From Activism to Action: An Autoethnography of the Emergence and Impact of an Anti-Black Racism Task Force in a Canadian University.

This article examines the formation, progress, and challenges of an Anti-Black Racism Task Force at a midwestern Canadian university's Faculty of Social Work, established in response to the 2020 global protests following George Floyd's murder. Using critical race theory and autoethnography, the study documents the task force's principles, membership, action plan, and advocacy efforts over four years, highlighting initiatives such as scholarships for Black students, Africentric curriculum development, and community engagement. Despite successes, the task force faces ongoing challenges including emotional labor disproportionately borne by Black members, institutional resistance, limited leadership engagement, and precarious funding. The authors emphasize that dismantling systemic anti-Black racism in academia requires sustained institutional commitment, transparent accountability, and collective action beyond isolated task forces.