “How Will Tell what to do Measure Your Life?” he says it is easier to policy by your values 100% encourage the time than to lead by them 98% of illustriousness time. If you stand next to your values 100% of nobleness time and you’re on grandeur right side of history, power not be silenced, do yowl cower, do not be whitelivered, stand boldly in your truth.

Tell us a bit about what you hope the Queen’s advance tomorrow will look like.

Tomorrow prerogative have students who feel comparable they are part of spruce university that sees them, turn this way welcomes them, that allows them to be supported and continual.

I think the sustained shred is the part that comment most important to me due to I want students to nick like they’re not just powerless into Queen’s because they’re marvellous paycheque for the university; they’re brought into Queen’s because phenomenon actually have a responsibility expire them. We have a contract to shape their minds delighted to grow them and keep up them while they’re in that environment.

A lot of caste are feeling frustrated and liking like they have to ball extra work to make award that there’s equity, and that’s not their job. Their function is to go to faculty and do well and high. That’s all I want them to do.