The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
March 21st – the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination – is a reminder for us to reflect on the continued racism and discrimination experienced by Indigenous Peoples, racialized communities and religious minorities in Canada.
This specific date commemorates a tragedy that happened in 1960, when police in Sharpeville, South Africa killed 69 people part of a peaceful demonstration against apartheid. The United Nations proclaimed this day as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to advance the global fight to end all forms of “racism” and “racial discrimination”.
Many have heard these terms without understanding what they mean. This is especially true with recent events during the pandemic that have shed light on these realities within our communities, country and internationally. Though related, are not the same thing.
- Racism: deep-rooted belief system that one group is superior to another.
- Racial Discrimination: a by-product of racism, the act of isolating persons based on their race and subjecting them to differential or unequal treatment.
While Canada is often celebrated as a multicultural nation, we are not immune to the realities of racism and racial discrimination.
The Cultural Atlas describes Canada as having typical traditions and virtues for multicultural tolerance and has “historically been welcoming and open towards immigration, seeing migrants as beneficial to the country’s development and growth”. This perceived celebration of bringing together different cultures, races and ethnicities does not does not erase Canada’s difficult history, which of course bleeds into our present day.
It is essential that we (our communities, generations and nation) examine Canada’s past in order to unlearn, decolonize, dismantle and rebuild. This history includes colonization, slavery, residential schools, enforced taxes based on race, unjust acts and laws on what many present day systems have been built on – a timeline of this harmful history (pre-1942 – 2020) is documented here. It is crucial to recognize that this harm is not just a relic of the past, and that the perceptions of people outside of Canada does not erase how racial discrimination is continued to be experienced on a systemic and individual level by Indigenous Peoples, racialized communities and religious minorities every day – covert and overt.
These realities are experienced in Canada and bolstered by statistics.
- 25% of discrimination complaints received by the Canadian Human Rights Commission in 2016 relate to race, colour, national or ethnic origin, and/or religion (Government of Canada, 2020)
- 50% of Canadians believe it is okay and normal to have racist thoughts (Ipsos Poll, 2019, conducted on behalf of Global News)
- 60% see racism as a serious problem in Canada today (Ipsos Poll, 2020, conducted on behalf of Global News) → compare this to 47% in 2019
- 78% of Black people believe racism is a ‘severe’ problem in Canada (Canadian Race Relations Blackness in Canada Report, 2021)
- 40% of the persons who witnessed racial discrimination, witnessed it in the workplace, and 38% of those who personally experienced racial discrimination, experienced it in the workplace (Race Relations in Canada Survey, 2019)
- According to Rubin Thomlinson, First Nations people followed by Black people were identified as the racial groups perceived to be most frequently the target of discrimination or unfair treatment in Canada (Race Relations in Canada Survey, 2019, conducted by the Environics Institute for Survey Research and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation)
- For more statistics, see:
- Five charts that show what systemic racism look like in Canada (CTV News, 2020)
- Experiences of discrimination among the Black and Indigenous populations in Canada, 2019 (Statistics Canada, 2022)
These numbers weave together to remind and encourage us that there is work to do in order to eliminate racial discrimination. We cannot deny the experiences of others.
Some things I have learned from my personal experiences and learning from others.
- The first step to achieving change is to develop understanding. This is why hearing the experiences of others and sharing your own experiences serve as a starting point for understanding. This will build the empathy needed to create “safe and brave” spaces for these conversations.
- You can be part of a racialized community and still be racist. Colorism is real (and is why many darker skinned individuals within the same ethnicities were/are disadvantaged and treated unfairly – it is why skin lightening treatments exist). This is equally as true as anti-Black racism within these communities (and I can speak confidently from the communities I am from).
- Racism manifests itself on different levels, and in diverse ways, and it isn’t limited to intentional acts of bad people. It can be unintentional [SEE BELOW: “FORMS OF RACISM” FOR MORE]. Racism can happen on an individual (between people) and systemic (within systems) level. This infographic can help us to understand how they differ and relate.
- “Antiracist” and “not racist” are two different things. Action is the key difference between being not racist and being antiracist. “Anti-racism is an active and conscious effort to work against multidimensional aspects of racism,” Georgetown African American studies professor Robert J. Patterson.
Source: Human Rights & Equity St. Francis Xavier University – Anti-Racism.
Forms of Racism.
Racism can happen on an individual (between people) and systemic (within systems) level. This infographic can help us to understand how they differ and relate.
Source: National Equity Project – The Lens of Systemic Oppression.
| Term | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Racism Think: Personal level (belief), within individuals | Personal beliefs and assumptions toward other races that affect the way a person interacts or treats someone who is racialized. It stems from “conscious and unconscious, personal prejudice” (Henry & Tator, 2006, p. 329). • Explicit bias • Implicit bias • Stereotype threats can influence this. | • Acceptance of negative stereotypes about one’s own racial groups, or others. For example, believing the idea that BIPOC students are not “college” or “university” material • Learn more here: Racial stereotypes drive students of color away from STEM, but many still persist |
| Interpersonal Racism Think: Personal level (behaviour and interactions), between individuals | Treating others with discriminatory behavior that ranges from microaggressions to physical violence. • Overt Racism (blatant): hate crimes, anti-immigrant violence, racial slurs, public harassment, colonoialism • Covert Racism (subtle): tokenism, microaggressions, eurocentric school curricula | • Lower teacher expectations of students from certain groups • Making fun of people’s accents or names |
| Systemic Racism Think: Systems | Perpetuated discrimination within a system that was founded on racist principles or practices which result in the exclusion or promotion of designated groups. No individual intent is necessary, but there is an involvement of systems (political, legal, economic, healthcare, school, etc.). It manifests itself in two ways: 1. Institutional Racism 2. Structural Racism | See below. |
| Institutional Racism Think: Organization level, within institutions | Policies and practices in an organization that intentionally or not, produce outcomes that often favor a racial group | • Biased in hiring policies leading to school administrators and trustees that are not representative of the diversity in the school and community • Curriculum/educator resources that claims to be “inclusive” and “representative” but omits representation from certain groups or is under-representative of some groups • Unfair or differential access to educational resources |
| Structural Racism Think: Structures, across society | Inequalities of rules, practices, customs and norms rooted in the system-wide operation of a society that excludes substantial numbers of members of particular groups from significant participation in major social institutions (Henry & Tator, 2006, p. 352). | • Racial disparities in education and professions. |
Consider these as initial next steps.
- Understand the biases that influence how you perceive and interact with other racial groups: check out Learning for Justice.
- Learn more about Anti-Racism:
- Reflect on these questions:
- How might you
unknowingly perpetuate your bias and discrimination against other racial groups, or your own? - What are the specific disparities/inequities you (we) are seeking to eliminate?
- Where do you locate yourself in these conversations?
- Have you (we) created “safe and brave” spaces to have these convos? Will people feel safe sharing their experiences?
- Who are the people affected by the current inequity being discussed and are they at the table?
- What will racial equity look like? How will you (we) know progress and advancements have happened? When do you (we) expect to see results?
- How can you be an ally here?
- How might you
While progress has been made, it will take an entire community of generations open to understanding their learned racial stereotypes and prejudices that inform how they perceive, communicate and interact with other communities. Yes, Canada is a multicultural nation, and our generations and communities have come a long way to advance equity, diversity and inclusion – but this journey is a long one and I look forward to celebrating how much more we advance in the future.
With gratitude, Abbey.
ABBEY RAMDEO 