Staff member’s experiences help her inspire others to lead change

April 10, 2018

Christina Meredith’s work as a social justice advocate and changemaker began as student while pursuing women’s studies and sociology.

In an introductory course, she studied Paulo Freire and was inspired by his belief that, “the greatest humanistic and historical task of the oppressed is to liberate themselves.” And so, her journey to participate in and lead transformative social justice practices began.

“Education opened up a space of knowing, being and doing that reflected and honoured my experience of living on the margins,” she says. “Instead of feeling trapped by my circumstances, I began to understand how the interlocking systems of oppression – including racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism and ageism – contributed to both men and women’s inequality.”

Meredith went on to co-found a campus women’s centre at Bishop’s University in 1999, which still operates today.

Later, she developed and delivered curriculum on healthy relationships to public and high school students for the Women & Children’s Shelter of Barrie.

She recently supported the Georgian College Students’ Association in the creation of a co-curricular mini grant – which any student can apply for to work on changemaking projects.

“No matter what I’m engaged in, I try to empower others to lead change and support them along the way,” Meredith says.

As current manager of Accessibility and Academic Success Services at Georgian, Meredith’s current focus is on changing the language and practice around disability.

“Difference is a historic, social and economic construct,” she says. “Our current practice is to measure individual difference against scientific benchmarks. Scholars and student services staff like myself encourage a way of seeing that’s respectful of difference and doesn’t create categories of otherness.”