Dr. Aimé Avolonto is an Associate Professor in the Department of French Studies, Glendon College, York University and has taught there since 2004, and has served as Chair from 2014 to 2017. Professor Avolonto has five degrees, speaks seven languages, and is a specialist in three fields: francophone literature, linguistics, and teaching French as a second language. Professor Avolonto is Black is fighting for his job because he stood up to anti-Black racism. Back in 2017, Professor Avolonto filed a complaint about the racist actions of two white administrators. As a result of his initial complaint, he has been targeted with a racist smear campaign and a series of retaliatory actions. Professor Avolonto has been forced to file four separate complaints at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. Recently the CBC’s flagship investigative news program, the Fifth Estate, profiled Professor Avolonto’s case, you can watch the report here. York University has ramped up their efforts to terminate Professor Avolonto from his post. You can help stop this. Sign this petition to support Professor Avolonto. For all the latest news and to join the campaign to support Prof. Avolonto visit Justice4Avolonto.
Here's how you can help:
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Sign and share the petition.
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Read and share Prof. Avolonto's "Letter from a Black colleague."
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Watch and share The Fifth Estate's "Black on campus" documentary (only 21 minutes).
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Watch and share the press conference where Prof. Avolonto and allies discuss anti-Black racism at York.
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Follow Prof. Avolonto's support campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Get campaign updates: email againstantiblackracism@gmail.com.
For some recent coverage of Prof. Avolonto's case, check out:
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"Black faculty exposes systemic racism in Canadian higher education" by Sarah Nafisa Shahid in Spring Magazine
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"Black professor claims York University pushed to fire him for speaking out against racism" on CBC's The National
For more information on how to support Prof. Avolonto, email againstantiblackracism@gmail.com
Justice for Aimé Avolonto