Racism
Racism is more than being mean or discriminating against someone because of their skin colour.
Racism is the conscious or unconscious belief that certain people or groups are superior to others because they belong to a particular race or ethnic group.
White dominant culture may place a higher value on being white. This results in racism. Module 5 will explore the direct connection between racism, white dominant culture, and privilege.
When I hear kids use racial slurs, I feel like I have to tell them why they can’t say it. I see countless teachers not talk to them, and they don’t want to deal with it — that’s not my problem. As a staff member, I believe it’s your job to go up and explain why it is a problem.
Student, Minister’s Anti-Racism Youth Dialogue Series, 2022
Types of Racism
There are many forms of racism. Some are not always visible or easy to recognize.
An individual’s racist assumptions, beliefs, prejudices, ideas, and/or behaviours. Individual racism can be conscious or unconscious. Examples include:
- Making fun of a person’s clothes, food, accent, name, or physical appearance because they belong to a particular group or community
- Using insulting language about particular cultural groups
- Expecting students from some cultural or linguistic groups to do better or worse than others in schoolwork
(Adapted from Manitoba Education Creating Racism-Free Schools through Critical/Courageous Conversations on Race).
Racist interactions, exchanges, and/or behaviours that occur between people that are based on personal biases. Microaggressions, racial slurs, and hate speech are examples of interpersonal racism.
Implicit or explicit rules and regulations within organizations and institutions that are discriminatory. This type of discrimination often appears in policies, practices, privileges, protocols, or social ‘norms.’
Implicit and explicit biases resulting in inequalities that are built into systems and structures (e.g., education, health, justice, employment) that disadvantage people based on their race. Systemic racism includes laws, policies, and practices that restrict people’s access to services, opportunities, and resources because of race. This can have compounding, long-lasting, and generational impacts on people, families, and communities.
Indigenous-Specific racism is rooted in the history of settler colonialism. In Canada, Indigenous Peoples include First Nations, Métis, and Inuit. Examples of Indigenous-Specific racism can occur through individual, interpersonal, institutional, and systemic forms of racism. (Adapted from In Plain Sight Data Report).
In Canada, it is important to acknowledge that there are also intersectional aspects to identity. For example, beyond Indigenous Peoples identifying as First Nations, Métis, or Inuit (or a combination), people may also identify as urban, women, youth, Elders, 2SLGBTQIIA+, etc.
