In his lecture Syrus Marcus Ware considers the erasure of racialized and indigenous histories from white trans archives, time lines, and cartographies of resistance. He examines interventions by black queer and trans historiographers, critics, and activists who have attempted to reinscribe blackness into the history of LGBTTI2QQ space in Toronto. Syrus Marcus Ware scrutinizes the need of an understanding of the very real dangers of the violence of anti-black racism and colonialism if we do not want to repeat our mistakes. Otherwise we create a future where Black and disabled people are eradicated, where they will not exist.
Syrus Marcus Ware is a Vanier Scholar, a visual artist, community activist and mobilizer, researcher, youth-advocate and educator based in Toronto. Syrus is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University. Syrus is also a core-team member of Black Lives Matter Toronto. He holds degrees in Art History, Visual Studies and a Masters in Sociology and Equity Studies, University of Toronto. For 12 years, he was the Coordinator of the Art Gallery of Ontario Youth Program. Syrus is currently a facilitator/designer for the Cultural Leaders Lab (Toronto Arts Council & The Banff Centre). He is the inaugural artist-in-residence for Daniels Spectrum (2016/2017).