About Black at UTM
Black at UTM is an umbrella initiative that showcases Black excellence at UTM and aims to create a welcoming environment where Black students, staff, faculty, and librarians feel included, inspired, safe, and celebrated. It emerged from the University of Toronto’s Anti-Black Racism Task Force Recommendations. Black at UTM is comprised of three operational pillars.
The primary pillar is the Anti-Black Racism Operational Group, which oversees 58 targeted initiatives to combat anti-Black racism at UTM and champions the Black Flourishing Framework on campus. The second pillar is the Black Leadership Advisory Committee, led by Black-identifying staff at UTM, who develop policies and initiatives from a Black-centered perspective. The third pillar, the Black Initiatives Team within the Office of the Vice President and Principal, manages administrative, operational, and strategic efforts at UTM. It also fosters collaboration among Black communities, allies, and supporters to promote intentional, impactful, and transformative change that drives knowledge, innovation, and progress. Together, these three pillars work in tandem to challenge and dismantle anti-Black racism and injustice.
Our
Mission
Our mission is to advance policies and practices that ensure the University of Toronto Mississauga’s (UTM) Black communities are fully engaged and feel seen, valued, heard, and supported to flourish.
Our
Purpose
We envision the University of Toronto Mississauga as a place where Black knowledge, experiences, and identities are respected, celebrated, and empowered to thrive.
Our
Values
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Community
We will work to ensure our engagement with every partner is respectful, relevant and responsive through thoughtful dialogue and shared goals.
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Accountability
We will nurture a culture that fosters trust, respect and accountability—where curiosity, courageous action and an openness to challenge are valued and encouraged.
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Flourishing
We will commit to helping people succeed in their endeavours, because we know that purpose and fulfillment are foundational to the fullest expression of human well-being.
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Visibility
We will embrace and continuously promote Black-focused priorities and ways of knowing and being with good hearts and minds.
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Belonging
We will cultivate an environment that is inclusive, equitable, and supportive. UTM will be a place where everyone feels like they belong.
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Respect
We treat one another with mutual respect. Recognizing and upholding each member of our university community’s inherent dignity and worth.
Our
Story
On these Black at UofT Mississauga pages, you will find resources that support the University of Toronto’s Anti-Black Racism Task Force’s recommendations, but beyond that, our MO here is to inspire students, staff, librarians, faculty, and community members in their pursuit of Black academic excellence and inclusion. We want you to see yourself reflected on these pages, and even more, we hope to instill a sense of pride and motivate you to reach out farther than your wish list.
You will also find links for helpful, on-campus resources.
- If you’re a student, you’ll find links for helpful, on-campus resources and ways to engage fully with the community, including volunteer opportunities and student-led events.
- If you’re a staff, faculty, or community member or librarian, you can explore professional development and networking opportunities and make connections with supports available to you.
If you are a student and want to engage more fully with the community, including with volunteer opportunities and student-led events, and for staff, faculty, librarians, and community members we aim to capture professional development and networking opportunities to connect you with the supports that are available to you. Aside from that, you will also find interesting profiles of people who are shining and shaking things up on campus, but also some other valuable information – like good places to go for food in the surrounding Mississauga area.
“UTM has a communal responsibility centred on anti-black racism that includes helping to coordinate plans, facilitate connections, and track progress. We know that this work can’t wait, especially for people and communities for whom ‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never’.”
Alexandra Gillespie, Vice-President and Principal, UofT Mississauga
Acknowledgements
We owe special thank yous to community members, groups, and departments who so generously shared their photographs for use on this site and dashboard.
Ryan Cerrudo
Randy Landicho
UTM Black Students’ Association
The Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment
Nicolas Riccio
(Website & Comm Support)
Mulu Geletu Heye
Diery-Leando Saint-Vil
UTM Caribbean Connections via Karim, Kevin Matthew, Nate, and Andrew Williams
Ali Jaafar
Keerat Gill
(Writing Support)
Nick Iwanyshyn
Sarah Jane Silva
UTM Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Office
Geneva Hines
(Intro video design and production)