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18 GEORGIANVIEW 2024 PRINT EDITION BLACK ExCELLENCE Transforming pain into progress Dr. Eleanor Gittens has earned many impressive achievements over her career of which receiving the Teaching Excellence Award in 2021 is just one. She has been a respected professor in the Honours Bachelor of Police Studies degree program since 2014 and is currently the Coordinator of the Addictions: Treatment and Prevention program at Georgian's Orillia Campus. Despite the hurtful moments Eleanor has experienced as a Black woman, she maintains, a purposeful act of political will, a broad smile, infectious laugh and friendly demeanour. "When I was going to university, I experienced racism to some degree, but in little ways. I would consider them more like microaggressions, like when you're exiting the classroom, and the person ahead of you lets the door slam instead of holding it open as was held for everyone else. I would say the challenges start from even basic things like going shopping and having the security guard follow you around. Everybody has different coping mechanisms. Usually, I no longer see them. I know they're there, but I don't give them time or energy anymore," says Eleanor. Still, as a racialized person, she steels herself daily. "I shared with friends the need to put on emotional and psychological armour every morning before getting out of bed. The insidious impact of racism is pervasive and shows up in different places. Daily, on the news, Black people are targeted primarily because of the colour of their skin. Even as the people in the stories are not connected to you in any way, you recognize that it could have been you. This repeated exposure takes a heavy toll. So before you leave home, you carry the weight of your existence in the world on your shoulders. And then you leave home and tackle the many microaggressions that come your way. To live life as a Black person is hard work." Knowing that marginalized people often feel left out or experience realities that the majority don't, Eleanor was part of a working group that successfully submitted a funding proposal to advance Equity, Diversity and Inclusion work at Georgian—now called Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (EDI&B). "I got involved in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion work at Georgian because I believe it's important for everyone – students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners – who call Georgian home to feel as though they belong, are heard, included, valued and respected," says Eleanor. EDI&B has been part of Georgian's fabric officially since 2021 and is dedicated to fostering a learning and working environment where everyone feels seen, heard and knows they belong. For more information on EDI&B initiatives visit GeorgianCollege.ca/edib. | The Buddy Bench at the Orillia Campus is part of the philosophy of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging where everyone belongs. ABOUT DR. ELEANOR GITTENS 1998 BA (Hons), Psychology, McMaster University 2005 MSc, Investigative Psychology, University of Liverpool 2012 PhD, Psychology, University of Liverpool 2023 Program Coordinator, Georgian College 2023 to 2024 President and Chair of the Board for the Canadian Psychological Association