Centering Black Youth Wellbeing
This virtual community of practice explores ways to center the wellbeing of Black young people and... View more
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Why is anti-Black racism still a problem in Ontario?
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Why is anti-Black racism still a problem in Ontario?
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Anti-Black Racism is still a problem in Ontario resulting from the long entrenched attitudes and values that are developed as early as childhood. These attitudes and values form the basis of our prejudices and biases (both implicit and explicit) which then become further exacerbated by skewed public policy, sociocultural “norms”, and system racism perpetuated in institutional settings such as education and law enforcement.
Early on in the course, the discussion of democratic racism was so well-articulated in delineating the differences between Canada and US. The existence of racism (and more specifically, anti-Black racism) is extremely overt in the US. As such, upon comparison, many Canadians don’t ascribe to the idea that racism exists in Canada because of the diversity in its population. However, as mentioned above, the existence of long entrenched implicit biases “hides” or eludes the nature of racism in Canada and as a result, the issue of racism is not addressed. Further, when the issue anti-Black racism is not addressed, it indirectly communicates the message to may individuals that “it is okay” and/or acceptable to hold those beliefs—and in some cases, act on them. Thus, the cycle of anti-Black racism is reinforced and continues on.
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It is still rampant because it begins with leaders. If we have the chance to lead, we have a responsibility. I find that educators have implicit biases similar to systemic biases and often Black youth are implicitly treated unfairly from early childhood. I really think we, as educators, need to critically evaluate our own approach and pedagogical practices so that we can lead change. I also think educating ourselves as educators, so everyone is comfortable about talking about ABR is important. I find too many educators are in fear and that needs to stop or nothing will get done. Change in schooling and pedagogy is my goal!
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Great goal Shelly 👍🏾
We can not be shy, quite or afraid of making others uncomfortable when it comes to anti black racism anymore. We need to be open to have these uncomfortable discussions, especially our educators.
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I think the answer to this question is a layered one. Firstly, as stated in the lectures, and by many of the members on this platform, Canada was founded on racist principles, and this racism continues to permeate all aspects of our culture, systems, institutions, and in effect, our minds. While the history of Black people in Canada has been omitted from our academia and Canadian literature, the false justifications that allowed enslavement to take place in Canada continue to implicitly poison the minds of many Canadians in various ways. For instance, the racist claims that Black people were “soiled, deadly, sinister” and “subhuman” have contributed to their profiling and over-surveillance in the criminal justice system. This has of course resulted in extreme rates of Black incarceration, and for people who fail to look beyond the surface of this statistic, the interpretation is that Black people are somehow inherently more prone to criminality. Of course, this is just one of many examples that highlights the brutality towards Black people, but the point is that without the context of Black history in Canada, people (predominately white people) remain ignorant to the depth of this issue, allowing racist ideologies and behaviours to go unchecked, which in effect, perpetuates violence against and towards Black people. As we have learned, white supremacy thrives on invisibility, so this omission of Black history in Canada, is a strategic attempt to maintain racial hierarchies, as it keeps people uninformed and unaware of the true, racist principles that exist in today’s society. I want to be clear however, that this omission of Black history from our educational curriculum cannot be used as a valid excuse to remaining ignorant, as we live in a technological era where knowledge is at our fingertips.
I would also agree that Canada’s multiculturalism is a facade that conceals the racism and discrimination that pervades this country. In my experience, Canada’s multiculturalism is often used to divert and deflect attention away from issues of race and white supremacy, underestimating the pervasiveness of its impact. As a result, we often hear people (predominately white people) say, “Oh, Canada’s not that bad!” “At least we aren’t as bad as the States!” “Well, at least things have gotten better.” I would actually argue that Canada’s issue of systemic racism is worse than the states because it strategically and creatively conceals so much of its violence, that people (predominately white people) resist that it even exists, which in effect hinders the movement for racial equality and change. For example, it is very hard to fight for racial justice, when people are still in denial that racial injustice even exits.
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I think a major issue with anti-black racism persists in Ontario because many Ontarians do not want to believe or admit their own participation in such a broken and damaging system. The inaction, lack of awareness, and sometimes intentional silence creates a negative ripple effect to embolden the unfair and systematic discrimination faced by Black youth in particular. There also also amplifications that have occurred through online platforms, where racist vitriol finds its echo chamber to manifest through anonymized hatred. The latter especially is concerning as it creates a very deep mental divide in which racist ideologies can take root with an unfettered speed without stoppage. While technology is wonderful for learning and enlightening communication (as these brilliant modules and forums are), unfortunately it has been harnessed for the exact opposite as well…
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This was beautifully said.. a good place to start is recognizing and taking ownership that our behaviors whether intentionally or non intentionally are the major factors behind our damaged and broken system. .. Something I definitely need to be more aware of.. we all need to start somewhere.
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Really like your point on there being “amplifications that have occurred through online platforms, where racist vitriol finds its echo chamber to manifest through anonymized hatred”.
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It is still a problem because the perception of Black lives has not been deconstructed and reappraised in a positive way in our media and political culture. This will take years of work as it took YEARS work to essentialize the black body as unimportant, dangerous and ungodly.
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YES! There needs to be a drastic change in the ways in which black individuals are portrayed in our media. Media platforms are now held to such importance in the lives of young black people. What they witness in various media platforms is how they construct their behaviour and opinions of themselves and the world around them.
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As long as people of the privileged demographic continue to remain silent and in denial, anti- black racism will continue to thrive and stay alive. With regards to racism, white silence is equivalent to consent. The people who benefit from having all the privileges or the power often will not speak up when put to the test to invoke change. Often times, not all but after some witness deliberate acts of direct or indirect racism towards black people they will not be the ones to stand up for what is right for fear of standing out. No one wants to admit the errors in what they see or acknowledge the fact that anti-black racism is real. Anti-black racism as we know it is by no means “invisible”. I believe people in Canada go along with that narrative because it is easier to avoid or dismiss the topic. “Out of sight, out of mind” right?? – If anti-black racism isn’t seen or is invisible, it takes the onus away from the people causing the oppression to take accountability for their actions. Its no secret that anti-black racism has been prevalent in society for many generations. The unfortunate truth is that it is often times, more comfortable for the privileged and powered to turn a blind eye, ignore and dismiss a foreign reality to them. One they will never have to come to terms with or live with; because they will never have to live to experience systemic oppression in employment, education, housing, healthcare etc. No one wants to take accountability because they don’t feel they need to. The truth is, active racism is acceptable because the ones who are active participants 1) have company and 2) for that reason feel comfortable to openly display racism towards black people.
The irony in all of this is that many of the people who are openly racist are some of the same people who tend to put up a façade and pose to be the “spokesperson” for fighting against anti-black racism. Are often the ones who are “supposedly” making a conscious effort to dismantle systemic oppression within frontline youth work related environments. Newsflash: If Black youth and adolescents are facing anti-black racism, Black educators are facing those same challenges too. No one speaks on it though. The way how I see things, it all comes down to saving face, to avoid the label of being called a racist. The irony is, in these youth work related environments there tends to be an excessive amount of posters and signs plastered all over the walls and hallways of schools that are designed to create a so-called anti- black racism milieu. When in fact this isn’t the case. Often times the words on those posters are just that- words; without any action to support them. Its almost like a disclaimer, which in my personal opinion is a message being relayed to youth and adolescents under false pretenses. Those signs on the walls of classrooms, and hallways are often a way to “appear” as if ones intent is to genuinely dismantle and combat anti black racism; when in fact its just a means to cover grounds and appear to be supportive of the cause, it’s a all a façade…Don’t get me wrong, there are many non-black people who are not racist. Many are fighting the good fight, standing their ground and many who are pushing for more inclusivity and equitable practices to be implemented…
The irony is that many youth work related environments convey these messages (or writings on the wall) to black youth and adolescents as a means to create the illusion of security. While at the same time diminish the struggles of those same challenges of black educators which are parallel experiences to those faced by youth and adolescents alike. All fighting the same barriers of systemic racism, and systemic oppression without the acknowledgement of what black people as a whole must face and endure on a daily basis. Systemic oppression with regards to education and being railroaded to dead end academic streamlines, employment bias, employment application discrimination, etc. and not being afforded the same opportunities as white counterparts. Anti-black racism exists due to the strongholds of structural racism and people in high ranking positions who abuse their power and control to manipulate the system to fulfill their biased agendas throughout institutions. To begin to dismantle anti-black racism, these strongholds must be broken down from the root and annihilated to begin to see positive changes.
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Love this part: “…many youth work related environments convey these messages (or writings
on the wall) to black youth and adolescents as a means to create the
illusion of security. While at the same time diminish the struggles of
those same challenges of black educators which are parallel experiences
to those faced by youth and adolescents alike.”Real talks… thanks for sharing.
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There are many reasons but realistically it goes back to the beginning. the foundation of what this country is built on…that one is more superior than the other. This is a notion that is deeply rooted. We have seen some small changes which is great but I guess its important to have hope.
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Very true, yet very sad. The fact of our country being built of who is more superior than another definitely ties right into the reasons why this is a problem. For decades black people seem to have been at the bottom of every list in this country.
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Despite the history we have with racist systemic oppression, Canada fails to see the impact is doing on younger generation. The system is operated in a way we can not speak on what is happening. We are tuned to see that racist systemic oppression does not exist in Canada.
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I agree with you!
As Raelyn has said we only see how other countries are racist but not our own. There is not much education that shows our own country’s systemic racism and oppression, which allows us to believe there isn’t any in Canada because they are hidden or vaguely explained. This does impacted the younger generation because as you said, “the system is operated in a way we cannot speak on what is happening.”
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I completely agree with you Sam!
Often the racism that we are taught about in Canada is about how other countries are racist. We are not taught to look inwardly and evaluate our own systems. Anti-Racist education should be taught in our schools, and we as a country need to be taught to be accountable for the racism that has happened in our history, and is still happening today.
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Hi all,
I echo a lot of what’s been said here already! I think that the way anti-Black racism operates in Ontario, and in Canada more generally, is as a whole significantly more covert and invisible than in the States. Because of this, I think it’s easy for those of us who are not Black to live in ignorance of the magnitude of the problem. This definitely ties into the idea of systemic racism, and the importance of looking at how anti-Black racism is so deeply entrenched in our society and in our systems. I’m glad to have an opportunity such as this to become more aware of the experiences of anti-Black racism that exist across the province and across the country, and to learn about what role I can play as a non-Black service provider.
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I think why anti-black racism continues is because is it a complex issue with many strands. It is the dragon with many tails and heads. So I feel our job is to persist and continue to listen and share, educate and share, learn and share, work and share, live and share. Enveloping the dragon in the fiery light is when the fire of the dragon will diminish.
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Racism is not just an issue in Ontario issue as the vast majority of Canadians remain ignorant of Canada’s role in the degrading treatment of Black people. We look at the polarization of racism and supremacist behaviours in the US and say we are glad Canada is not like that when in fact Canada has its own skeletons in the closet. There is also the premise that if Blacks and other marginalized communities are to have more than they currently do then other communities will become less than. There has been lots of research, focus groups and studies conducted over the years that have revealed the many disparities in Black communities yet here we are wondering “why after decades of research and escalating evidence of racial inequities, anti-Black racism remains a significant and troubling reality in Ontario”.
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Until we all recognize that Anti-Black Racism and other forms of racism is an issue that affects us all there cannot be irradiation.
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Along with the many reasonings presented in the module, I believe racism persists in Canada because of our proximity to the USA, our reference point when it comes to comparing our selves with others is often our neighbor the USA. In the USA we see more blatant forms of racism – while in Canada the problem of racism is much more subtle. When racism is blatant it is easier to spot that there is an obvious problem. Once we acknowledge a problem we can work to a solution. However, when racism or a problem in general is subtle to the point where we even question ourselves of “is that racist or am I misunderstanding something?” or the racism persists via underlying tones it becomes much more difficult to pinpoint the actual problem leading for it to be more challenging to work towards a solution/education.
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I feel like Anti-Black Racism is still a problem in Ontario because not many people realize how we have been set to think the Eurocentric way. When some are blinded by it, we don’t realize the harm it is doing. Some may not realize or even know how deep Anti- Black Racism is routed. Until we start having those conversations and making active change, this will continue to be a problem in Ontario. We have to recognize that it has to start with the system. We have to acknowledge the barriers and allow Black voices to be heard. Until Ontarians are willing to have Black voices be heard and allow for change to occur in the system, this will continue to be a problem. There has to be a way to allow Black voices to be heard and where we can be an ally, that doesn’t create more harm.
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In my opinion, anti-Black racism is still a problem in Ontario due to the societal and institutional racism as well as the microaggressions, biases and white supremacy that continue to exist in our society. Reiterating the data mentioned in the module such as higher rates of Black unemployment, discrimination in employment/promotions in Black employees and the Black community is 20 times more likely to be killed by police, also demonstrates why it is a significant problem.
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I agree… If you don’t talk about it… its not real. Up until recent few years I would have said Ontario is progressive and racism does not exist in the same light as it does in others places. I was wrong, very wrong.
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I agree LeeAnn, I think it’s safe to say that we are all victims of thinking that way and comparing our surroundings to other places. I too sometimes catch myself seeing the injustice towards the black community that happens in America and thanking God that its not here, but the true fact is that it is here. We might just be better at hiding it.
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If we do not identify that anti-Black racism is a problem here in Ontario, or Canada even, then it will continue to prevail. Canada is known as the friendly, polite, apologetic country. Racism tends to be thrown very subtly and it is spoken in a very soft whisper and served with a well intentioned smile. The comments about “those people” and “I am not racist but”, comments that is supposed to excuse anything else that comes after that disclaimer phrase. Those who are experiencing it tend to ignore the racist as best as they can, to keep moving forward in spite of. While the racists do not see anything wrong with their behaviour, as their privilege affords them certain power.
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For sure! I hear those same comments a lot as well Andrea. It’s so easy for Canadians to compare themselves with others in regards to racism, but I look at it as a way for Candaians to make themselves feel better, which in itself enables racist mindsets and indivduals to take pride in their behaviour.
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I believe anti-Black racism continues to prevail in Ontario and more greatly, Canada as Canadians cling to the ideals of multiculturalism, cognitive dissonance and the notion of “white exceptionalism” as mentioned by Dr.Vidya Shah in lecture 1.3. As Canada is continually compared to our southern neighbors (arguably the less racially intolerable part of North America), the United States, the branding of Canada as “friendly, progressive, democratic” really feeds into the prides of Canadians. Similarly, with the finely curated history shown and taught to Canadians, many fail to see how our current systems oppressed and benefitted from the efforts and lives of Indigenous, Blacks and other racialized groups. In turn, the Canadian identity of “niceness and politeness” provides many with a sense of comfort and ignorance. Sure, we [as Canadians] might have systemic racism and sure, we might inherently hold biases both conscious and unconscious, but as long as we are not “overtly” racist and the world continues to celebrate our commitment to “multiculturalism” and our “accepting demeanor,” than racism will never be a “Canadian” problem (or at least a large enough, visible problem that needs to be addressed). The “Canadian identity” will be enough of a protective factor in the face of cognitive dissonance that Canadians in the face of racism will simply reinforce the notion that “I’M not racist like that, our country prides itself on our diversity!” This singularity feeds into the idea that racists are anomalies, the mediation/exemption of racism within oneself as we tend “not” to engage in overt racism as we are “nice,” and the belief that “multiculturalism is somehow equivalent to inclusion” as stated by Dr. Andrea Davis in lecture 1.4.
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Jenny, I completely agree with your thoughts about clinging to ideals.
As someone who moved through secondary and post-secondary education very recently I was struck by how much of the history detailed by Michele Johnson in lecture 1.2 was completely excluded from the curriculums I was exposed to in school. Instead, as you rightly say, The United States was used as the foil to glorify Canada’s history by comparison: Canada was the “cultural mosaic” and a safe-haven. I agree that the political ideal of multiculturalism is a further signifier of our collective denial. My true education only came from having family who were able to impart their experiences after immigrating from the Caribbean to Canada in the 1960’s. To those who do not have access to interpersonal or intergenerational experiences but were exposed to the same formal education I was, I could see how it would be extremely easy and attractive to internalize the narrative of “we’re nice, we’re the peace keepers, we don’t do that here” and that in itself is a huge part of the problem. I agree with the sentiments of so many in this discussion that our education system needs to absorb and include the history that Michele Johnson so expertly shared.
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I feel as though anti-Black racism is still a problem in Ontario because people continue to acknowledge it exists but don’t commit to making changes. I think back to a workplace I was once at and we had ongoing educationals at staff meetings about anti-Black racism. There were employees who would complain and say things like ‘we already know this’, ‘why are we talking about this again’? We had some really good conversations around knowledge being powerful but not helpful without commitment for action and change.
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Thank you sharing your experience Michelle. This actually helped remind me of the approach my own workplace used to have. Even though everyone had similar knowledge about anti black racism and the barriers that even my workplace could have changed over time, still no action was taken until recently. So I can defnitily relate to that.
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Because there is a knowing/doing gap. We know there are inequities. We know anti-Black racism is a problem. There is a lack of political will to do what community leaders have called for to create change. I liked that this was reflected in the module on data. Black, Indigenous and other people of colour have been consulted so many times. If you’re going to consult, be prepared to actually do something with the data collected, and do it from a bottom-up approach, in true collaboration with Black communities.
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You can say that again!
Unfortunately, talking and theorizing often replaces action and change rather than complimenting it.
We have industries built on the exploiting Black youth and we have industries and careers built on recycling “nuanced” discourses about the said exploitation – and these industries are all cousins… related and rooted in the same system and culture of repression.
The “bottom up” approach is excluded as the self-righteous social justice initiatives both protest and protect system-level injustice.
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In my opinion, anti-Black racism continues to be a problem in Ontario, as government and society are unwilling to acknowledge the years of oppression that the black community has faced and continues to face. The government refuses the make the many suggestions brought forth by black leaders, statistics and government findings that would stop in the oppression of this marginalized community.
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Anti-black racism remains a prominent concern in Ontario because of the historical violence against black people stemming from colonialism and slavery. Anti-black racism is embedded within our institutions and everyday practices. It is manifested in every aspect of our social systems (education, justice, healthcare) and is often implicit in policies that serve to disadvantage black people while reinforcing white supremacy. This is exactly why representation is so important. To even attempt to change institutions, we need to start with black representation and voices in positions with decision making authority.
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YESSS! Well said Tarena,
Great point shedding light on the importance of black representation in positions related to authority. There aren’t enough black faces and voices within our social system such as the education system, justice system and healthcare, which I feel leaves a large gap for racist people to implement such services and policies.
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In my opinion anti-Black racism is still a problem because Canadians as a whole are in denial of its existence and lack the education to better understand the complexity of it. When I was in school we were taught the “myths” of the Black community, as in Canada saved the slaves. When in fact we were never properly informed that Canadians too were slave owners and that Canada attempted to erase their heritage. To move forward together we must acknowledge the atrocities done onto the black community and begin educating our children from a young age so that they become informed citizens as opposed to grow in ignorance to anti-Black racism. It should no longer be acceptable to be “tolerant” of the black community. Our leaders must pave the way and begin educating in elementary school, which is often contradictory to the opinions of Canadians that oppose government action to address this issue. There have been many studies pertaining to this issue but very little done to address the findings. This vortex of ignorance will continue if the findings of the numerous studies are not addressed.
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Wow! Well said Erika.
I 100% agree with this. We have to start educating our children from a young age on the TRUTH about our history. What has and still is going on in this world to get them better equipped for certain situations they will encounter. They need to acknowledge that their only doing our youth harm when they try to hide and cover up the truth.
You stated your opinion very beautifully.
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This weeks module was really great ,I found it to be incredibly informative and real. One thing that really resonated with me was to actively listen and believe Black youth. We can not combat anti-blackness in Ontario without first acknowledging and believing Black experiences.
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Hi Gera,
It’s great to hear that you felt the recent modules were informative and brought realness. I completely agree with you on that!. Black voices continuously get shut out or ignored and their stories/experiences aren’t taken into account. Your point is so true, in order to actually combat anti black racism we need to start by believing in our black youth.
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From personal experience and research, I believe that anti-Black racism is still a problem in Ontario because our nation systemically believes that racism here is “non-existent” and that Canada is a welcoming “melting pot” of culture. This nation’s belief that Canada accepting of multiculturalism has ingrained itself into the policies that operate our province.
Historically, our nation has always denied its strong legacy of colonialism, oppression, and marginalization of BIPOC communities. Why Canada remains willfully blind to this history is something that I’ve always about especially since when speaking about racism, it is often referred to as an American issue, not a Canadian one.
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Great point! Because we scapegoat here in Canada with zero accountability with several turkeys that have Talking heads. The Blame game / “peace keeping” I suppose is the very mosaic that makes “Canada” a indigenous name but the colonizers claim!
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Because policymakers are doing very little to dismantle it, people still operate under the notion that it does not exist and refuse to address or call it what it is when it takes place.
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Well said Efe,
That’s very true!
Unfortunately policymakers do have an important role in combating anti black racism, yet choose to ignore the signs and continue to operate in that manner. Them having such power and control it should have a bigger responsibility to think and behave in a way that will protect people of colour in all aspects.
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Hello Everyone,
As a late responder to the group catching up and figuring out the navigation through this system I’d like to firstly respond “YES”!!!
I myself am an Afro Indigenous Adult born to this country whose constant denial and erasure of my history has made me “an Angry, Insobordinate Loud Black Woman“. I am so tired of also justifying myself or the racism that myself, ancestors and now child sufferer in a deep seeded way to other members of my Diaspora. Whiteness and Ignorance always defeat any real unity amongst us as even a community. Some black people dont identify “as Black” making this a more complex issue to further dissect or even advocate for based on mere appearance.
It is my full fledged suggestion that in order to eleviate this Ignorance for all we MUST attack and change our Colonial Written laws. If the Laws that oversea us are RACIST we will never defeat its context.
I’ll leave the satement here boldly for further discussion…
Best Regard,
Alexis
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Greetings Alexis – Yes, Boldness is necessary to promote change.
As I reflect on your statement, I think about the many laws that were founded to protect the property and entitlement of a few instead of justice for the people… and “justice” seems to only be blind towards the trespassers who have access and privilege (with the exception of making examples of people who fall out of line).
Systemic (intentional and ongoing coordination based on resourced special interests) injustice is protected by colonial culture… the old narrative that the power brokers are “civilized, polite and doing everything for the greater good” and those who are under that power are either “noble” (obedient) or “savages” (disruptive) who endanger everyone if not controlled. It is a contradictory idea that is present in formal institutions and our daily interactions in this dehumanizing culture.
Even to suggest that organized repression should be attacked can create anxiety for many people – but not fear of the great harm caused by this repression, but fear of the protesters and advocates of justice. For instance, many Black women who are consistently innovating, organizing and building a better world are underestimated, devalued and sabotaged routinely… even for advocating for justice for children in a school setting… but the school system is given time and resources and Black parents are left with the weight of battling not only that school but all the institutions and cultural judgments surrounding it. Therefore, someone who is (in essence) only Defending their rights is in turn Attacked by this system of culture and institutions (and pre-judiced individuals) and framed to be the aggressor.
It is bold to take a stance against insidious issues because there are real consequences for those who stand.
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And Bam sir there you have it! I appreciate the elaborative context in which you presented it! My statement was that of a first hand experience stemming from birth til this day! My wishes are that we unify to actually demand these changes now so that we can truly discuss change and what “changes” affect our lives in a positive way. It is at this point that the denial of these complexed barriers , denials and further denial of existence to Afro indigenous peoples that stands before them in human flesh.
If I a young adult mother can feel this imagine all the youth I’ve worked with, encountered or even passed by … how must they feel with all this burden on them … so vulnerable, innocent yet packaged and prejudged. I was one of those adults who wasn’t taught the system rather to be a free thinker. It has gotten me labeled , dismissed from jobs like garbage, I’ve had program ideas and documentary film ideas stolen from me by some of this cities most respected yet I remain the problem? These narratives must change …
My son is gifted… I sent him to French immersion for his first 4 years which actually was detrimental to him. Let me explain , here in Canada the French immersion system although public it is still separate. He had a Parisienne teacher who was not only stern but downright racist. It ruined his experience leading him to start “misbehaving” to a level they called George Hull, we went through that and George Hull said my son was completely fine but suffering grief (from loss) and quite frankly stressed. Now we go through Middle School non immersion and he’s getting A’s , teachers giving rave reviews then his father dies of a heart attach at 35 … here we go again not only is this his loss it’s a loss to a piece of my unsettled healing as well. So we scaffold all these recollections and as mother and son are expected to wear masks to show sanity to the world when we are literally dying inside. Highschool hits the behaviors become more amplified and expulsion because of attendance happens they send him to a remedial school he’s bored with and completes tasks in seconds with high honor. The school is much further and more difficult for him to get too abd no transportation provided another burden on a single parent mother making ends meat. It’s these stories we keep in and they never get heard or spoken off… It was also not to long ago I was racially profiled with my son while leaving a funeral for a family member -only to be targeted 8 guns to my face and my son being thrown to the floor like a rag doll with a knee very close to the neck apologizing to me for something he never did! This is bold and blatant systemic racism hidden by “Canada the great” !!!
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Thank you for sharing. This is no game.
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Anti-Black Racism is still a problem in Ontario because people refuse to acknowledge that our systems are rooted in white, colonial privilege and power that seek to oppress all groups that do not belong in the dominant group. We talk about change, but we need to dismantle our systems, like education, and rebuild them creating a space for people to exist and thrive without predetermination or categorization.
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It is still a reality because the foundation was set in a historical and cultural context making it a part of the fiber of the society at hand and persistent. Black people have been minimized, mistreated and abused. This is why we are all here, and why this course and community of youth workers and educators exists. The underground railroad implied that Canada was a safe haven for enslaved Black people and therefore it must be safe for all Black people. Anti-Black sentiment in Canada, at some point, was hiding under the surface. Like a lounging giant (and I use lounging not sleeping purposely because anti-Black racism has always been there, but lessened by the myths that surround identity in this country) every so often showing its ugliness but still protected by all the “Canadiana” and myth of the gentle neighbor to the North. That is why it is still a problem, not just in Ontario but across the country.
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Anti- Black Racism is still a problem in a Ontario because the systematic structure and policies are still in grained in racism. I really enjoyed learning about the history of racism between the US and Canada and how NOT so far apart the two countries are regarding how they treat people of colour. In Canada I believe there is sometimes this politeness which in turn is actually microaggression and biases that individuals consciously or unconsciously display to towards people of colour. I am a Canadian born , parents are immigrants from the West Indies, I have experienced racism first hand in my work environment, microaggression from white males and females in power, even when I was trying to rent an apartment I was discriminated. I have experienced racism in my worth as a professional, almost sending a message you don’t belong, or you are not worthy to be in a certain position of power. I always feel there is that underlying sense of power whites exhibit , again whether they know are not, It feels uncomfortable, makes you feel less then, bringing it back to my first sentence the institutions, education, social services, government policies and makers all need to be inclusive in order for Ontario to change POWER has to change, people of colour need to have a voice at the head tables were change actually happens. A question that comes to mind is who actually cares about us the black people of this country, why don’t we not have power in certain aspects of our lives still to this day.
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I believe and have learned that anti- Black racism is still persistent in Ontario for several reasons. Individuals often remain ignorant to the structural and historical roots of anti-Black racism that is prevalent in education curriculums and systems, the health care systems, legal system, employment structures, welfare systems etc. and see anti-Black racism as a purely individual issue. I also think thank the lack of education and acknowledgement of Canada’s history and present and individuals lack of accountability to self reflect and seek out additional information continues to cause anti-Black racism in Ontario.
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