Gabrielle Warrior has a lot to be proud of as she reflects on her time at UVic. Graduating with an honours degree in sociology this June, the program combined her two passions: research and social justice.
In her words: “re-articulating and exploring Black lived reality is why I do what I do.”
An international student from The Bahamas, Warrior advocates for historically underrepresented, mainly Black, communities through both her research and advocacy. In recognition of her leadership and impact, she is one of the 2025/26 inaugural recipients of the Black Student Leadership Award.
Bridging career with education and research
Warrior started at UVic at age 28 after a decade-long career as a paralegal. Drawn to justice and advocacy work, she first earned a degree in law and criminal justice. In her 20s, she was also a professional dancer with choreography focused on human rights activism. Eventually, sociology became the path that best aligned with her goals.
“I realized that my specific register of justice was going to be in the social sciences and doing research advocating for silenced and marginalized groups of people,” she says.
That approach shapes all aspects of her life. Warrior has been deeply involved on campus and in the Greater Victoria community, raising awareness and advocating for Black lived experiences and Black student stories.
Positive impact of sociology department
Warrior credits the sociology student union as an important support system during her studies.
“I can’t tell you how many late nights I had studying, writing or psyching myself up in the BOSS room (Bureau of Sociology Students),” she laughs. “It was so encouraging to be surrounded by a community of like-minded intellectuals and people who want to see you do well.”
Faculty members in the sociology department also helped Warrior grow as an undergraduate researcher. Last year, sociology professor Bruce Ravelli invited her to write the opening for a chapter of his textbook Exploring Sociology. She also cites professors Sébastian Bonnet and Edwin Hodge as key influences.
I thank the brilliant sociology faculty at UVic for teaching me the art of articulating the truth that is first experienced in my bones and through my own empirical observation.”
Gabrielle Warrior
Building action through advocacy
Her research and advocacy have shaped many conversations on campus. Warrior has spoken on panels and participated in events with the Students of Colour Collective (SOCC) and the African-Caribbean Student Association (ACSA).
As a UVic Students’ Society Director-at-Large in 2023/24, she advocated for Black and international student equity and the celebration of Black History Month events on campus.
Beyond campus, she has worked with the BC Provincial Committee for Anti-Racism since 2025, a group working to legislate anti-racist equity in BC. Sociology professor Athena Madan introduced her to the role.
Through this work, Warrior says she can “offer my research skills, insights and research findings to advocate for Black people living within BC and the broader Canadian social landscape.”
UVic Scarborough Charter Steering Committee work
Warrior also served on the UVic Scarborough Charter Steering Committee for Black inclusion and flourishing, helping connect the Charter’s work with campus groups, including ACSA, and drawing on her qualitative research on Black experiences in Victoria.
“It allows me to play an active role in encouraging equity and accountability at an institutional level,” she says. “That role is very fulfilling and I’m going to be sad to say goodbye to it once I graduate.”
She has seen awareness grow through the Charter’s efforts and credits student groups such as The African Nexus and ACSA, along with initiatives like the Black Student Leadership Award and the Black Student Leadership Entrance Award.
“Receiving the Black Student Leadership Award made me feel like my efforts were seen and appreciated,” she says. “It was encouraging and provided a boost to my advocacy efforts for Black students on campus.”
Life after graduation and advice to students
This fall, Warrior will begin post-graduate studies at Trinity College Dublin, specializing in race, ethnicity and conflict. She plans to further develop her post-colonial and diaspora research by examining the experiences of African and Caribbean labour migrants in Western Europe.
As she graduates, she offers two pieces of advice for students:
Take up space, have the audacity, amplify your voice and the voices of those who share intrinsic parts of your reality.”
Gabrielle Warrior, to Black students at UVic
To undergraduate students: “Get to know your professors and the people you’re learning alongside. Engage with them. Explore the broad topics and themes of your discipline but also take the time to discover what best aligns with how you want to show up in your field and the broader world.”
