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Black History Month Spotlight – Martina Douglas

Submitted on Monday, February 14, 2022

This Black History Month, our goal at the Faculty of Information is to highlight our Black staff, faculty, and students to showcase their professional and academic accomplishments, and to raise awareness about the industry disparities faced by Black professionals in this sector. We spoke to the Faculty’s EDI Director, Martina Douglas, to get her thoughts and perspective on this topic from an equity, diversity, and inclusion focused lens.


 

Why did you choose to join the Faculty of Information? 

I chose to join the Faculty of Information because of my interest in doing EDI work in an area that was new to me, and I was interested in seeing how it intersected with the information field. 

As a member of this Faculty, what work accomplishments are you most proud of? 

I’ve only been with this Faculty for just a little over 6 months, so during this short span of time, I am most proud of the relationships I’ve been able to build and foster despite working remotely.

In your opinion, why do you believe Black professionals are underrepresented in this sector/field? 

I believe Black professionals are underrepresented in this field because of their lack of exposure to it and because there is a lack of Black representation across the GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) sector. When people can’t see people that look like themselves in the professions they are interested in, they are less likely to believe they can exist in these spaces. 

What are some of the barriers? 

Some of the barriers are the lack of representation, lack of education and awareness, lack of opportunities, lack of support, and access to opportunities. 

What are some efforts you think need to be made to increase representation, and how can we as a Faculty play a role in supporting these efforts and/or how are we doing this already? 

I think more youth from diverse communities, specifically Black communities, need to be exposed to professions in the information field, and they need to have better knowledge on how these careers can contribute to the betterment of their communities. 

I think we are supporting these efforts at the Faculty of Information by creating various opportunities for BIPOC students such as: grants, scholarships, and work experience through the TALint program. In the future, with the increase of resources towards the EDI portfolio, I believe there are going to be more great things to come. 

 


Martina Douglas is currently on leave. During her absence, please contact the Dean’s Office for any equity, diversity and inclusion issues or questions. You are also welcome to connect with the following central equity offices as well: 

Anti-Racism and Cultural Diversity Office | ARCDO (utoronto.ca)
Sexual & Gender Diversity Office – University of Toronto SGDO (utoronto.ca) 

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