We Must Be Anti-Racist
“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.”
This quote was in my head all day yesterday as I got to connect with educators who were on different journeys that were leading to the same destination: an anti-racist school system.
In The Schools
I was able to celebrate the work of grassroots leaders and share some of the findings from my experience and research that was done with those lived experience in surviving multiple systems of family separation. I was able to thank the teachers for their amazing work throughout the pandemic. But perhaps most importantly, I was able to dovetail the things that I was sharing with these educators with other professional development sessions they were participating in. Shout out to the school divisions that are explicitly identifying ways they can move to be anti racist in policy and in practice, your leadership will ensure that your classrooms are safe for students to learn, try, fail and of course succeed!
In The Streets
I think the other thing that made the timing of my presentations so important is the dialogue we are having in our country right now where folks are being exposed to racist and hateful messages around the “freedom convoy”. It’s happeninig because the racism is so blatant and easy to see in many cases. We have to be able to confront these large movements that are easy to see, but we also have to be able to confront the racism that exists in our day to day lives that is covert or quiet because it’s just as dangerous. It's easy to feel helpless, so naturally, I recommend action! Each of us who are upset by what we've seen this weekend must take several solid actions today to address white supremacy & hatred in your family, workplace or community.
If you don’t know what to do, educating yourself on anti-racism as a concept is the first step.
Do you notice that when folks are trying to teach things to the general public online they tend to organize things in lists (I do this too haha)? I have selected a couple of resources organized into lists to help you get started! If you want to talk about reconciliation and justice, click here to read that specific blog post, with resources. Pick your favourite numbered list to begin educating yourself, especially if this is a new topic for you:
If you are interested in having me come speak to your staff, students or group, please fill out this form to get the ball rolling!
