[Shauna]

Agreed. I also think there is an indifference about systems of racial advantage and at times a denial that these systems exist at all.

[Maxime]

I agree! And it’s easier for privileged groups to denounce anti-black racism than it is to implement policies and procedures that actually bring about change.

[Melinda]

I agree- people do not want to lose their power and privilege. The people who benefit from white supremacy and ideology do not want to step out of the comfortability that affords them.

When challenged, it’s easier to become defensive for many people instead of taking a critical and reflective look into their own role in perpetuating racism.

[Evelyn]

Anti-black racism still exists in Ontario and throughout Canada due to the colonizers’ hierarchical capitalist system we live under, which is based on a white supremacist culture and most of all, this system needs to continue to promote these white supremacist values and beliefs through systemic and institutional opression, in order to maintain power and control and make profits at the top of the chain. Race is a man-made concept which was developed and promoted by colonizers in order to maintain power and control over those who are not white and profit through slavery at that time. In Canada, there’s not even an acceptance and acknowledgement that slavery existed here in Ontario and other parts of Canada. A capitalist system also promotes individualism, productivity, competitiveness and most of all profits versus people, shared power, relationships and community. A white supremacist culture is threatened with change, speaking truth to power and uprisings as white supremacy is the underpinning of a colonial hierarchical capitalist system. Systems and Institutions have not embraced an anti-racist stance and have not yet fully made a commitment to change.

[Stephanie]

anti-Black racism still exists because of the ways that white supremacy exerts power, influence, and control over the overt and covert policies that our systems and laws are built on. It also assumes barriers in that many of us feel too powerless to fight back and are too busy, stressed, or worried about finances to think that we are willing and able to make a difference, take a risk, and are scared that we or our families may in fact be ‘punished’ in some way. Anti-Black racism still exists because systems in our country are generally run by people for whom the ‘rules’ worked well for, people continue to be rewarded over and over again for compliance with the status quo and for ‘following the rules of whiteness’ (covert and overt). Anti-Black racism still exists because people internalize the messages that white supremacy sends out about whiteness and it exists because white people can run away to places where conversations about equity are theoretical in nature and aren’t about life and death. Until most people believe that unless the system changes they will be destroyed too, ‘change’ will center on talking and hoping that people will do the right thing, when maybe the laws and policies upstream (leadership) that can change the balance of power need to be changed.

[Nancy]

The status quo doesn’t believe it exists and fails to acknowledge white supremacy.

[Laura]

Absolutely agree with this.

[Alyssa]

Anti-Black racism is still a problem in Ontario because a lot of white folks and/or administration in schools for example, believe that acts of racism are “isolated incidents”. Black folks know, however, that anti-Black racism is embedded in the fabric of Canadian society, and anti-Black racism in schools is not “isolated incidents” but rather the consequence of the normalization of anti-black racism in schools. If we (educators) looked at anti-Black racism like how we look at bullying, we would mobilize and find the roots of the issues with hate crimes at schools, or outdated / inaccurate curriculum that is racist and change that. But folks just do not see anti-Black racism as something that impacts entire systems such as education.

[Joanne]

Not enough people who are unaffected are engaged. One time I heard Dave Chapelle describe that we have not yet arrived at critical mass. It will take people making a full time life commitment to “leveling the playing field” in order to achieve the shifts that are needed. To truly be the change and affect change it’s a risk taking lifestyle change that’s needed. Too many people are able to see the problems (or walk around in a bubble protected from them not having to notice) but they just participate in the life they’ve always lived upholding and benefiting from the status quo/whiteness that perpetuates the cycle.

[Adrienne]

For me, it almost always comes down to the system of racial capitalism that we operate within. This system makes it challenging to prioritize community needs as each individual is tasked with supporting themselves. This system also dehumanizes and oppresses people as their contributions and existence are commodified, and those who cannot contribute are further excluded from society. This system must be uprooted! It’s overwhelming and exhausting to consider how long we have pursued this myth of meritocracy and how consistently throughout history anti-Black racism has reared its ugly head through individual and systemic action. This course has given me some hope in how I can challenge anti-Black racism in both my personal and professional life to work towards a better world for Black youth.

[Unsoo]

I was shocked that the population of teachers in schools I’ve experienced were almost all white people despite the diverse population of students in Ontario. I heard that there were like only two Black teachers working in the school board. This is a big problem as students can’t see themselves in teachers, so they can less connect to their learning and learn less from the teachers’ modelling. There will be also a gap of understanding between the students’ and teachers’ cultures even if the teachers try hard to be responsive and inclusive. Racism isn’t just explicit discrimination, it can manifest in this structure of education. That’s why we need a more inclusive hiring process if we want to support Black youth thriving.

[Jenny]

I also agree that there needs to be a more inclusive hiring process and the importance of students seeing themselves in their educators. I don’t think that hiring more black educators will solve the issue of anti-black racism within the education system. I think it’s a bigger problem that needs to be addressed by revisiting the structure on which our education system was built. I think it would be a benefit for everyone in the education system to be held accountable in terms of educating themselves with the history of Canada and how complex and ingrained anti-black racism is. It’s not enough for school boards to say that they have hired more black educators. The presence of more black educators is important but it doesn’t make the issues of anti-black racism now become” isolated incidents”.

[MARINELLY]

I agree with you, Unsoo. I believe that black representation in the education system must be considered to increase the number of teachers in schools.

[Emma]

A simple resonse to a complex question: capitalism. Globally, inlcuding Canada, we function within a capitalist system that has deep historically roots, including the enslavement, colonization and domination of many cultures, countries and peoples. At it’s core, capitalism relies on the private accumulation of wealth and power and promotes a model of competition where increasing profit at any cost is the name of the game. Fundamentally, this system relies on the exploitation and oppression of certain groups, including Black and Indigenous folks, in order to accumulate wealth and power in the hands of the few (namely rich, White men). The narratives espoused about Black people and resulting dominant cultural and political ideologies that sustain anti-Black racism, as discussed in this module, are core to the capitalist agenda. Within our current capitalist system, anti-Black racism remains entrenched in systems and structures as their remains a vested interest from those in power (or those who practice and participate in Whiteness) to maintain the status quo and ensure access to wealth and power remains concentrated in hands of those who benefit from the way things are now.

[Natalie]

I couldn’t agree with you more, Emma. The fact remains that anti-Black racism persists because it benefits many institutions, systems and individuals in multiple seen and unseen ways, and disrupting that ‘status quo’ would require non-Black folks “giving up” a lot of this unearned privilege and power, including accumulated wealth! Thank you for your reflections here 🙂

[Laila]

A lot of people think that Canada doesn’t share a similar history of anti-Blackness with the United States and that our diversity and multiculturalism (especially in Ontario) must exempt us from ever possibly being racist, especially at an institutional or individual level. We applaud ourselves for the smallest changes and long over-due actions when we should be – and are capable of – doing so much more at a faster pace.

It’s easier to sweep anti-Black racism under the rug and instead celebrate Ontario’s diversity because facing the facts that anti-Black racism is entrenched in our institutions is too uncomfortable for some.

[Kate]

I agree with you. I have heard time and again that ‘at least we aren’t like the U.S.’. It is this ignorance of our own history that allows people to more easily sweep anti-Black racism under the rug.

[Kaamraan]

ABR is still a problem in Ontario because ABR is still deeply entrenched within Ontario at an individual, institutional, and provincial level.

[Alexandra]

I really think it’s about one thing: funding. Funding that is targeted to provide better infrastructure, education, healthcare, transportation and other resources so that black families are not systemically disadvantaged in so many areas.

[Tristan]

The more knowledge I seek, the more it becomes apparent that the entire western world thrives as a result of anti-Blackness. It is not something that can be remedied without re-constructing society itself. Anti-Black racism will persist as long as we continue to frame our society as a social totem pole. Those at the top are in power positions and will continue to perpetuate our current norms in order to refrain from relinquishing that power.

[Natania]

To me, this is still a problem because of no action. For years now I feel as though we have been asking the same questions and discussing best practices for incorporating Anti-Black racism policies in Canada. When it comes to the real work and doing something to enforce these policies very few step up to the plate and take on that task.

At a macro level, nothing will happen if those in power don’t share the same ideology because what we may see is a brief period of change and then back to the regular discrimination and marginalization our people face.

Lastly, we are in 2022 and people still think of Canada as this inclusive country…despite what we know regarding Indigenous people and the history of slavery and other discrimination that has happened here in Canada people still want to brush it under the rug and speak about the country as if its the perfect place to be – the problem can’t be fixed if people don’t see a problem.

[Christina]

Agreed! Denial and lack of action are great contributors to this problem.

[Shanieka]

Urgent action is needed to combat anti-Black racism, since it is not new and has been prevalent in both private and public sectors and being studied for decades.

Intentional action is needed now, stop talking about it and do something now. Decades later and we are still asking the same questions.

[Shalaine]

I couldn’t agree more. The lack of intentionality is why we’re still here. There needs to be well thought out and executed plans to combat anti-Black racism!!

[Danielle]

Agreed–and then whenever there are ABR initiatives, they get sub-summed by ‘EDI’ and the needs of other groups are prioritized.

[YouthREX- Kamau]

I definitely agree. Government officials and leaders often play a game of shock and awe when racism in Canada is exposed, and instead of acting surprised it is time to give tangible support to the discriminated communities.

[Shannon]

I feel you on this. It is always, “Canada isn’t like the States” or “We do things better here”. I think part of doing away with this “shock” you’ve described is quite literally allowing ourselves to become comfortable with the uncomfortable truth that Canada isn’t all we see in the media, or better off because we are simply not like the States. This “better than” rhetoric is not enough. It isn’t enough to be better than the States and for that degree of improvement to serve as a stand-in for justice. Good enough isn’t enough. Period. Lasting change never comes from simply wanting to do better than someone else. There must be an unrelenting honesty.

[Daniela]

I think that anti-Black racism is still not a significant part of the general discourse in Ontario. Especially at the systemic level, where often racism is tacitly accepted if not willingly supported. Offering more awareness-raising knowledge and showing more intolerance regarding racism might be ways to better incorporate anti-Black racism into the values of the Ontarian society.

[Jonah]

I think there’s several factors that play into anti-black racism in Ontario – the idea of Canada being a multicultural “utopia” plays up that anti-black racism doesn’t happen here, so it’s often less publicized and less likely to be called out, and without acknowledging our history and present reality of anti-black racism, it just keeps playing out. We’re also under a goverment in Ontario that frequently prioritizes police, which are a frequent and constant perpetrator of anti-black violence

[Erika]

I think there’s still this notion of Ontario, and Canada, being this multi-cultural society that is home to many diverse peoples. I don’t think people see or believe that racism is an issue that happens here, or that racism is much worse in other parts of the world, as if that excuses us from being racist. I also think that people don’t understand the systemic and structural nature of racism, and so when there is something that comes up, say in the media, it’s seen as an a fault or individual blame of a person or even a group, and keeps people or groups on the margins.

[Natalia]

Capitalism and Colonialism are still prevalent and the main tool of White Supremacy sentiments. Until this system is dismantled, it will not end.

[William]

.

[YouthREX- Kamau]

This Doing Right Together for Black Youth report by YouthREX outlines the top 10 issues for Black youth and their families based on 1,500 community members:

https://youthrex.com/report/doing-right-together-for-black-youth-what-we-learned-from-the-community-engagement-sessions-for-the-ontario-black-youth-action-plan/

[Tobin]

I believe anti-black racism is still a problem in Ontario for a number of reasons. I’ll address two of the reasons why I think it’s still a significant problem. 1) Those who are in power and authority are unwilling to sacrifice the benefits of their position to create sustainable change. 2) Racism is deeply entrenched in our history, our psychology, our bodies, our morals. To effectively impact/reduce racism and its consequences, there needs to be seismic shift in how we identify who the enemy is.

[Toni]

This question has bothered me from the beginning of this course. Mostly because I did not understand how to answer from my perspective. Each time I finished a module I would come back and read some of the responses and still not quite feel that it had been answered for me. However, this final module has brought some clarity. Two pieces. The first being self-reflection as an ongoing piece of what we do because, as it was stated, it’s not enough to be Black. It takes more than that to deal with and combat ABR. The second is for me the most important and that is the use of research and data collection to bring about lasting change. How many times have we heard about this research and that research on this topic or another that went nowhere after it was published? No action items. This was powerful to me. And I think will help me evaluate the questions I ask when working with Black youth. Why am I asking this question. Is it my own curiosity, or does it have relevance to how I will understand, support and resource this young person? So much food for thought.

[Jessica]

ABR is still an issue in Ontario because people who are in positions of authority and power are not committed to change. It is also an issue because nowadays we have a lot of initiatives that are put in place under the guise of anti-oppression, anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion but in reality, nothing is actually being done. These initiatives are merely about ticking off a checkbox.

[Kat]

I agree. There are systems that were designed to oppress that continue today, including justice and education systems. Like you said, there is performative action so it looks like there is change but there isn’t. I also think there’s a lot of silence. Where action could be real and make changes, there is silence instead.

[Deborah]

Until we have legislated accountability, it will continue to be a problem. Things are indeed changing, but much too slowly for me!

[Natalia]

I agree!

[derrick]

I agree Deborah. We definitely need legislation in place to help eliminate the anti-Black racism! I think to that, in a similar way to the liberation of 2S-LGBTQ+ folks, it will require a collective and personal confrontation with ideologies that are prejudiced and devalue particular human life and experiences. There is a cultural and ideological shift, a real healing one, to uproot discriminatory thinking and ways of organizing society.

[Sarah Durand –]

A friend of mine asked me a very interesting question the other day when discussing why after so long we still have such racism in our education systems. His question to me was, Who does anti-racist education benefit? He is a very vocal and active anti-racist educator within his school setting who since finding his voice has lost connections with most co-workers and many friends. He believes that until our upper management staff benefit from anti-racism there will be little change. Within the current system they hold the privilege and opportunities. This leaves them with little motivation to change.

[Arun]

Black people deserve the same rights, opportunities and quality of life as everyone else! Racism still exists here in Ontario and everywhere else in the world. We aren’t born to hate and should all receive the proper education to make Ontario and the entire world better! This program is a step in the right direction.

[Spencer]

One thing that has kept in my mind is how the upper management and management of organizations are predominantly white folks. In education, youth services, protection services, legal systems, medical systems, political systems, and all the other systems young black people’s lives often the folks in power do not reflect the people they are serving. Black folks are often passed over these positions due to Anti-back Racism itself and with a more representative management there is more work that can be done to shape systems. That is not to say that white managers should not be researching and implementing ABR practices and policies and that that the sole responsibility of fighting ABR is on black folks but that a restructure of those in power is necessary.

[Cyril]

For sure, the value of lived experience is terribly underrated and under valued in many instances in the sector. Various perspectives and experiences are needed! Moreover, your point about anti-Black racism operating within workplace cultures (even work places that serve predominantly Black youth/communities) is important to unpack.

I’m sure we have seen enough tokenized gestures of “inclusion” in lieu of structural and cultural reform. Where are the forums to ethically amplify the voice of community members and staff who are being held back by anti-Black racism? I believe that implementing their suggestions is a priority, but in this sector the “work” often begins and ends with consultations and recommendations. More capacity needs to be obtained for sustained, coordinated and cooperative actions which are tied to reciprocal methods of communal accountability.

[Ivan]

Not everyone is genuinely committed to anti-racist work. Most people do it performatively, or only if it is in their best interest. Few are willing to sacrifice anything for this work. As we’ve been learning here, there are hegemonic systems, structures and values that reproduce these injustices, and a very difficult road ahead to change that. If we could only be more effective at teaching empathy and social awareness, I think that would be a great step forward towards dismantling anti-Black racism.