The Professor’s Desk (2023) is a project which pairs documents from the Asian Canadian Labour Alliance’s (ACLA) archives within the frame of a professor's office. This project looks particularly at four cases of discrimination on or relating to Canadian universities; the W5 Campus Giveaway TV Special from 1979, Professor Kin-Yip Chun's case of racial discrimination against the University of Toronto, MacLean Magazine's "Too Asian" article from 2010, and current barriers facing international students across the country. This project puts together materials from these events within the artist’s studio/office. In doing so Naqvi considers how these institutions have or have not chosen to support visible minorities within the frame of academia. This series is meant to commemorate the legacy of figures who have publicly spoken out about their experiences and considers how they have made space for future Black, Indigenous, and racialized workers within academic institutions.
This project was developed through Mayworks’ Labour Arts Catalyst program in partnership with Asian Canadian Labour Alliance with the support of OPIRG Toronto.
The artist would like to thank Mayworks Festival, Asian Canadian Labour Alliance, Lokchi Lam, Professor Kin-Yip Chun, OPIRG Toronto, the Ontario Arts Council, and the librarians at the Toronto Reference Library.
A talk on the struggles for justice that have made space for Black, Indigenous, and racialized workers within academic institutions. With artist Zinnia Naqvi, Professor Kin-Yip Chun, and organizer Chris Ramsaroop, moderated by Furqan Mohamed. Video by Renee Foy.