Academic Well-Being of Racialized Students

Canadian universities have an ongoing history of colonialism and racism in this white-settler society. Racialized students (Indigenous, Black and students of colour), who would once have been forbidden from academic spaces and who still feel out of place, must navigate these repressive structures in their educational journeys. Through the genres of essay, art, poetry and photography, this book examines the experiences of and effects on racialized students in the Canadian academy, while exposing academia’s lack of capacity to promote students’ academic well-being. The book emphasizes the crucial connections that racialized students forge, which transform an otherwise hostile environment into a space of intellectual collaboration, community building and transnational kinship relations. Meticulously curated by Dr. Benita Bunjun, this book is a living example of mentorship, reciprocity and resilience.


All royalties from this book will be donated to the Racialized Students Academic Network.

Benita Bunjun is an associate professor at Saint Mary’s University in Women and Gender Studies, where she coordinates the Racialized Students Academic Network. Her research examines organizational and institutional power relations with a focus on colonial encounters within academic spaces.