Combating Racism in Canada

Rebecca Raby’s article, “‘There’s No Racism at my School, it’s Just Joking Around’: Ramifications for Anti-Racist Education” touches upon the ways in which teenagers view racism. Raby (2004), interviewed 12 black and white teenage girls from Toronto; asking them whether their adolescent experience would be different on the basis of cultural backgrounds and race. There responses revealed three interesting patterns. The majority of them downplayed or denied racism in their schools. They also portrayed racism as an individualized concept mostly related to violent situations; as opposed to being systemic and institutional. Moreover, they seemed to portray racism in a way that was centered towards a white perspective.

Racism can not easily be understood or pinpointed; as multiple beliefs often cause individuals to be racist at one time and anti racist at another. We must take these contradictory beliefs into consideration in order to engage students truly in understanding the investment required to deal with the complicated nature of racism and its subtle influences. No matter how difficult it may seem, I believe that schools have to make overcoming racism in Canada a priority. As students encounter a variety of racist and anti racist situations, their concepts about racism are continually evolving. The girls interviewed consistently revealed an attitude about race and racism which seemed to portray white anglo culture as the norm. In this process, I believe that it will be crucial to gather and understand the perceptions and experiences that young people have about race and racism.

How do you think educators can help achieve overcoming racism in Canada?

References:

• Google.ca (Images)

• Raby, R. (2004). ‘There’s no racism at my school, it’s just joking around’: ramifications for anti-racist education. Race and Ethnicity and Education, 7(4), 367-383.