Member Mark Roberts -
MemberForum Replies Created
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Anti-Black racism in Ontario endures because of a legacy of colonialism, slavery, and discrimination that has left lasting imprints on the province’s institutions and society. Systemic biases in education, employment, and criminal justice continue to disadvantage Black communities. Moreover, the lack of comprehensive anti-racism policies and persistent stereotypes contribute to the ongoing problem, necessitating continued efforts to dismantle racism and promote equity.
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While I do not live in Ontario, and can agree that Anti-Black racism is still an important issue that is being faced across Canada. I can only speak from my own own observations in New-Brunswick, but erasure is one of the main forms of racism I have noticed, specifically as a form of curriculum violence. Throughout all my academic experiences, we have never had a focused lesson on Black culture and history in Canada. If so, it was mainly to speak about slavery in the United States, not in Canada. I find myself embarrassed believing the false stories I was told, such as Canada not having slavery and that the conditions were much better here in Canada compared to the States. I wish I would have questioned and challenged more the way we were taught Black history.
I think this is a also a big reason Anti-Black Racism is still an issue across Canada. Erasure, false claims and a lack of awareness of Black realities and history.
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I wish I could say Ontario has made more progress against anti-Black racism, but the harsh truth is it remains deeply entrenched in our province. And if we’re being really honest with ourselves, we know why.
It’s because racism doesn’t just disappear on its own – it hides in our institutions, our subconscious minds, and our resistance to change. We can’t just will it away with good intentions. Meaningful change requires hard work – at both a systemic and personal level.
We need to speak up when we see racial bias and barriers in our schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods. We need to reflect on our own privilege and unconscious biases. We need to get uncomfortable having the tough conversations about race. And we need to keep advocating for equality and inclusion until they are a reality for all. I am as guilty as the next person for not doing these things when I see racism.
This won’t happen overnight. But if we don’t give up – through all the frustrations and setbacks – we can chip away at systemic racism. Our voices and actions matter, more than we know. But we need to stay consistent, and challenge ourselves to see the humanity in each other.
None of this is easy. But if we want a just society, we must do the work. Our kids are watching, our communities are hurting, and we owe it to them to keep pushing for change.
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Check google for a doc called Performance Measurement to
Evaluation from the Urban Institute. It’s a great read.
“Performance measurement tells what a program did and how well it did it. Evaluation tells the program’s effect on the people, families, or communities it is serving,”
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Can we go over the difference between performance measurement and evaluation again?
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The Pathways for Engaging Men and Boys in Gender Justice project (funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada) strives to create a Canada where men and boys are actively engaged in the promotion of gender equality and violence prevention. They are bringing together practitioners and emerging leaders through an online community for the sharing of practical knowledge, tips and tricks, and vital supports in collectively building a movement. You can express your interest in joining through the Pathways website. If you have strategies for engaging in this work, we encourage you to share through this platform, too!
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The Pathways for Engaging Men and Boys in Gender Justice project (funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada) strives to create a Canada where men and boys are actively engaged in the promotion of gender equality and violence prevention. They are bringing together practitioners and emerging leaders through an online community for the sharing of practical knowledge, tips and tricks, and vital supports in collectively building a movement. You can express your interest in joining through the Pathways website. If you have strategies for engaging in this work, we encourage you to share through this platform, too!
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The simple thing I would do is find a suitable place where freedom of expression can be shared through youth voices. Organizing any activities where each of them can participate in discussion related to race ethnicity, and what are the steps taken toward this systemic concern of race enlarge. Having these activities together with youth will help me to hear their voices and be respected.
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I have been engaging with youth in past years on daily bases whether in School or sports centre. Once upon a time, I went to school to support one of the newcomer families with their child who has been registered in public school. However, during the recess one of the associated school counselors refused for the student not to participate in the practices at last to finish his assignment.
To me, that was the eyes below that the school counselors engage in sports practices and refused for the student not to participate. So emotional that the student was very affected physiologically and that is proof of reinforcing white supremacy and dehumanizing Black students. Further, school counselors may also contribute to the ways that the basic and unique needs of Black students are overlooked, leading to the continued systemic of Black students. What is needed is a radical imagination of school counseling, which centers on the home place as the foundation in order to engage in freedom dreaming.
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Anti-black racism against youth and families is a systemic topic for those who are denied that racism doesn’t exist. The data research will assist to explore in finding what the missing part and what are challenges any black person experiences.
The research will provide evidence in different areas such as employment, healthcare, education in different institutions, criminal justice in particular, and other aspects of challenges many Black communities experience in Canada and broadly. Conducting research will help those Black, African representatives in Government sectors to identify evidently African communities that are being criminalized by law enforcement.
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What I would do is, organize discussion forums with Black Youth, engage the black youth in creative activities, create a fertile ground where the black youth could discuss the challenges they face and encourage them to be part of a positive change.
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What is anti-black racism in Canada and beyond I remember many decades ago crossing LRT stations in Calgary Alberta. After a while Police officer stopped me and asked. Why are you crossing the LRT every day in the morning? I shared that is it a crime for a youth black student to cross the LRT. He responded complied with my Q where are you going? I resisted not answering his question! A moment later he asked me to give him my personal identification. I refused and shared, at last, do I look suspicious to you? If not and the conversation went on until he lets me go. The reason I brought up my personal experience is that no matter whether changes will occur in Canada or else anti-Black racism is still an issue in this era.
Growing up in North East Africa in a rural, white community mixture with Arabs racism is a huge concern among Arabs African decants. When that white police stopped me I know exactly what it was in his mind looking at the same town now, where immigration has increased drastically and there are now more immigrants challenging the white communities in that town. The world is upside down and we as black Africans must remain vigilant and stand up for our generations to come free at last.
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Thank you for the opportunity to explore and learn about ABR and youth wellbeing.
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I was feeling the same way. I am just making my way through the modules and I am overwhelmed by the history that I was never introduced to, even the concept that there was no slavery in Canada- or that it was “gentle”.
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Make space not just to listen but to take action to challenge injustice. Added to this, we must constantly assess the biases that make us complicit in the day-to-day support of institutionalized racism and address same.
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Reflect on the experiences of youth with physical, intellectual, and sensory disabilities, as well as those with mental illness.
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One Simple Thing I will commit to doing in my work is to take a stance of “not knowing” whenever I am working with Black folks and other racialized groups whose experiences I can never truly understand. It is my ethical and professional responsibility to defer to folks in the communities I am serving for decision-making and to continually reflect on my commitment to anti-racism.
I currently work in a newcomer-serving organization which has recently appointed a Black programming coordinator. In recognition that not all newcomers have the same experience (i.e. experiencing anti-Black racism), the organization has made an effort to appoint Black leaders and continue to ensure they are engaged in anti-racist practices.
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I think that an important first step in this process will be to hold consultations with Black youth to determine what types of programs, activities etc will be meaningful to them. It is important as service providers that we do not impose our ideas of what type of programs are best for Black youth, especially if we are not from the Black community ourselves.
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Looking to research findings is highly effective when addressing the impacts of anti-Black racism, including in the development of new policies or programs. Using research, we can identify where disparities exist and use this as a starting point to create change. By reflecting on these identified disparities using our knowledge of anti-Black racism, we can begin to develop strategies to correct such outcomes.
Research findings also serve as a useful tool when advocating for funding, program development, etc. as they provide a concrete source of evidence for your reasoning.
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One simple thing we could do to center Black youth well-being in our work is to actively listen and prioritize their voices and perspectives. Create space for Black youth to express themselves, share their experiences, and contribute to decision-making processes. Actively seek their input and feedback on program design, activities, and policies. This can be achieved through regular check-ins, focus groups, or informal conversations. By centering their voices, we can ensure that their unique needs and experiences are acknowledged and addressed in our work.
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Involve Black youth and their families in the planning and decision-making processes. Conduct focus groups, surveys, and consultations to understand their perspectives, needs, and aspirations. Center their voices and lived experiences in the design of inclusion pathways to ensure they are meaningful and relevant.
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Identify the key research findings and statistics that highlight the impact of anti-Black racism. Look for evidence of disparities in areas such as education, healthcare, employment, criminal justice, and housing. Focus on findings that demonstrate the negative consequences of racism on the well-being, mental health, educational outcomes, and socio-economic opportunities of Black youth and their families.
Develop awareness campaigns that utilize research findings to educate the public about the impact of anti-Black racism. Utilize research findings to advocate for policy changes that address anti-Black racism and its impact on youth and families. Present research-based arguments to policymakers, government officials, and community leaders. Emphasize the need for policies that promote equity, anti-discrimination, and inclusion in areas such as education, healthcare, housing, and criminal justice.
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Anti-Black racism is still a problem in Ontario as racism still exists at both institutional and interpersonal levels. Institutions, such as government agencies, educational institutions, and workplaces, still have policies or practices that disproportionately impact Black individuals. Interpersonal racism involves discriminatory attitudes, behaviors, and actions directed towards Black individuals on an individual level.
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While I do not live in Ontario and can’t speak to the specific experiences of the province, in my own experience anti-Black racism persists primarily through the “democratic racism” explained in the module. Many people seem to be unable or unwilling to look inward at their own internalized biases and interrogate how they may be perpetuating anti-Black racism and other forms of oppression.
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I think like many others, there are a lot of mixed emotions having now finished the learning modules. I’ve been in university for quite a bit of time now and thought that I knew more than I did. While I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to learn through these modules and intend to use what I have learned in future practice, there is still a bit of guilt towards my lack of knowledge in some areas.
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I also feel that same guilt over my lack of knowledge regarding Black history in Canada and what actually happened. I feel that I should know more at this point in my life. I feel there was a deep void in my education in the public school system growing up that must be rectified for the current and future generations.
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I really like the conversation happening here, focused on listening and also being aware of our own biases and privileges. I think another action that we can take is to speak up if/when we become aware of any systemic issues within our workplace. No matter how well-intentioned the staff may be, there are bound to be things (policies, micro-aggressions, hierarchy, etc) that are not meeting this goal, and it is important that we bring this to light and not be complicit.
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Thank you for sharing.
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Hi Oghenekevwe,
Thank you for sharing your ideas on how to support black students in smaller communities outside the GTA! I think this is a very important topic, as someone who lives quite far from the GTA and in a small community. It is so important to acknowledge the lack of resources many vulnerable populations face in smaller areas that are far from larger urban areas. I think continuing to use our voices to highlight the gaps in services and support is also so important!
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Hi Danish,
I’m not from, living or working in Ontario, so it was very insightful to read your post. I’m always so surprised when I hear stories such as the one you mentioned with the young person. For a very long time, probably until I began university, I thought that I had never heard or seen any instances of individuals being racist. And while I had never heard or seen anything that was clearly and blatantly racist, I had seen many examples of microaggressions- a concept I was barely aware of at the time. I think that clearly portrays privilege… to be so unaware of something that is extremely harmful and racist.
Thank you for sharing!
