Stronger together: Bringing BIPoC students together for community, collective healing
and solidarity
The purpose of this page is to outline resources that support wellbeing and community building opportunities for BIPoC students in the face of racism and bigotry. Much of this content is focused on anti-Asian racism in the face of current issues surrounding hate and violence facing the AAPI community, however we will continue to add resources that provide support and opportunities for community and solidarity building for BIPoC communities.
Wellbeing
These resources are curated to address the impact of racial trauma on our mental health and wellness.
1:1 Support
- Queen's University Student Wellness Services: Contact Cross-Cultural Counsellor: Dr. Arunima Khanna 613-533-6000 ext. 75774
- Empower Me: This Queen's service is offered with an equity, diversity, and inclusivity lens. Students can request, culture, race, religion, gender identity/sexual orientation specific support with counsellors, consultants, and life coaches.
- Good2Talk: This external service provides confidential support services for post-secondary students in Ontario and Nova Scotia.
Self-Directed Guidance
- Resilience Self-Assessment Tool - This external tool is to show you your current resilience state, including looking at the various sources of your resilience and whether your needs are being met. Once completed, you will get some personalized recommendations to strengthen your resilience!
- Therapy Assistance Online (TAO): Therapy Assistance Online (TAO) is an online self-directed counselling tool for students at Queen's. Access a library of engaging, interactive pathways that promote wellness and can help you bounce back from challenging times.
- MindBeacon's Therapist is an external guided program that is free.
- Self-Care Tips For Asian Americans Dealing With Racism Amid Coronavirus: Therapists share the advice they give Asian American clients who are dealing with discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Group/Peer Support
- PROTECH - This external resource aims to reduce the negative psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Chinese Canadians and other affected groups while promoting community resilience.
- Queen's AMS Peer Support Centre: A dedicated group of trained student volunteers offering social and personal peer-based support to students at Queen’s.
- Graduate Peer Support Centre (GPSC) is a group of student volunteers who provide confidential and welcoming peer-based support to Graduate and Professional students at Queen's.
- Healing in colour is an external resource offering individual, couples and family therapy through a directory of BIPoC therapists who are committed to supporting the intersectionality of BIPoC communites.
Click image to link to healing in colour website
Combatting Racism
These resources are curated with the intent of supporting the resilience of our communities, to share knowledge across BIPoC communities, and to connect you with organizations that are leading in the fight against racism.
Student- Led Activism
- Canadian Federation of Student's Anti-Racism Toolkit - Anti-Racism Toolkit is designed to support direct on-campus anti-racism organizing efforts across BIPoC communities.
- Ryerson's Response Hate Toolkit - is designed to support community-led activism to combat anti-Asian racism, outlining a series of rights and resources to guide individuals and/or witnesses who experience racist incidents.
Community-Led Activism
- Canadian Race Relations Foundations: access a growing list of Canadian-based anti-racism organizations focused on community building.
- Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers Guide to responding to hate and discrimination: this guide provides community members with information and resources to address hate and discrimination. This was designed by a diverse coalition of Asian Canadian legal professionals working to promote equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian Canadian legal professionals and the wider community
- ACT or Asian Canadians Together: a coalition of citizens and community groups concerned about rising and escalating anti-Asian sentiment, and are committed to addressing Covid-19 related racism through recommendations to institutions on how to tackle systemic racism. Click here to join.
Tools to communicate/educate about anti-racism
- CACUSS Communications Toolkit for Anti-Asian Racism: access infographics and related content to easily communicate with your networks on anti-Asian racism in Canada. Curated by Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS).
- The ‘model minority’ myth explained: This Toronto Star article written by Angelyn Francis on March 27, 2021 explores the basics on what you need to know about how the 'model minority' myth has propped up anti-Asian racism in Canada.
- A number of lesson plans have been created in recent months to help educate and build community to combat anti-Asian racism in Canada. The following videos, infographics and facilitator guides may help you to share on social within your network: National Association of Japanese Canadians, Chinese Canadian National Council, Toronto District Schoolboard.
- The Migrant Rights Network - A Canadian curated list of resources and tools that you can use to have conversations with your friends, family and co-workers about racism and migrant justice.
- #FACERACE Campaign from Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice - this campaign builds knowledge and awareness about anti-Asian racism in Canada prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The Action, Chinese Canadians Together (ACCT) Foundation: builds the capacity of Chinese Canadian leaders committed to creating a more equitable society in Canada. Click here to access a variety of infographics, videos and publications addressing racism and discrimination.
- What to say when facing racism: 11 categories with examples by Ishiyamama, I. University of British Columbia
RELATED INFOGRAPHICS - images are linked to pdfs.
Ways to Support
India is fighting a hard battle against COVID 19. There's a way you can help.
Fundraiser by Harshavardhan Thyagarajan : CAre for India: Fundraiser by SA Students @Queen's: The proceeds from this fundraiser will help finance a number of vital resources including support for migrant workers, front-line cremation workers, mental health grief/trauma workers, and in funding medical equipment and oxygen cylinders for those in need.
Upcoming Events at Queen's for BIPoC students:
Check our event page and Instagram for upcoming events to build community. If you have an event to add to this page, please email us
We are in the process of curating a student wellbeing series that addresses the effects of and opportunities for healing from racial trauma and discrimination within BIPoC communities through a diverse set of mental health practitioners, educators and platforms. If you have ideas and want to participate in this work, please email us.
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