Event box
Anti-Racism Reads: One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This In-Person
Join the Libraries for a compelling extended discussion of Omar El Akkad's One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. We'll explore how El Akkad exposes systemic racism and critiques Western hypocrisy, revealing liberalism's limits through sharp political and personal memoir. We will also analyze how language can determine whose humanity counts and whose does not.
This small, conversation-based book club will meet bi-weekly for five sessions:
- June 4: Chapters 1 & 2
- June 18: Chapters 3 & 4
- July 2: Chapters 5 & 6
- July 16: Chapters 7 & 8
- July 30: Chapters 9 & 10
Participants are encouraged to attend all sessions, as discussions are designed as a cumulative learning experience that relies on ongoing engagement.
This is an in-person event with limited capacity; please register to reserve your seat for the full series. If you have accommodation requests or are unexpectedly unable to attend a session, reach out to libevents@uwaterloo.ca.
- Dates & Times:
- 12:00pm - 1:00pm, Thursday, June 4, 2026
12:00pm - 1:00pm, Thursday, June 18, 2026
12:00pm - 1:00pm, Thursday, July 2, 2026
12:00pm - 1:00pm, Thursday, July 16, 2026
12:00pm - 1:00pm, Thursday, July 30, 2026
- Time Zone:
- Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
- Location:
- Dana Porter Library - Third Floor Reading Room (338)
- Campus:
- University of Waterloo - Main Campus
- Audience:
- Faculty / Instructors Graduate Students Undergraduate Students Waterloo staff
- Categories:
- Discussion
Facilitators
Jermal Jones (MEd) is the associate director, EDIA, at the University of Waterloo Libraries and co-founder of Next Gen Men (NGM), a team of staff and volunteers empowering boys (and men) to change the way they see, think and act about masculinity. He is also a third-year PhD student in the Recreation and Leisure Aging, Health and Wellbeing program, where he studies the intersections between race (Black), ethnicity, gender (men) and ag(e)ing from an interdisciplinary lens. Jermal will also be teaching PACS 314: Restorative Justice and Transformative Education this spring at Conrad Grebel University College.
Mifrah Abid is the Anti-Racism Advisor and Practitioner at the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism. She has over five years experience working at a grassroots level in community, advocating for and supporting victims of hate and discrimination. She actively advocates against Islamophobia and racism in Canada, and volunteers for several organizations, including Justice for All Canada and National Council of Canadian Muslims.
Event Support
Graham Yeates is an administrative assistant at the University of Waterloo Libraries. He helps coordinate event registration. If you have questions about this event, please contact him at libevents@uwaterloo.ca.
Facilitator(s)
Facilitator
Associate Director - Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access
Facilitator
Anti-Racism Advisor and Practitioner at the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism
Event Coordinator
Administrative Assistant