UBC Opens Segregated ‘Identity-Affirming’ Lounge for Black Students

The University of British Columbia (UBC) has opened a racially segregated lounge for black students, following in the footsteps of other universities in Canada. The lounge was opened in the fall of 2023, according to the university’s website. UBC describes the lounge as an “identity-affirming space” accessible only to black graduate and undergraduate students currently enrolled at the school. “With the intention of creating a safer space, the Black Student Space celebrates the diversity and shared experiences within the Black community, and aims to foster a sense of belonging and wellbeing at UBC,” says the website. The lounge offers students a private kitchen space, television, a “napping and resting” area with couches and a fireplace, showers, bathrooms, board games, and access to a library and printer....