McGill in History

Donald Wright speaks with Don Nerbas and Tess Elsworthy about their book McGill in History. This book brings together diverse historiographies and perspectives to critically examine how McGill has been implicated in power structures and is the product of conflicting ideologies. James McGill, the university’s namesake, owned and profited from the sale of enslaved Black and Indigenous people, a legacy highlighted by the removal of his statue and ongoing debates over the racially charged Redman name used by the men’s sports teams. Imperialism, settler colonialism, slavery, sexism, and homophobia are elements of McGill’s story that must be fully integrated into a broader understanding of the university’s institutional history. Challenging siloed narratives with new research, the contributors in this volume highlight the important task of scholars to scrutinize and confront history that is unflattering and to rethink their institution’s own story – a reckoning happening across many institutions of higher education around the world.

Don Nerbas is associate professor of history and St Andrew’s Society/McEuen Scholarship Foundation Chair in Canadian-Scottish Studies at McGill University.

Tess Elsworthy completed an MA in History and Classical Studies at McGill University under the supervision of Laura Madokoro. She is currently a student in McGill's School of Information Studies.

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