Member Phoebe
MemberForum Replies Created
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In my opinion, anti-Black racism still exists in Ontario because there is a lack of cultural education. We need more resources, more positive reinforcement and include diverse cultural awareness in the early educational system.
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I think this is a complex question with many layers and historical roots. Ultimately I believe there is vested interest in perpetuation whiteness, which is programmed into our social structures, institutions and the fabric of Canada, as system is programmed to maintain the status quo. The fear of losing power, influence, wealth, opportunity and white superiority sets up a win-lose dynamic and perpetuates anti-Black racism.
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Very well said, Anca! Your response reminds me of the saying “Equality can feel like oppression. But it’s not. What you’re feeling is just the discomfort of losing a little bit of your privilege.” However, there is a need for those in power to wrestle with, as opposed to dismiss, their discomfort.
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I have appreciated reading everyone’s thoughts and perspectives on this.
From what I’ve learned, I believe anti-Black racism continues to exist in Ontario due to the extensive entrenchment of white supremacy in institutions, systems, and beliefs. Those in positions of privilege and power benefit from this, and therefore lack motivation to work towards dismantling it. The covert nature of democratic racism and the belief of meritocracy contribute to ignoring the oppression that exists by promoting the idea that Ontario (and Canada) is a tolerant and egalitarian society where everyone has equal opportunities to succeed. Tokenism and performative allyship perpetuate the idea that process is being made without any meaningful change taking place, all the while upholding the oppressive institutions, systems, and beliefs.
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From what I’ve learned, anti-Black racism still exists in Ontario due to how extensively entrenched white supremacy is within institutions, systems, and beliefs. Those in positions privilege and power benefit from this, and therefore often lack motivation to make real, impactful change. The more covert nature of democratic racism and the belief of meritocracy also lead to ignoring that oppression exists, in addition to largely dismissing Canada’s history of anti-Black racism. Tokenism and performative allyship perpetuate the idea that progress is being made without any meaningful change, all the while continuing to uphold the same anti-Black institutions, systems, and beliefs.
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The Black Lives Matter movement brought race relations to the forefront during 2020 and continues to do so. There is much that needs to be done to combat systemic racism in Ontario.
I think that Jane Kitchen made a good point when they mentioned that ‘our institutions were built as tools of genocide.’ Our history reflects this and our current situation in Ontario does as well. I think that the reason that significant change has not been made due to unspoken protocols that exist around race talk. In a workshop on Power, Privilege, and Anti-Racism in the Classroom Angela Connors identified different protocols that limit race talk. There is a political protocol that suggests avoiding certain topics in order not to offend others. There is an academic protocol that suggests avoiding certain topics that cause strong emotions because we are told that emotions are incompatible with reason. There is a colour-blind protocol that claims not to notice colour for fear that it may indicate that we are racist and biased. There is a solidarity protocol that suggests avoiding topics that indicate there are disagreements among/within groups. There is also a saving-face protocol that claims there is no problem or shutting down discussions out of fear it may impact reputation or brand. I think that the lack of change in society stems from these protocols being used in different settings.
I think that in order to foster real change white supremacy and privilege needs to be addressed and this cannot happen if white fragility is allowed to continue. The oppression that Black folx experience occurs in many different ways including both micro-aggressions and micro-invalidations. If we are able to teach children when they are young that anti-Black racism is wrong and teach strategies to combat racism I hope that we can make significant change.
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I think Dr. Andrea Davis in her lecture (module 1.4) Anti-Black Racism and a Discourse of Denial in Canadian Society spoke to why anti-Black racism is still a problem in Ontario. White Canadians (and those in Ontario) have lived in and benefitted from a distorted history of people in their country. They have lived under the banner of multiculturalism and have been seen to be a tolerant society by citizens around the world. However, this is where the disconnect (cognitive dissonance) lies. Multiculturalism and tolerance (both terms I dislike) cloud the reality of systemic anti-Black racism and a lack of inclusion in society for Black people. This distorted historical reality and the complicity of Brown people (e.g. the model minority myth outlined in Dr. Vidya Shah’s lecture Module 1.5) has strengthened white supremacy and furthered anti-Black racism in Ontario. I am critically hopeful that the anti-Black racial reckoning we see now (as a result of sustained and renewed activism since the murder of George Floyd) will continue to drive the change needed to address anti-Black racism in Ontario.
Note: Black people (in Ontario, Canada and globally) have been advocating for inclusion through activism for generations. However, what we see in today is a global awareness and recognition of anti-Black racism and the call to action for non-Black people to reflect on their privilege, power and complicity. Again, I am critically hopeful for a more equal and just society.
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I agree with Abinna that there is a lot of denial in Ontario, and would add there is also a lot of active racism. As an elected person who is white, middle aged and from an area with a very low level of diversity (Paris, On) I know racist people assume I am a racist often. I get the tires kicked on the subject often when we were meeting in person. It is an active thing for many people who seek out others of the same mindset to “speak freely”.
I find correcting and challenging it exhausting but do so because its the right thing to do and because I know from my friends, students and colleagues who deal with active and systemic racism every day they are far more exhausted living in and challenging these same kinds of people and systems daily.
Racism is still a problem in Ontario BECAUSE there are lots of actively racist people here still and racist organizations.
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Amazing learnings this week. There is so much work to be done.
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Personally I believe, Ontario , but generally all of Canada is colonized in the beliefs and systems that are in each sector of society. Education barley teaches the true history of Canada, the makeup industry has just started created more diverse colour ranges, etc.. The point is so many areas have failed BIPOC communities. It’s a never ending with the systems that are in place and even the government system we have has been implimented for years and yet minoritity groups are never equally made an importance compared to their white counterparts, which creates a barrier between groups.
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From what I learned about this week’s module, there is a lot of denial that racism is an issue in Canada. The lectures especially show that racism is shown in different ways but is left unacknowledged. Media also plays a role in how the news are broadcasted which also shows that racism in not just an individual problem but a systemic problem.
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Dismantling this troubling reality requires acknowledging and engaging with the truth of our history, however, it’s very painful and upsetting to see the racial violence that is part of the foundation of this province and this nation. Until we shine a light on it, we deny the opportunity to dismantle, repair, and heal.
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I think Africentric programming might be a great place to start. I’m thinking, for example, of organizations such as The African Canadian Heritage Association, which has been doing this work since 1969. In 2016, their youth group worked with Sean Mauricette, aka SUBLIMINAL, to produce a really powerful track entitled “My History”.
If you’re interested in learning more about Africentric approaches, I would also recommend checking out this research summary, which summarizes some of the evidence on the many positive impacts of Africentric interventions, including improved self-esteem, motivation, and resilience. I would love to hear if folks in the field have experiences working within an Africentric paradigm, and whether their experiences can speak to some of these findings! -
In considering this question, I wanted to highlight a YouthREX Research Summary that looks at “The Contours of Anti-Black Racism: Engaging Anti-Oppression from Embodied Spaces,” an article exploring embodied experiences of anti-Black racism. (In case you’re not familiar, Research Summaries focus on research findings and how these findings are relevant to youth work practice.)
This research focuses on different layers of anti-Black racism, and how those who are invested in working against anti-Black racism can be implicated in how it operates. The authors identify three understandings of ABR (which complicate and expand our own definitions) by reflecting and sharing their embodied experiences of these understandings: anti-Black racism, or racism directed against Black people, but not experienced by all Black people in the same ways; anti Black-racism, or racism that Black people may perpetuate against one other, which can be connected to the pain of internalized racism; and anti-Black-racism, which combines working against both experiences of ABR. If you have a chance, you can read the complete Research Summary or even the original article (by Martha Kuwee Kumsa, Magnus Mfoafo-M’Carthy, Funke Oba & Sadia Gaasim) on the Knowledge Hub.
These authors use storytelling to illustrate these understandings from their lived experience, and emphasize that self-reflexivity and self-awareness are critical when engaging in anti-oppressive practice. I wonder if/how these understandings of ABR might resonate for others.
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Research gives us the opportunity to recognize & reflect on societies’ (and potentially our own) shortcomings, but in order for change to occur, we have to challenge ourselves and our communities through action, so we don’t keep repeating the past; using the information (research) as a tool to incorporate into our daily lives.
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As I mentioned in my response to the previous question…invite them to the table to lead and develop these programs & services.
Have the discussions, and create advisory/action committees to ensure a balanced and holistic approach to programs & services, that truly creates inclusion, not exclusion.
I also believe that as leaders, we need to ensure that our policies/procedures and the written side of programs & services, have proper language and tone to create that inclusive environment we all strive for.
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creating an advisory committee that is made up of and run/led by black youth from the community to ensure that the programs & services offered, are taking a more balanced/holistic approach for the community.
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I believe that representation matters and does make a difference, so there needs to be more representation at the highest level (prov government/elected officials who can change & influence laws, programs, & services etc). And where all political leaders need to get back to true grass-roots initiatives (‘feet on the ground’, ‘open houses’, etc., utilizing multiple tactics, in an ongoing way to engage).
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I agree re ‘representation’, Sean, but also evidence would suggest that elevating individual members of a community to a position of power doesn’t necessarily change the way things operate but just provides a nice distraction.
It also seems like politicians have become great at running ‘community forums’ or ‘town halls’ or ‘group consultations’ and they end up being a sort of stall tactic, because we don’t necessarily see these suggestions making their way into policy and practice.
But I don’t really know what the solution to that is! Maybe we just need more of it happening, or maybe we need to fundamentally rework our democracy so that it is, well, democratic.
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Well, I am very positive in how I approach things and I believe that elevating individual members of a community to a position of power does mean that change can happen, but the individuals themselves have to be willing to be a true leader and put in the work by engaging properly; it is not about being a ‘distraction’ (yuck, the tone/word ‘distraction’ sounds so gross to put it that way…no one is ever a distraction in my mind).
I think that it is also essential for members of the public to engage, and engage more often when politicians create platforms for different demographics to exchange thoughts & ideas. The work takes effort, and ongoing effort with engagement; this is true for almost anything and everything in life, as I’ve never seen anything come naturally (even talent, such as a sports figures, have to put in work to accomplish their goals & objectives).
Stall tactics, while proving to be frustrating to most (as we all want immediate’ action), doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Perhaps politicians need more tools to work with and perhaps they aren’t savvy to know about the actual work that is being done? – such as this great opportunity provided by YouthREX.
I’ve engaged many times with my local community, and currently sit on an advisory committee and yes frustrations with politicians exist, but if the overall goal/objective is getting accomplished (in whatever manner that may be) then isn’t that a least some positives to continue to go forward with?
We can’t keep dwelling on negatives; we have to take whatever positives exist and run with them.
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We have quite a lot of research of what the factors affecting Anti-Black Racism (ABR). The researchers, organizations funded to provide services for Black youth and their families need to work together to talk with/influence the federal, provincial and local governments to fund the holistic programs and service that best serve the needs of the Black and Indigenous communities. Need to ensure that ABR training continues so that it permeates all facets of the general community, so that we can influence changes in behaviour towards Black and Indigenous peoples.
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Agree, Donna! We definitely need better collaboration. We also need to ensure that youth workers and youth can influence policy, program planning and funding priorities.
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And yes, a focus on anti-Black racism must go beyond Black History Month lol
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Let’s dream and envision programs and services where Black youth are not experiencing anti-Black racism. How might we move beyond identifying the service needs and gaps Black youth face, to pro-actively designing pathways to inclusion in the youth sector?
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Thank you for sharing the title of the documentary, Jane, and for sharing this article, Khadijah!
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Yes that is true! Although I think a lot of evaluation usually happens ad-hoc – i.e. for a specific program – and is usually activated because of funder needs. But I agree that its impossible to separate out one specific program from the entire organization and evaluate it on its own terms – what’s needed is that whole-system review and a willingness to actually respond to the findings of that review. Have you done a full-scale evaluation of an entire organization – i.e. as either the organization being reviewed or as an evaluator?
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That’s a great point, Jane. We often think racial reality is fundamentally different in Canada than in the US but, of course, these are both settler-colonial nations – only made ‘different’ because of a border, which is itself a form of violence! And it is precisely the fact that we don’t know about racism in Canada that makes racism here so toxic.
I don’t think I ever learnt about slavery in Canada during school either! My friend wrote this article on anti-Black racism in rural Canada that might be of interest, as it does dive into these histories and how they connect to presents: https://briarpatchmagazine.com/articles/view/black-lives-matter-in-rural-canada-too
I hadn’t heard about Journey to Justice, but will check it out! Thank you!
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Kelly and Chantal, your comments really resonated for me, and brought to mind so many difficult conversations that I’ve had with folks, especially during the Trump presidency. I was also reminded of a blogpost written by a former YouthREX intern, Donovan Hayden, back in 2017, which I’ll also share here: Race in the Trump Era – Coming to Grips with Canada’s Own Racial Past and Present.
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So true, Jasmyne! Thank you. Making sure we center Black youth voice and leadership in the programs that are set up to serve them is legit important. YouthREX highlighted this as part of our Doing Right Together for Black Youth report in 2018. We created a fact sheet that summarized five ways to engage Black youth to hear their voices and learn from their experiences:
01. Nothing About Black Youth Without Black Youth
02. Communicate WITH Youth, Not AT Youth
03. Reduce Barriers & Provide Accessible Information
04. Create Opportunities for Storytelling & Representation
05. Prioritize Black Youth Voices and Develop Black Youth Partnerships
The factsheet is here: https://youthrex.com/factsheet/working-together-to-do-right-for-black-youth/
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Great observation, Jane! Yes, good allyship intentionally makes space for those that live the issues to have a voice. We all could do a better job of this. Thanks for the reminder 👍🏽
