My name is Mary Ann Vaughan. I am a retired faculty member in the Economics Department. In my former life, I was always known as Professor Vaughan. Now that I am a member of the Warriors football coaching staff, and a frequent presence at CIF and Warrior Field, most people simply call me Mary Ann. A select number refer to me as M.A. I have a defensive lineman who calls me Mumsie, so it seems I will answer to almost anything.
I was born and spent most of my childhood in a small town in the Niagara Peninsula called Welland. My parents were first generation Canadians but all of my grandparents immigrated to Canada from Eastern Europe, specifically Poland and the Ukraine. Welland was a town that attracted many European immigrants after WWII because of the opportunities to work. My classes in elementary school were a mix of many different ethnic backgrounds and varying ability to speak English. When I look back on my experiences, it is clear that kids are kids and we were not the problem. It was the adults who were suspicious and hateful toward other groups and had derogatory names for each of them. I can recall clearly my Grandmother refusing to allow my brother and me to play with some neighbourhood kids who spoke French. Looking back, I can hardly believe it. We were all white, but in the eyes of my elders, we were not all the same.
Even as a white woman, my generation experienced gender discrimination. One of the examples I often used in my class was of me attempting to apply for one of the high-paying summer factory jobs that my male classmates in high school were able to get. The man in charge took one look at me and said, “Get the hell out out my office!” Very few of my female classmates went on to university. My discipline of Economics was very male-dominated in the early 1970s.
While I have experienced ethnic prejudice, gender discrimination, and can ageism be far behind, I do not really know anything about racism. I studied it in school. I have read quite a bit of history on the subject. But, I have obviously not experienced racism in a personal way.
My decision to join the Alliance was primarily based on my desire to be educated. My recent reading on the topic of racism has demonstrated to me that I have much to learn. Beliefs I have held for a long time need to be reexamined. As an academic, I am drawn to learning and understanding. Personally, I want to learn in a much clearer way which words and actions could be interpreted as racist. I want to be open to feedback, even if it is uncomfortable. The Alliance appeared to be a safe place to begin that journey. I have no idea about whether I will be a useful member or have anything to contribute. But, communication and open discussion are important to me and I will try to participate to the best of my ability.
Preparatory to participation in the committee, I have loaded on my Kindle the two books recommended by D.A. Those are White Fragility and How To Be An Anti-racist. This is just the start, I’m sure. I will be counting on the recommendations of the committee members to further my education.
To connect with Mary Ann please email alliance@uwaterloo.ca
