karina05@my.yorku.ca
Karina Deepnarine is a third-year student whose work sits at the intersection of race, identity, and post-colonial thought. She currently serves as an Undergraduate Research Assistant at the Harriet Tubman Institute. Beyond her research, Karina has a distinguished record of leadership and community engagement. From 2021-2023, she served as Vice-President and President of Goetz Black Voices, where she spearheaded initiatives like assemblies, panels, and discussions addressing colorism, texturism, microaggressions, and Black student empowerment, as well as the organization of Black History Month programming. She has collaborated with Black graduation coaches through the Black Community Advisory Council (BCAC) to help predominantly non-Black schools establish Black Student Associations. She has been interviewed by the Peel District School Board (PDSB) on strategies to better support Black students and has spoken on several high-profile panels, including Jean Augustine’s BSA Conference 2025 with PDSB at York University on the Black undergraduate experience. Her leadership spans multiple organizations: she is the social media Director for the Black Business Student Association (BBSA), Ontario Hub Leader for the Federation of Black Canadians, Social Justice Chair for United Caribbean Islands (UCI), and an active member of the RISE Committee. She has also serves as VP of Internal Affairs for the Black Women in Law Association (BWLA), where she advocates for the advancement of Black women in the legal profession. Her advocacy has been recognized through numerous awards, including the NDP Rosemary Brown Social Justice Award, the Jacor Marketing Award for Inclusivity, and a Peel Regional Police Scholarship for Equity and Diversity. Her body of work reflects a commitment to dismantling the post-colonial mindset and advancing racial justice both within academic spaces and the broader community for Black communities.
Keywords: Advocacy, Human Rights, Anti-Black Racism, Black Education, Awareness