Podcast appearances and mentions of rachel zellars

Last week we spoke Saint Mary's University Senior Research Fellow, Rachel Zellars, about the report that has been issued by the Saint Mary's Black Inclusion Strategy Working Group. The data presented in “Understanding the Challenges of the Black Community at Saint Mary's University" is derived from interviews conducted with dozens of Black students, staff and faculty at SMU over a two year period, and documents a broad failure and abandonment of institutional commitments to Black students, faculty and staff. The report is available to all via the SMU Black Students' Society Instagram account. The link is in the group's bio. Topaz Nnani is President of the SMU African Student Society. After this interview aired, we reached back out to SMU and received this response: "We look forward to reviewing in detail the report and recommendations of the Black Inclusion Strategy Working Group. Saint Mary's University is committed to supporting our Black community."

Saint Mary's University's Black Inclusion Strategy Working group details systemic racism within the university through a new report. Titled “Understanding the Challenges of the Black Community at Saint Mary's University”, its been released after two years of research. The working group found a large failure and abandonment of institutional commitments to Black students, faculty and staff. You can find the report on the SMU Black Student Society's instagram page. Rachel Zellars took the lead on this report. She is a Senior Research Fellow at SMU.

The MCC today featured a panel discussion on “IPV, GBV and Family Violence: Personal and Community Responses”, and featured Pamela Cross, Legal Director, Luke's Place Support and Resource Centre, Dr. Deborah Doherty, former Executive Director of the Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick, Emma Halpern, Executive Director, Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland NS, Professor Janet Mosher from Osgoode Hall Law School, Lorraine Whitman, President of the Native Women Association of Canada, and Dr. Rachel Zellars, Associate Professor, Saint Mary's University. This represented the eighth MCC discussion focused on domestic violence. Several of the panelists referenced the previous panel discussions, stating that they supported the submissions made so far. It is noteworthy that this panel, like every other IPV/GPV discussion held so far, was made up entirely of women. Those who have been watching the MCC proceedings will have noted that the Commissioners start each day with a land acknowledgment. Today, there was an additional solemn and/or ceremonial prayer-like introduction, which was lead by Ms. Whitman. Everyone in the room stood for this. Another thing that stood out in the ‘presentation' element of what the MCC was hosting today was the highly visible sticker on the back of Ms. Cross' laptop. The sticker was for “Thelma & Louise Live”, which is a play based on the 1991 movie. Those two items foretold the tone and content of the discussion, which was emotional (for the speakers) at times as they described many stories of abuse suffered by women in a wide range of circumstances. Discussions covered women suffering abuse who were also struggling with racism, their precarious immigration status, drug additions, sex work, and rural living.

In this RfRx talk, Sikivu Hutchinson discusses the major themes of Black feminist identity and artistic control in her new road novel “Rock 'n' Roll Heretic”, vis-a-vis overcoming trauma, victim-blaming and silence around sexual violence, misogynoir (anti-Black misogyny) and corruption in faith-based communities. Sikivu Hutchinson is a writer, educator, and director. Her books include “Humanists in the Hood: Unapologetically Black, Feminist, and Heretical” (2020), the novel “White Nights, Black Paradise” (2015) and the new novel “Rock 'n' Roll Heretic: The Life and Times of Rory Tharpe” (2021). She is the founder of the Women's Leadership Project, Black Skeptics Los Angeles and a co-facilitator of the Black LGBTQI+ Parent and Caregiver group. Hosted by Eric Wells, the RfR Support Group Director and Mandisa Thomas, Founder and President of Black NonBelievers and RfR Support Group Leader. Resource List - “Humanists in the Hood: Unapologetically Black, Feminist, and Heretical” by Sikivu Hutchinson: https://www.amazon.com/Humanists-Hood... - “At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape and Resistance” by Danielle L. McGuire: https://www.amazon.com/At-Dark-End-St... - “Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty” by Dorothy: https://www.amazon.com/Killing-Black-... Roberts: - “Aretha Franklin, Sexual Violence and the Culture Dissemblance”, an article for the African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS) by Rachel Zellars: https://www.aaihs.org/aretha-franklin... - “Love with Accountability: Digging up the Roots of Child Sexual Abuse” an anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Love-Accountab... - “The Ebony Exodus Project: Why Some Black Women Are Walking Out on Religion―and Others Should Too” by Candace R. M. Gorham LPC: https://www.amazon.com/Ebony-Exodus-P... - Black Diamond Queens: Black women and Rock ‘n' Roll by Maureen Mahon: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Diamond-... Upcoming Event: Juneteenth at the Museum of the African Diaspora presents Shredding While Black and Female: http://sikivuhutchinson.com/2021/05/1... Atheist Community of Discord: https://discord.com/invite/B28xRKb Any time you are struggling with religious doubts or fears you can connect with a trained RfR Helpline agent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To chat online go to http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org. To talk over the phone, dial: (844) 368-2848 in the US & Canada Important RfR Links: RfR Support Groups: http://www.meetup.com/pro/recovering-... Secular Therapy Project: http://www.seculartherapy.org Donation link: http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/donate --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/recovering-from-religion/message

We get a preview of a special virtual lecture happening at St. FX University tonight as part of events for African Heritage month. Lawyer and professor Rachel Zellars will explore the ongoing issues and worldwide movement created by the death of George Floyd. Her lecture is called "A New World: Black Emancipation and the Work That Lies Ahead”.

In episode #378 of Talking Radical Radio, Scott Neigh interviews Rachel Zellars and Wendie Wilson. Zellars is an African-American academic, lawyer, and community organizer who has lived in Canada for more than a decade and a half, and in Halifax for the last couple of years. Wilson is an African Nova Scotian teacher, artist, writer, and community advocate whose family has been in the province for at least eight generations. They talk about the African Nova Scotian Freedom School that they were part of organizing this past summer. For a more detailed description of this episode, go here: https://talkingradical.ca/2020/11/10/radio-a-grassroots-freedom-school-for-african-nova-scotian-youth/

Dragonroot had the chance to record the PGSS Equity and Diversity's panel on emotional labour and abuse with Shanice Yarde, Malek Yalaoui and Rachel Zellars. The conversation explored the intertwined concepts of emotional labour and emotional abuse, with emphasis on their gendered and racialized dimensions. The speakers discussed how emotional labour and emotional abuse function within broader systems of violence, and structure the diverse experiences of Black and Brown women both IRL and URL. This discussion provided critical tools on how to recognize and reckon with these everyday forms of uneven exchange in contemporary contexts of education, (online) activism and interpersonal relationships

Black American historical scholar, Rachel Zellars, share her insights on the racial turmoil in the United States this week, and how it relates to the situation for black people in Canada.

Rachel Zellars updates the process of re-naming 11 sites in Quebec that formerly included the word 'Nigger' in the title.

Rachel Zellars expresses her gratitude that a petition she started has been successful, but the next step is to have contributions from the Black community and scholars of Quebec.

On this episode: We reflect on the 7th anniversary of Fredy Villanueva's murder by Montreal police and talk about the continuing reality of systemic anti-black racism in Quebec. We do a survey of the bi-partisan support for Israel in the federal election campaign and problematize the way we talk about histories of anti-Jewish lynching. We're then joined by Rachel Zellars to talk about her petition urging the Quebec government to remove the n-word from natural site place names. Show Notes: https://www.treyfpodcast.com/2015/08/26/episode-4-anti-black-racism-quebec/

Rachel Zellars explains why it has taken her petition to change the names 11 sites in Quebec that bear the name 'Nigger' or 'Negre'