By: Esther Liu, Contributor

Please introduce yourself!

My name is Michael Abraham. I am 27 years old. I graduated from McMaster University with a BSW, so [an] honours bachelor of social work in 2017. In general, right now, most of my work is involved in two spheres: running a youth center in downtown Hamilton and working as a graduation coach in the [Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board].  

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How has COVID-19 affected the SPACE?

Running a youth center is the business of social interaction and engagement. Before COVID, we would have anywhere from 50 to 80 participants a night or even more depending on if there was an event or dinner. Once the lockdown had hit back in March [2020], we had to shut down for a brief hiatus, for around six months.

When we returned in September, we had to really think through how we were going to reopen the SPACE and in what capacity we could possibly do that. What we had chosen at that time was to do closed pre-registered drop-in programming. So there'd be one program for three days during which we were open — Wednesday, Thursday, Friday — and there'd be a maximum of 10 youth that could attend said program.

One day could be Aux Cord Shuffle, another day could be our queer and trans youth programming, another day could be another program. So when that set cohort did their program for that day, once that program was done, they essentially had the entire space themselves, which we were hoping would be an added benefit to those individuals to still also exist in the SPACE because it may not be cool to be chilling at home, things may be not as safe or there are lots of situations with housing and stuff that youth have complexities around. We were able to do that from September until November.

Unfortunately, December was when things were intensifying so we had to really adjust and pivot towards online programming. I purchased a Zoom account and then we're now just doing two online programs a week, one being digital drop-in which there are various different activities or different concepts from other programs we've done . . . Right now, it's been going really well, we were kind of nervous, we didn't really know how it would go.

But, youth are really engaged and oftentimes, the programs go over the one hour that we schedule them as. We also want to make sure that we're not having youth stuck on their computer for an exuberant amount of time.

What are your favourite elements of the SPACE outside of the programming?

One of my favourite aspects of the SPACE is creating a sense of belonging for marginalized and racialized youth . . . A beautiful facet of the youth center is that we want to make it a space in which people can be their full selves, people can unpack things, can unlearn, can navigate some of their pain and trauma. We can all collectively carry the weight of that together.

That's really led into beautiful moments of sharing space with one another, being there for one another and building healthy relationships, even building chosen families outside of people's individual families. In a general way, being a dope spot where people can safely just grow up and have fun, kick it and do dumb safe stuff, and also have opportunities to really grow and develop and be the best version of yourself that you can be.

Could you elaborate on your work for the HWDSB? 

The graduation program is a new pilot project initiative started in my partnership with the ministry on a provincial level and the HWDSB on a specific regional space for Hamilton. The title of the role is graduation coach for Black students because the work is specific and focused on Black youth. I am located at Westdale Secondary School, whereas my partner in crime, Chad McPherson, is at Bernie Custis Secondary School.

In general terms, what we do is support and provide opportunities for growth and mentorship for Black students, meeting their academic things and supporting them in overcoming their academic barriers, but also and maybe even more importantly, is having a stake or value in their personal development and growth. We definitely find that when a student is doing well or is set up for success with their personal development, the school follows as well.

What's your favourite part about this role?

A lot of the way in which I do my work and exist in the youth center definitely overlaps [with this role]. My absolute favourite parts are directly engaging and connecting with Black students. I think so much of my own educational experience had such a lack of seeing myself reflected in the administration or reflected in mentors or people I can trust.

I'm really trying my best to fit that in some way for students. So, my best hope is to build trust and rapport with the students I'm linked up with. It's super dope connecting with students and hearing where they're at, hearing some of their own thoughts and knowledge.

The stuff that young people are talking about now is way ahead of what I was thinking about at that age. A lot of the things that students who are 15, 16, are talking about now, I didn't learn that stuff until I was in first, second year of university. So it's super hype seeing the growth and level up of the next generation. 

What are you envisioning for the future of this program? 

Big visions of having graduation coaches at each high school, at elementary schools. I think a continual buy-in and accountability to the process of creating more spaces of healing, more spaces of racialized youth feeling that they have places to belong and be able to be a part of the system's processes. So being able to provide feedback, being able to say that "Hey, this happened and it was wrong and it needs to change" and seeing those things be done in real-time.

Could you talk a little bit more about your involvement in the general Hamilton community?

In the general Hamilton community, lots of like small and larger pieces of being involved with justice endeavours. I think that's always going to be a facet in some way that I'm always going to care about. I think the foundation of all these pieces comes from hip hop, from that dance culture in that breaking sprang forth from a direct response to the oppression that Black and Latino youth were feeling in the Bronx at that time.

So, it's definitely a continual speaking back to systems and speaking back to "Yo, this isn't okay." I think a lot of that also ties to the work at the youth center. Beyond those small pieces of activism when I have the capacity and time to be able to be involved, I also teach breaking at a dance studio on the mountain called DMD, which is Defining Movement Dance. That's also a really dope opportunity for me to share my love of movement and dancing and making sure that the young'uns are getting the proper knowledge and tips around breaking and the history.

Seven clubs that are leading the foundation for change at McMaster

C/O @bapmac

In response to the resurgence of Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, new clubs focused on Black, Indigenous and People of Colour were introduced to McMaster University. They have tried to foster community, break down barriers and create space for important conversations. 

These clubs, run by BIPOC students for BIPOC students, are working tirelessly toward fulfilling student needs and establish spaces necessary for students to flourish, receive support and form valuable relationships.

“The reason why I am part of these clubs is because I want to do whatever I can to best support the Black community. Because oftentimes a major issue is just lack of information. People aren't aware of these opportunities. In being in these roles, we're able to share different opportunities with the people who are part of our club . . . and just keeping them tapped in because that's really important. Overall, [I am] just looking for ways to support the community in whatever capacity that I can. That's why I'm involved in these clubs,” said Anu Popoola, a second-year student involved in the Black Student Mentorship Program and Black Aspiring Physicians McMaster.

“The reason why I am part of these clubs is because I want to do whatever I can to best support the Black community. Because oftentimes a major issue is just lack of information. People aren't aware of these opportunities."

Executives and members of these groups have already made a significant change, however, this is just the beginning, as Sammi Yahya explained, a second-year student who is part of the McMaster Muslim Students’ Association’s Anti-Racism Racism Committee and Black BHSc Student Association. They will continue to set far-reaching goals and advocate for their community. 

“This can't be this can be the end, we can't just fall off the wagon once all this buzz dies down.  I just really hope that even as time passes and the impact of the BLM movement and all of that becomes distant, hopefully the passion never dies out, and we continue to make steps towards equity, inclusion and diversity, not only within [health sciences], but within the McMaster community and beyond,” said Yahya.

Whether you are a Black Muslim student, Black first-year student seeking mentorship or 2STLGBQIA+ BIPOC student looking for a community with similar intersectional experiences, there may be a community waiting for you. Here are seven new and existing BIPOC-focused clubs and the work they are currently doing to promote change.

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Canadian Black Nurses Alliance McMaster

A McMaster chapter of Canadian Black Nurses Alliance (CBNA) was introduced this year to promote community within Black nursing students and inspire Black students with an interest in healthcare and nursing leadership. However, the club is also open to other students of colour.

Previously, the group has hosted events such as Black voices in healthcare institutions, new graduate nursing student panels and resources night for exams. They also run an anonymous online forum where students can share their experiences of microaggressions or discrimination and receive advice and support from other Black nursing students.

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Queer and Trans Colour Club

The Queer and Trans Colour Club is a club dedicated to fostering community building within LGBTQ+ identifying BIPOC students at McMaster. They host 2SLGBTQIA+ identifying BIPOC exclusive socials, discussion panels and other events, including collaboration projects with other clubs on campus, such as a poetry slam night. From Feb. 21 to 27, they are holding an aromantic spectrum awareness week to debunk stereotypes and myths and spark conversation on being aromantic.

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McMaster Muslim Students’ Association: Anti-Black Racism Committee

The Anti-Black Racism Committee of McMaster Muslim Students’ Association is a new committee of the club. The committee primarily focuses on welcoming Black students into the group and promoting a sense of community within Black Muslim students on campus through various events.

In the past, the group has hosted socials such as Black Muslim Jeopardy night and Speed Friending. Currently, they are working with the Equity and Inclusion Office to make reporting incidents of discrimination more accessible.

“It’s really easy to just brush off [experiences of discrmination] or microaggression, and a lot of people think they can’t report this stuff when you can,” explained Yahya, one of the executives on the Anti-Black Racism Committee. 

Yahya hopes that through the committee’s work, more students will know about the tools and resources they can use to speak up against racial discrimination.

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Black Student Mentorship Program

The Black Student Mentorship Program is a new initiative in which Black first-year students are paired with a Black upper-year student, Black upper-year students are paired with a Black graduate student and Black graduate students are paired with a Black faculty member.

A pilot version of this program ran last year with about 10 first-year students, but it has now expanded to over 60 first-year students in the program. It currently offers both one-to-one and group mentoring. 

The mentors provide guidance and advice on academics, navigating school and finding opportunities and resources for professional pursuits. Most of the events this year have been geared towards first-year students to help them connect during times of online and at-home learning.

However, they are also planning events with the African Caribbean Faculty Association of McMaster to help both mentees and mentors of the program socialize and develop themselves professionally.

Popoola, a second-year student who was part of the pilot program last year as a mentee, is now currently an executive member of the program.

“We've really created a space in which the first years are able to share their experiences and bring up concerns about things that happened in their classrooms. It's been really rewarding just seeing that we're able to impact them, even if it's in the smallest way,” said Popoola.

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Black BHSc Association

Following the death of George Floyd, Black health sciences students came together to support each other and share experiences of microaggressions and racism. They also discussed changes they wanted to see within the program and McMaster. These discussions led to the formation of Black BHSc Association with the aim to increase equity, inclusion and diversity in the health sciences program.

One of the most exciting changes brought on by the club is Equitable Admissions for Black Applicants. It is an optional application stream for Black applicants which allows their supplementary applications to get reviewed by other Black students, alumni and faculty of the program in order to eliminate conscious and unconscious bias in the application review process. Currently, Black identifying students make up less than two per cent of the bachelor of health sciences population.

“It's not going to be easier to get [into the program] which is very, very important for people to understand, but it just pushes down or breaks down some of the boundaries that might stand in the way of Black students coming in,” said Yahya, president of BBA.

Another goal of BBA is to reach out to Black high school students who have an interest in the program and show them pathways in academia, healthcare and medicine. They have already received great response and excitement from their application info nights. 

“It's not only about helping current Black BHSc students or prospective Black BHSc students, it's about going all the way to the roots . . . . [Black students might not be getting in] maybe because not as many people are applying, but it’s also because maybe they're not getting the opportunities to even go to university . . . or not knowing what university is about and just opting for college,” explained Yahya.

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Blackspace 

The main objective of Blackspace is to empower Black women in the classroom and the Hamilton community and enable them to collaborate and gain access to opportunities both at and outside of McMaster. The club was founded because there weren’t many spaces for Black women students to connect on campus.

This year, the club has focused on professional development with events and workshops featuring professionals from humanities, business, sciences, math and other fields. They spoke on the experiences of breaking into these fields as Black women and shared advice. Every Monday, the club also hosts an Instagram live series called Moscato Monday where they discuss current events. 

On March 6, they are organizing an event with different Black companies and small businesses from McMaster and Hamilton who will speak about entrepreneurship and what it means to be a Black entrepreneur. There will also be more networking events coming up in March.

“I’ve never really interacted with many of the clubs on campus, let alone a Black club. I wasn’t even aware of half of their existences until I got to third year, which was last year . . . [Through Blackspace I have had] not only the opportunity to help people with what I couldn’t do, but also help myself while learning about all of these opportunities that I would’ve had to dig for otherwise,” explained Makena Githinji, the current co-president of Blackspace.

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Black Aspiring Physicians of McMaster

Black Aspiring Physicians of McMaster aim to support Black students in their pursuits to enter a career in healthcare. They host events such as MCAT and MMI prep nights, research info nights and the iRise conference. In March, they are planning an event with the Indigenous Health Movement at McMaster which will feature healthcare leaders and BIPOC student advocates in a panel discussion.

Outside of events, they also have a YouTube channel where you find webinars on topics related to healthcare and interviews with guest speakers. Additionally, the club has a mentorship program to pair students interested in medicine with a medical student.

The festival is laying the foundation for continuing community and creativity

Creativity and community often go hand in hand. Creativity can help to bring communities together and a sense of community can also help foster creativity. It’s the connection between these two concepts that help to make initiatives such as the Hamilton Black Film Festival possible.

The Hamilton Black Film Festival was founded by author and filmmaker Paize Usiosefe. Usiosefe produced and directed Family and Friends and Yakubu. In 2019, he attended the Toronto International Film Festival as an industry delegate.

Returning to Hamilton after the festival, Usiosefe started to think about his next project and began to develop the idea for what would become the Hamilton Black Film Festival.

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On its own, Black films are incredibly important because they are a reminder of presence. They can help Black individuals feel seen as well as foster a sense of community and belonging.

However, festivals such as the Hamilton Black Film Festival are even more important because they carry all the aforementioned ideas forward and create a space for communities and their creativity to occupy.

“Over the years I have been to many festivals. Sometimes I’m there [and] I’m the only Black person in the room. I was thinking about all this. How can we do something where we have the freedom to go there and be happy with your craft? With what you are doing, your artistic creation? Where can you exhibit and say, “This is my place” and “These are my people” and have the confidence to do it,” explained Usiosefe.

How can we do something where we have the freedom to go there and be happy with your craft? With what you are doing, your artistic creation? Where can you exhibit and say, “This is my place” and “These are my people” and have the confidence to do it,” explained Usiosefe.

Preparations are well under way for the festival which will take place May 28–30, 2021, though whether it will be in person at The Westdale or a virtual event will be determined by public health recommendations closer to the date.

The film festival has been very much a community project, involving a team of dedicated and passionate individuals.

Other community organizations have also come together to support the initiative, including The Westdale and the Lincoln Alexander Centre. Including the larger Hamilton community is particularly important to Usiosefe.

“We want to get everyone involved. This is not just about Black people, it’s not just about people of colour. We are using this to bring everyone together,” said Usiosefe.

“We want to get everyone involved. This is not just about Black people, it’s not just about people of colour. We are using this to bring everyone together,”

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Usiosefe also hopes the festival will highlight how much the Black community in Hamilton has accomplished.

“What we want people to take away after the festival is [for them] to see how far we have come [and] how we have come together,” explained Usiosefe.

He also hopes that the festival will raise awareness about the Black community’s creativity and their potential, especially that of the younger generation. Usiosefe strongly believes that students have an important part to play in carrying the festival forward.

“We recommend our students join us because they are going to play a vital role in what we are doing, The society is shifting. This is a new generation and people see things differently,” said Usiosefe.

“We recommend our students join us because they are going to play a vital role in what we are doing, The society is shifting. This is a new generation and people see things differently,”

Usiosefe has plans for the festival to continue as an annual event and hopes it will eventually be recognized with the same regard as other film festivals, such TIFF.

In their preparations for this year’s inaugural festival, Usiosefe and his team have laid a strong foundation, carving out a space for the Black community and their art as well as creating an opportunity for the larger Hamilton community to come together.

How an online dating initiative offered Mac students a chance at love. Kind of.

C/O Dan Gold

As Reading Week came to a close, we also experienced everyone’s least favourite holiday: Valentine’s Day. I am just joking, of course. After all, what is not to love about enviously eyeing a happy couple as you munch on your discounted Valentine’s chocolates and revel in your own loneliness?

Despite the seemingly impossible odds, it turns out that love is indeed in the air for both our single and “it's complicated” McMaster University students after all.

The Aphrodite Project, named after the ancient Greek goddess of love and beauty, has made its debut to hundreds of hopelessly romantic McMaster students.

This mainly experimental and student-led initiative matches you to an algorithmically perfect soulmate or to a platonic friend if you so wish. This left me thinking about an interesting question regarding this project on our campus: will the Aphrodite Project be successful?

This left me thinking about an interesting question regarding this project on our campus: will the Aphrodite Project be successful?

On one hand, this opportunity seems harmless and too good to pass up, but on the flip side, there is the possibility of facing cold, hard disappointment. Personally, I hold the latter view, given my ever-growing disenchantment with online dating apps despite the current situation of students’ social lives.

The Aphrodite Project at McMaster was doomed to begin with given the uneven ratio of the sexes that have signed up, as well as how it did not play out as planned among other larger universities which even led to students even organizing their “post-Aphrodite project” dating profiles using other platforms.

So far, the student opinion regarding this initiative resembles the time-tested issues that are common with online dating in general. The Aphrodite Project, or otherwise presented at McMaster as “Match at Mac,” claims to use a Nobel Prize-winning algorithm, which happens to be the exact same algorithm already being used in other existing dating platforms such as Tinder: the Gale-Shapley algorithm for predicting stable marriages. 

However, there is a reason why all modern online love stories have not necessarily ended in long-term happiness in real life. The Gale-Shapley algorithm is proven to be heavily biased in favour of one sex over the other with the flip of a couple of variables but traditionally remains male-favoured as originally programmed.

The algorithm envisions a scenario where one sex is “married” to their top choice of partner, whereas that chosen partner is “married” to their last choice, proving its clear bias depending on how the algorithm was initially set up.

While the Aphrodite Project has not shared the specifics of its match-making technology for one to assess the exact impacts on the majority of the dating population, the outcome could not have been optimal at Mac given the noticeably high female participation rate compared to male.

[#1078] Any single heterosexual guys out there looking for some love? The aphrodite project closes tonight and there are...

Posted by Mac Confessions on Monday, February 8, 2021

Students were destined to lose out either way as the variables needed for projects like this were already skewed and do not foster an environment for the algorithm to have worked to its full potential. 

Thus, the clickbait of the Nobel prize-winning algorithm was slightly misleading and perhaps raised the hopes of many a love-lorn Mac student too soon.

I believe a further inherent problem behind such initiatives is that it gives whatever matches were made what seems like an already established connection. That way, participants feel even more disappointed going into interactions with their matches when enthusiasm is not reciprocated.

Regardless of its flaws, the Aphrodite Project provided an opportunity of light-hearted fun and possible love for Mac students stuck at home, which if anything, brought a smile to our faces in these dark times. If you did not find your soulmate through Mac’s Aphrodite Project, fear not, as a world of romance awaits you once our sexy campus is up and running again.

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