Peter MacKinnon’s book, University Commons Divided: Exploring Debate and Dissent on Campus, has been shortlisted for the Donner Prize. The selection criteria for the prize identifies three areas of scrutiny: The importance of the subject; The soundness and originality of the analysis in terms of identifying and defining the issues in question and presenting authoritative analysis […]
“Racist, Full Stop.”
In his book, Interim Dalhousie President Peter MacKinnon downplays and excuses the wearing of blackface while mischaracterizing and sidelining those who object to it. But MacKinnon ignores the vast scholarship on blackface, so let's hear from the scholars.
INTRODUCTION On Monday afternoon, Dalhousie students protested the welcoming reception for incoming president Peter MacKinnon. As Tim noted on Tuesday, “The students are particularly riled over MacKinnon’s book, University Commons Divided: Exploring Debate & Dissent on Campus.” One of the serious issues students identified in their press release is MacKinnon’s declaration in the book that blackface […]
Prisons, Refugees, Cats
1. Dorchester Penitentiary Martha Paynter was driving through New Brunswick this weekend and texted me that she saw a billboard for the Airbnb in the old Dorchester Jail. Among the attractions listed on the website are that it was the site of the last double hanging in New Brunswick (more on that in a moment), […]
Where The Emails Have No Names: Morning File, Saturday, December 16, 2017
News 1. Lucasville On Wednesday, Tim reported on the re-establishment of the boundaries of Lucasville, a historic community settled by Black Refugees. As noted in this CBC story: According to the report, the proposed boundary would mean about 500 homes would need to change their address from the community of Hammonds Plains to Lucasville. Those […]
Stand and Deliver: Morning File, Saturday, December 3, 2016
Before we get into local news coverage, Parliamentary Poet Laureate George Elliott Clarke has kindly made his poems available to the Halifax Examiner, which is the first media outlet to publish them. (See Clarke’s eulogy to Leonard Cohen here.) Translation into French has been graciously provided by Robert Paquin. An Elegy—Non-Partisan—for Fidel Castro Fidel, we […]
Eternity Expires as Eyes Close: Morning File, Saturday, November 12, 2016
News 1. Deaths in Custody, Again. This week brought another death in custody in Nova Scotia. …Paul Dauphinee Jr. was found in unresponsive in his cell at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth on Nov. 2. Dauphinee Sr. and family members made the heartbreaking decision to remove life support on Nov. 5, and […]
Comma Who Is White Comma: Morning File, Saturday, October 1, 2016
1. Tim Bousquet discovers new day in the year According to the Morning File template, opened by contributor El Jones on Friday, September 30th, Tim Bousquet has discovered a new day of the year, September 31st. The Examiner wants to congratulate Mr. Bousquet on this exciting new contribution to horology. The new “leap September” will […]
Gorilla Warfare: Morning File, Saturday, August 27, 2016
1. Tylor McInnes and Doing Justice After the death of Tyler Richards, Tim wrote about some of the difficulties in reporting on death. I have been sitting beside people this week as their phones blew up with texts from reporters asking them if they wanted to comment on the death of Tylor McInnis, if they knew […]