Rohini Bannerjee
Dr (Associate Professor)
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Dr. Rohini Bannerjee, born and raised in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, daughter of immigrants from Himachal Pradesh, India, is an Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies in the Department of Modern Languages & Classics at Saint Mary's University. Rohini is a woman scholar of colour who serves as a Faculty Member in the Asian Studies and Graduate Women & Gender Studies programs and as Graduate Coordinator for the International Development Studies program. Rohini’s primary research focuses on the literatures and cultures of the Francophone Indian Ocean. She is currently President of the Saint Mary's University Faculty Union and Vice-Chair of Senate.
Her words:
I am a daughter of immigrants who landed in the Atlantic Region in 1968. Education was a priority for my parents, and despite financial stressors, my family enrolled me at Sacred Heart School of Halifax. With financial aid and bursaries and scholarships, I saw the value of hard work and curiosity. I might have started in Biology at Dalhousie University, thinking that medical school was in my future. I somehow convinced my parents that going to France for a year and collecting credits for time would be good for my career. At age 19, I ran off to southern France! I returned to graduate with a Biology and French Advanced Major. My parents were always reminding me I did NOT have to follow the stereotype of the Desi daughter pursuing medicine. I volunteered at the Planned Parenthood Clinic (now Halifax Sexuality Clinic) and realized there I did not want to do medicine. I applied anyway and did not get admission. Freedom! My parents were happy for me and told me to continue with French if that is what I wanted. After my Masters in French, I did continue on with my PhD, despite feeling pressure to grab a BEd. and teaching. I did however know I wanted more. In 2006, I graduated from my PhD at Western with my nearly one year old son. I landed a part time job at Saint Mary's at age 30, the same year that I found out about a tenure track position in Francophone Studies. I applied and landed the job in 2007. Since then, I have had two more sons, got tenure and promotion to Associate, and went on to be Vice-Chair of Senate and President of the Faculty Union. Beyond my career successes, I am delighted to see my students thrive and blossom, in particular young women of colour who slowly are navigating their own expectations and that of our society. I am raising feminist sons of colour and am grateful to their grandparents, who remain in Dartmouth, for their guidance, wisdom and weekend meals! I write poetry and short stories too and have ideas for a novel and/or memoir. I am interested in starting my own podcast. I have thought about running for office. I would like to be part of University senior management. I wish to continue to grow and learn as I feel I am a student at heart. I hope that at 44 years young, I am just becoming. I look forward to what life offers me.
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What are you most proud of professionally? And who or why?
When I applied for my PhD at a local university, my application was rejected. I was disappointed and felt like a failure. I went ahead and applied elsewhere and was successful. After my first semester, I packed up my bags and told my parents I wasn't ready for my PhD. It was April 2000 and I wasn't quite 24 years old and felt so out of place and not ready. My parents encouraged me to continue. They knew I had it in me. And sure, being a learned speaker of French of Punjabi immigrants to Canada made life sometimes challenging. But I continued on. I had my first baby in July 2005 and defended my thesis on May 1st 2006. This same woman almost packed up and left. This same woman almost listened to the initial rejection. This same woman almost listened to those who advised not to have babies whilst an academic. I am most proud of feeling failure and rising above it. My Indigenous tribal maternal grandmother from Himachal Pradesh, India, would not never have thought her granddaughter would be Faculty Union President at a University where she teaches Indian Ocean Francophone Literature and Culture. Never in her dreams would she have thought this. So I am most proud of my resilience.
What’s your vision for Atlantic Canada in 10 years? What’s our biggest opportunity now?
Atlantic Canada is a place of such great growth. We are geographically blessed with ocean and valleys, with farmland and urban expansion. And, we are ready to continue to build on the immigrants wishing to stay in the region. What a blessing! I am all about intercultural competence and I see more leaders of colour in both municipal and provincial politics, I see Universities taking a lead in knowledge dissemination to community, I see more women of colour making decisions in all aspects of society. Our opportunity now is to celebrate those who are making changes and find more windows and doors to be opened for those wanting to step up and contribute.
What was your greatest stage of growth? What made it a shift for you?
After my sabbatical away in Eastern Ontario from 2018-2019, I returned to Halifax with a new sense of commitment. My time in Kingston-Belleville was not pleasant. I did not enjoy the change and disruption to my quotidien and felt disconnected from campus and my colleagues. And so when I came back to Halifax, back to my parents and in-laws, my friends, my community and my campus, I was rejuvenated and ready to re-connect again. That discomfort brought growth. I returned to the classroom ready to dialogue and debate. I made some personal shifts in mindset at home. I began to see that my physical and mental health needed gardening too. Life is good!
What’s your favourite or most read book or podcast? Now or at each of your greatest stages of growth?
Great question! As I mature, my book choices have changed. One of the great gifts of being a professor of literature is that my job is to read! I would say as a young girl, I enjoyed Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time." I enjoyed the strength and sense of conviction of the children to find and seek the truth. I remember being moved by "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck in my early 20s and wondering how such a sad epic could be ever written by one single human being. In my 30s, I was touched by M.G. Vassanji and his anthology of short stories, "When she was Queen" where I felt a great connection with a Canadian writer of the Indian-Desi diaspora writing from the heart. At the moment I am reading several books, one is Javed Akhtar's compilation of ghazals titled "Quiver." I am engrossed in the turn of phrases, the alliteration, the mastery and mystery that is love. I could go on!
What’s your deepest learning from this past year? How did/will you apply it?
This year I have learned that living Dr. Toni Morrison's mantra: “If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else" is so very rewarding. Despite our virtual university, I seek out opportunities to use my privilege as an educated, able-bodied and employed woman to empower others. This is a pledge to use my gifts, whether it be teaching or advocacy, to help others.
Who’s inspired you, directly or indirectly? How have they inspired you?
My inspiration, first and foremost, is my mother. She came to Canada in 1968 as an unmarried, 21 year old nurse and landed with enthusiasm in Alberton, Prince Edward Island. She sacrificed, she dreamed, and she continues to love wholeheartedly. Indirectly, I had women teachers who told me I was capable and other professor colleagues who sponsor me to lead and offer me opportunities to be a changemaker. All these women have reminded me that the fire in my belly is real and worthy of being maintained.
What would you have done differently?
I feel the Universe has brought me here for a reason. I however would have told my teenage self that I was worthy, that I mattered, that dreaming is part of planning and growing. I would have warned myself that imposter syndrome is real but that my path, sometimes riddled with cobblestones and other times with gems, may have challenges but will serve as a guide to others.
What are the principles you live by?
Authenticity is at the core of how I live my life. My identity is multiple and it is only very recently, in my mid-forties, I am understanding that when I am myself, with all my faults and features, I am giving permission to other women of colour to be themselves. See more here.
How have you recovered from fractured professional relationships? What uncomfortable truths have you learned about yourself in those experiences?
Yes, I have resigned from leadership positions at the University upon deciding that I did not merit the harassment, intimidation and bullying I was experiencing. Initially, resigning felt like a failure. I was worried about what others thought of me and that by “giving up” I was demonstrating weakness and fragility. I realized, after taking time to unpack my feelings, that being concerned about what others thought of me was draining and unproductive. How I felt was important and my experience was real. Resigning meant self-preservation and ultimately, was a sign of resistance. I see now, in turn, that resilience, especially amongst scholars of colour who must overcome/resist/persist/sacrifice to succeed, is all overrated. I choose to conserve my emotional and professional labour for those whom I can help raise and lift. I am re-calibrating my mindset from one of servitude to one of passion with purpose. I have recovered from those fractures by engaging in a form of kintsugi practice of self; I am taking the broken pieces of the former “resilient” self whose boundaries were unhealthy and am putting the pieces back with and filling in the cracks with a golden mindset that is positive and mindful. My uncomfortable truths about always wishing to please others and seeking validation from outside of the self have been difficult to face but the truth is the truth, and by sitting in it and working with it, one is able to be free to be themselves, fully and without hesitation. Success is no longer having numerous “hats,” especially if they are causing destruction of one’s mental health. I am now choosing wisely for myself and by doing this, the ripple effect is positive for all those I encounter.
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Associate Professor, feminist, woman of colour scholar, Faculty Union President, learned speaker of French, daughter of immigrants, EDI advocate