Infiltrating a University 'BIPOC Only' lounge

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Andrew Chapados visits Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada where the school has boasted about their "Freedom Lounge" which the school describes as the following:

"This space is a safe, comfortable, and accountable space for BIPOC and Racialized students to create community, feel empowered, celebrate their lived experiences, and honour their histories. Within this space, we seek to engage students in initiatives that actively dismantle oppressive, racist, and colonial ideologies and practices."

The lounge, however, which sits in the student centre, did not have a barrier to entry. Both Andrew Says and Lincoln Jay were able to enter the "safe space for BIPOC and Racialized students" without issue, which while being a best-case scenario, also begs the question as to why the lounge is necessary in the first place.

Akin to a study room, the lounge includes couches, an arcade game, comfortable seating and quiet rooms. In addition, other "non-racialized students" were pictured in the lounge (possibly dismantling colonialism, however).

Directly across the hall exists an "all-gendered bathroom", opposite a bannister displaying at least three different 'pride' flags.

When questioned about the lounge, some students felt it was necessary due to "systemic racism", while others didn't necessarily agree and said they would support a lounge based on any person's identity, including white.

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