Adrian De Leon, a UTSC alum, discusses perceptions of UTSC within the larger University of Toronto community, including the discrimination to which the campus is subject due to its largely racialized, working class student body.
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0:01
When Meric Gertler, the current president [of the University of Toronto], got installed as president, we had — There were two events there. The first one was when David Naylor was being…had his, like, farewell celebration at the Rotman, Rotman Commerce.
0:24
It really was just plain to see how it was such an old boys’ club. On stage, they were giving him praise and stuff like that, commemorating his term, right?
0:35
But one of the things they, someone said, was — and this was a high-ranking professor, like, really high-ranking — was, “David Naylor’s the smartest man I know.
0:47
But that’s not saying much. I grew up in Scarborough”. And I’m like, “what?” And all the people from Scarborough, they were like, “wait, what the hell did he just say?”
1:00
That “it’s not saying much that he’s smart, because I grew up in Scarborough”. Like, what are you saying? That is, you realize just how racist that is? To have a white man, who hasn’t lived in Scarborough for a long time, and only knew Scarborough in the 60s and 70s say, “oh, he’s the smartest man I know, but that’s not saying much, because I grew up in Scarborough”.
1:19
Laughs. Except for the people from Scarborough. We were like, “wait, what?”
1:23
I sent an email to all the vice presidents of university and the president and him [the racist speaker in question]. And I addressed it to him, this person. And I’m like, you know, “We…UTSC has changed since then. We do a lot of great community work.
1:39
We’re a diverse, racialized campus of mostly lower middle-class and working-class people. It’s shameful what you said”. I forgot exactly what I said, but it was, it was pretty vitriolic.
1:54
And, I mean, people here, like obviously they had to be a little quiet, right? But like, I got a lot of support from the UTSC people, like the higher, the administration. They were like, you know, “I’m glad you said that”.
2:04
Yeah, I mean, even seeing how they [UTSC administration] acted during the [TA] strike [in 2015]. Like, UTSC was the renegade campus.
2:12
Like, the HCS department led the support. Led in terms of like, they had their own protests, they made signs, they had sit-ins, they had teach-ins. UTSC was the only campus to sign at the chairs’ and directors’ table.
2:28
All the chairs and directors of each department saying, “we support the strike”. And everyone else is quiet. I’m like, you all have tenure! You all make like over $200,000 a year, as like leaders and chairs and directors.
2:42
What are you scared of? Isn’t this what tenure is about? To be able to speak out in front of these issues? What are you scared of? Grant money? Prestige?
2:54
And like, I feel like…This campus has been radicalized.
