anti-Black racism, lack of education on Canadian Black history
Lauren Boothby
Lauren Boothby
© Provided by Edmonton Journal Young Black women discuss experiences with racism during a Zoom call as part of a virtual event Sept. 29, 2020 hosted by Edmonton-based Empowering Black Girls Lets Talk About It: Anti-Black Racism.
Timiro Mohamed says being Black in Canada means seeing racism on a daily basis, all while having her experience erased.
The narrative of Canada as an accepting country gets in the way of reconciling with racism, Mohamed said in a new video featuring young Black women on their experiences. The video was featured as part of virtual event Tuesday hosted by Edmonton-based Empowering Black Girls Lets Talk About It: Anti-Black Racism.
“Canada is this benevolent, peaceful country, and so part of that … means there’s this refusal to own up to the current reality, the present reality of racism, not racism as a distant reality, but as a constant, every day thing that people experience … and that can be really frustrating,” Mohamed said in the video.
Video player from: YouTube (Privacy Policy, Terms)
Anti-Black racism includes prejudice, attitudes, beliefs, stereotyping and discrimination directed at people of African descent and is rooted in an experience of enslavement and colonization, facilitator Christabel Khumalo said at the beginning of the virtual talk on Tuesday.
Khumalo polled viewers as to whether they had been taught about Canadian Black history in schools, and 71 per cent said they had not.
Edmonton-Meadows MLA Jasvir Deol, NDP critic for multiculturalism, spoke after a short history lesson saying history is written by powerful, and in this case, white people.
“But I have never heard about Black history, not only that, the huge incidents like the Komagata Maru,” he said. “I don’t think students in classes ever heard about those incidents.”
Some Black participants who were not born in Canada spoke in the seminar about how they experienced barriers, differential treatment because of their accents and knowledge of local history.
As to what to do to address it, Khumalo said it’s important to speak out against it racism when you see it.
“Staying silent is communication … So whatever you can find (to use) your voice to intentionally speak on it, use it, because staying silent communicates something, it’s also taking a position that does not help anti-racism,” she said.
“Speaking up and against racism starts with an individual, self-reflecting … understand (your emotions), unpack them, address them introspectively.”
She said it’s important to be aware of your biases , stay educated, learn and to seek to intentionally teach yourself and those in your care about racism, white privilege, and colour-blindness.
Empowering Black Girls offers mentorships, workshops and runs community projects aiming to empower Canadian girls of African and Caribbean descent, funded by the federal government.
Timiro Mohamed says being Black in Canada means seeing racism on a daily basis, all while having her experience erased.
The narrative of Canada as an accepting country gets in the way of reconciling with racism, Mohamed said in a new video featuring young Black women on their experiences. The video was featured as part of virtual event Tuesday hosted by Edmonton-based Empowering Black Girls Lets Talk About It: Anti-Black Racism.
“Canada is this benevolent, peaceful country, and so part of that … means there’s this refusal to own up to the current reality, the present reality of racism, not racism as a distant reality, but as a constant, every day thing that people experience … and that can be really frustrating,” Mohamed said in the video.
Video player from: YouTube (Privacy Policy, Terms)
Anti-Black racism includes prejudice, attitudes, beliefs, stereotyping and discrimination directed at people of African descent and is rooted in an experience of enslavement and colonization, facilitator Christabel Khumalo said at the beginning of the virtual talk on Tuesday.
Khumalo polled viewers as to whether they had been taught about Canadian Black history in schools, and 71 per cent said they had not.
Edmonton-Meadows MLA Jasvir Deol, NDP critic for multiculturalism, spoke after a short history lesson saying history is written by powerful, and in this case, white people.
“But I have never heard about Black history, not only that, the huge incidents like the Komagata Maru,” he said. “I don’t think students in classes ever heard about those incidents.”
Some Black participants who were not born in Canada spoke in the seminar about how they experienced barriers, differential treatment because of their accents and knowledge of local history.
As to what to do to address it, Khumalo said it’s important to speak out against it racism when you see it.
“Staying silent is communication … So whatever you can find (to use) your voice to intentionally speak on it, use it, because staying silent communicates something, it’s also taking a position that does not help anti-racism,” she said.
“Speaking up and against racism starts with an individual, self-reflecting … understand (your emotions), unpack them, address them introspectively.”
She said it’s important to be aware of your biases , stay educated, learn and to seek to intentionally teach yourself and those in your care about racism, white privilege, and colour-blindness.
Empowering Black Girls offers mentorships, workshops and runs community projects aiming to empower Canadian girls of African and Caribbean descent, funded by the federal government.
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