Black Perspectives Office fund boosts doctoral research at Concordia

The Black Perspectives Office (BPO) advances Concordia’s mission of equity and inclusion by championing Black voices and working to dismantle anti-Black racism. In collaboration with university partners, it develops practical solutions to systemic barriers while fostering community, connections and knowledge-sharing among Black Concordians.

Key to this approach are funding opportunities that support Black students and Black-centered initiatives at Concordia.

"The awards reflect our dedication to creating equitable opportunities for students," says Lisa White, executive director of the Equity Office. "They stem from our knowledge that systemic issues influence who can access graduate studies, as well as how that access manifests.”

“By investing in Black scholars, we're not only supporting their valuable research contributions but also working to dismantle the barriers that can place doctoral students at a disadvantage," she adds.

Retention award for Black scholars

Kelann Currie-Williams, a PhD student in the Humanities program at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Society and Culture, is the first recipient of the Retention Award for Black Scholars.

The award is part of a broader retention initiative the BPO is building in partnership with the NouLa Centre for Black Students and the School of Graduate Studies. Launched this year through a gift from Mackenzie Investments and made possible by University Advancement, the award supports the unique needs of newly admitted or current doctoral students balancing academic, professional and personal responsibilities.

Its broader aim is to foster a more inclusive academic environment for Black scholars.

“Black doctoral students are, on average, the oldest cohort among both minority and non-minority students enrolled in PhD programs,” explains James Roach, director of the Black Perspectives Office and Equity Office. “Many are making difficult choices, including leaving full-time jobs, caring for children and elders, all while managing significant financial pressures.”

He emphasizes that the initiative goes beyond financial aid. “It’s about creating a community that includes faculty and peer mentorship, roundtable discussions, professional development opportunities and community-building events, including some specifically for Black 2SLGBTQIA+ doctoral students.”

The initiative is guided by research and shaped by Black doctoral students Tallie Segel and Dalia Elsayed, who Roach says helped to highlight the specific challenges Black doctoral students face and the support they need to thrive.

Tracing Black Canadian histories

Currie-Williams, now in her fourth year, studies photographic preservation histories of the Afro-Caribbean diaspora in Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa from the late 1800s to the 1990s. Through images of migration, homemaking, community-building, and political mobilization, her work traces the history of Black Caribbeanness in Canada.

Her engagement with Concordia’s Special Collections began in 2017 during an undergraduate history course taught by Steven High, now her PhD supervisor.

“It was life-changing,” she recalls. “It was my first time engaging with photographs and archives of Black communities in Canada.”

Currie-Williams’ interest in visual archives deepened through the Negro Community Centre (NCC) fonds, which became the focus of her master’s thesis.

“I’ve never really gotten over those photographs. They are central to my current work. I learn continuously from their stories and the labour of those who assembled and donated their materials.”

She says the retention award comes at a pivotal time, allowing her to continue archival research, interviews and writing.

“My hope is that awards like this will continue to support more Black doctoral students at Concordia.”

Funding Black-led, Black-centered Research

The BPO also oversees the Fund for Black-led and Black-centered Research Initiatives.

“We’ve had a terrific response from the Concordia community,” Roach says. “Our focus is on supporting initiatives that show impact — in teaching, research, community activism, policy and education — especially those that focus on underrepresented identities within Black communities in Canada.”

Launched in 2024, the fund supported seven projects in its first year. Among the recipients is David Archer (BA ’09), a first-year PhD candidate in the Individualized Program. Based in Montreal, Archer is a social worker, psychotherapist, educator and author specializing in anti-racist psychotherapy. He’s also a certified EMDR practitioner focusing on complex PTSD and racial trauma.

His research, “Autoethnographic Research for Racial Trauma-based Interventions,” aims to increase the evidence base for his therapeutic framework, Rhythm and Processing (RAP). RAP combines movement with music and video to treat PTSD and racial trauma.

“RAP can lead to very rapid change without retraumatization,” Archer explains. “Many people feel mainstream approaches don’t meet their needs — this work aims to fill that gap.”

Other recipients of the BPO fund include:

• Pauline Lomami, MFA candidate, Department of Studio Arts
• Marlihan Lopez, Program and Outreach Coordinator, Women's Studies Advisor, Simone de Beauvoir Institute
• Belen Blizzard, 2SLGBTQIA+ Student Coordinator, Simone de Beauvoir Institute
• Samantha Reid, Bachelor of Arts (2025), School of Community, Public Affairs and Policy Studies
• Nathalie Batraville, Associate Professor, Simone de Beauvoir Institute Dalia Elsayed, PhD candidate, Department of Education

“I’m pursuing this PhD in part because I love studying and doing this type of work, but also to make people aware that they can heal regardless of their background or race,” Archer says.

Ongoing support and future opportunities

The Black Perspectives Office continues to work with its advisory committee to ensure that diverse perspectives inform its work. The office will also release a progress report on the implementation of the recommendations from the President’s Task Force on Anti-Black Racism. 

Applications for the Fund for Black-led and Black-centered Research Initiatives 2025–2026 are now open.

Apply for the Fund for Black-led and Black-centered research initiatives.

Discover more funding opportunities on Concordia’s Black Presence Hub web page.