Centre for Black students at Mount Allison University targeted by hate speech

The Mount Allison University campus is shown in this picture. (Source: Facebook/Mount Allison University)

SACKVILLE, N.B. -

A resource centre for Black students at New Brunswick's Mount Allison University was the target last week of hate speech and vandalism, but school officials have declined to tell students what happened.

Beyonce Gibbons, president of the Black Students' Union, said Monday it remains unclear what happened at the Black Resource and Information Centre on Thursday night. She said the incident has something to do with racial slurs, but she couldn't be more specific.

"The genuine feeling amongst the Black community is that we're upset with (the administration's) response," Gibbons said in an interview. "We expect that ... they should be more transparent about what exactly occurred."

The university did not respond Monday to a request for comment.

Gibbons said senior university officials reacted the same way last year when a sacred Indigenous space on campus was vandalized.

"With the ongoing acts of racism that have already occurred on campus ... they've been having the same response: saying that it's a tragedy that it happened and not explaining what happened," she said. "Instead, they've been brushing it under the rug."

Anne Comfort, the university's vice-president of student affairs, issued a statement Friday on Instagram confirming an incident of hate speech and vandalism had occurred at the centre, but she did not provide details.

"I am disheartened and outraged to say that this is one of a series of events that have occurred on our campus," Comfort said in the online post. "There is no place at Mount Allison for discrimination, for hate or any forms of harassment. We are better than this."

Comfort's statement said the university in Sackville, N.B., is working with the RCMP to investigate.

Gibbons said Black employees on campus advocated for a meeting Tuesday, which is expected to include other members of the Black community and the university's senior staff.

The university, which has about 3,000 students, has a zero-tolerance policy toward acts of hate speech, discrimination or harassment, Comfort said, adding that those caught violating the school's anti-racism policy will face disciplinary action.

Mount Allison is asking students with any information about what happened to contact the RCMP through Crime Stoppers.

"It is crucial for all members of our community to be aware of the consequences of hate speech and to actively contribute to creating an environment that celebrates diversity and respects individual differences," Comfort's statement said.

On the weekend, there was increased security on the campus, and students were offered counselling sessions.

On Monday a meeting was scheduled at the student centre to show solidarity with those affected and to reclaim the resource centre as a safe space.

In response to the university's announcement, some people took to social media to express their anger.

"Really disgusted to hear that this happened," said one comment on Instagram. "Hoping whoever did this is dealt with swiftly. My heart goes out to those affected by this."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2023.

For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.