Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility, or EDIA for short: It’s become a standard acronym and feature of policy making in institutions like Mount Allison University.  But what EDIA means, and what it accomplishes in terms of the needs of people on the ground at those institutions, are questions that Canadian author and activist Desmond Cole will be asking in a talk tonight at Mount Allison University.

Cole is a journalist, activist and author based in Toronto. His work focuses on anti-racism and the struggle against state violence, including the practice of carding. His 2020 book, The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power won the Toronto Book Award and the OLA Evergreen award.

Cole’s talk is the third instalment of the President’s Speaker Series, and takes place in the Crabtree Auditorium, across from the Ralph Pickard Bell Library, starting at 7pm Tuesday. The talk is open to anyone, though masks are required on campus. For those who can’t make it in person, the talk is also available online through Microsoft Teams by registering with the organizers.