Advancing Black excellence in higher education

The University of Manitoba will host the 2028 Scarborough Charter Inter-Institutional Forum, a national gathering that advances Black excellence and addresses anti-Black racism across post-secondary education.

The announcement was made at the 2026 forum, held May 14-15 in Ottawa and co-hosted by Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. Members, partners and community leaders from across the country gathered to share progress, challenges and opportunities in implementing the Scarborough Charter’s commitments.

Four individuals from UM attended the biennial meeting, contributing to discussions and collective reflection on advancing Black flourishing in higher education.

Highlights from the 2026 Forum

The 2026 Forum focused on the theme, “Advancing Black Excellence and Opportunities in Challenging Times.” Sessions explored how inclusive excellence strengthens access, participation and leadership opportunities for Black communities, as well as how both broader economic and political forces shape those opportunities.

UM attendees included:

Tina Chen, Vice-Provost (Equity)
Laurelle Harris, K.C., Director, Internationally Trained Lawyer Program and Equity Transformation, Faculty of Law
Delia Douglas, Director, Office of Anti-Racism, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences
Kagowa Kuruneri, Director, Office of Equity, Access and Participation, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences

Four individual stand together holding a certificate.

Kagowa Kuruneri, Tina Chen, Laurelle Harris and Delia Douglas (left to right) at the 2026 Scarborough Charter Inter-Institutional Forum

For Laurelle Harris, the forum was a valuable opportunity for shared learning and collaboration:

“The Forum provided a wonderful opportunity to connect with peers who are working to alleviate anti-Black racism and support Black inclusion in universities, exchange practical advice and perspectives gained through professional and lived experience, and expand theoretical frameworks to support implementation of the Scarborough Charter at UM.”

Delia Douglas reflected on the importance of continued action: "The Forum reiterated the long history and specificity of anti-Blackness and the importance of naming it. The Scarborough Charter provides a framework for addressing systemic anti-Black racism with imagination and purpose, and it must be meaningfully integrated into institutional practices.”

Racism is not a monolith—there are particular legacies, experiences and harms associated with anti-Blackness that require intentional action.

Delia Douglas

Four Black dancers in traditional dress dancing for meeting attendees.

The 2026 Scarborough Charter Inter-Institutional Forum celebrated Black art and dance. Photos by Mélanie Provencher.

What is the Scarborough Charter?

Launched in 2021, the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black racism and Black Inclusion now includes 63 member institutions and provides a national framework for addressing anti-Black racism and advancing Black excellence within universities and society.

As a signatory, UM is committed to advancing the Charter’s four core principles:

Black Flourishing
Inclusive Excellence
Mutuality
Accountability

“The Scarborough Charter reflects a shared responsibility across post-secondary institutions to move from commitment to action,” said Michael Benarroch, President and Vice-Chancellor. "At the University of Manitoba, we are deeply committed to identifying and addressing racial inequities. This work is central to who we are."

We are striving to build a community where everyone can learn, work and thrive without barriers, and where Black students, staff and faculty are welcomed, supported and celebrated.

Michael Benarroch, President and Vice-Chancellor

Hosting the 2028 Forum

At the close of the Ottawa gathering, the University of Manitoba was announced as the next host institution.

Hosting the forum will bring institutions from across the country to Manitoba to advance shared commitments, while also highlighting the work underway across the UM community.

"Hosting the forum will amplify the work underway at UM and strengthen our accountability to the Charter’s commitments and values," says Tina Chen. "It creates space for increased dialogue, collaboration and ongoing action to advance Black excellence and flourishing across our institution and within Manitoba more broadly. It also ensures Black prairie experiences and voices are part of national frameworks."

Advancing Black flourishing at UM

Across the university, UM is advancing the Scarborough Charter’s principles and commitments through a range of coordinated initiatives.

These include:

Embedding the principles of anti-racism across MomentUM: Leading Change Together, UM’s Strategic Plan 2024-29
Launching the Anti-Racism Strategy and Anti-Racism Learning Framework in 2025
Conducting the UM Community Experiences Survey to identify systemic barriers, including questions to better understand the experiences of racially marginalized students, staff and faculty
Working to establish a data governance framework grounded in data justice
Amplifying Black Studies at UM, including a focus on Black scholars in the Public Classroom Initiative
Supporting community-led projects through the Promoting Black Flourishing Fund

Faculty- and unit-level initiatives include:

Rady Faculty of Health Sciences’ focus on Black health equity and racial literacy
Faculty of Law’s Internationally Trained Lawyers Program
Faculty of Arts’ support for the Afro-Caribbean Mentorship Program
Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management’s involvement in the international initiative, Anti-Racism in Sport.

Additional efforts focus on expanding the hiring of Black faculty and staff, supporting Black student leadership, and advancing faculty- and unit-level initiatives.

Students are also actively driving this work. This year, the Pan-African Flag was flown for Black History Month, initiated by the UMSU Black Student Representative and the Black Student Community. The UM Black Student Union, a Manitoba chapter of the national Black Undergraduate Coalition, also sent four representatives to attend the national BUC Convention in March 2026. Across campus, Black student groups and community associations continue to build community and promote Black excellence.

Looking ahead

Hosting the 2028 Forum presents an opportunity to deepen engagement with Black students, staff and faculty, and to strengthen relationships with Black communities and partners in Manitoba and beyond.

As planning begins, Black students, staff, faculty and alumni at UM will have opportunities to help shape the forum’s theme and activities. Those interested in being informed of upcoming opportunities can complete the following MS Form:

2028 Scarborough Charter Forum, UM Community Engagement

certificate naming UM as host of 2028 Scarborough Charter Forum

Certificate recognizing UM as the host institution of the 2028 Scarborough Charter Inter-Institutional Forum

Kagowa Kuruneri reflected on the responsibility ahead: “As hosts of the 2028 Forum, we have a real opportunity and responsibility to be intentional about the work we’re doing within our institution to meaningfully push for sustained inclusion and participation of Black learners, leaders and communities. At the 2026 Forum, there was acknowledgement of ‘surface-level gestures’ being presented as structural change, as well as important discussions around what should be done differently moving forward.”

This is an important moment, and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together, alongside others at the University engaged in equity and anti-racism work.

Kagowa Kuruneri

Boilerplate: Reimagining engagement

At UM, we collaborate with communities, forge partnerships locally and globally, and invite all to our campuses. Reimagining engagement is one of the strategic themes you’ll find in MomentUM: Leading change together, the University of Manitoba’s 2024–2029 strategic plan.