Communicating Across the Tracks: Challenges for Anti ...

Anti-Racism Education

Communicating Across the Tracks:

Challenges for
Anti-Racist Educators in
Ontario Today

George J. Sefa Dei

All oppressions have certain things in common.They operate within
structures, are intended to establish material advantage, and create an
“Othering” process between the self and the other.

As an educator and community worker I A key tenet is that educators must Portuguese Canadians have higher drop-out
have tremendous respect for every school rates than the general student population.
teacher and educational practitioner in this begin to understand their students Research in the 1990s revealed that in very
province. Like many, I want to share in the love disproportionate numbers students from these
and the successes of teaching. But in order to through the lens of race. . . groups are enrolled in special education and
build on our success, it is important that we non-university stream programs (see Brown,
maintain a “critical gaze” on our work—other- over one-third of students are born in approx- 1993; Cheng,Yau & Ziegler, 1993; Brathwaite
wise we won’t come to understand why, imately 174 countries outside of Canada; over & James, 1996; Dei, Mazzuca, McIsaac, &
despite our good intentions, we continue to 52% of high school students and 47% of ele- Zine, 1997; Cheng & Yau, 1999). Beyond the
see in the faces of many minority parents and mentary school students speak a mother figures there is a human dimension to the story
students a concern about schooling. The edu- tongue other than English (see Carey, 2002, p. of minority youth’s disengagement from
cator in Ontario today has a responsibility to A3). TDSB numbers show almost 1 in 3 stu- school.
address these concerns especially as the gov- dents live in poverty, 1 in 10 are gay, lesbian,
ernment appears to have abandoned its obliga- bisexual or transgendered, and 1 in 10 have an HELPING MINORITY STUDENTS
tions to its diverse population. identified physical, psychological, or learning
disability ([email protected], 2003). Anti-racist education is proactive educational
CATCHING UP TO THE DEMOGRAPHICS practice intended to address all forms of
These differences in the student population racism and the intersections of social differ-
Countless number of studies point to Canada’s must be considered in the broader context of ence (race, class, gender, sexuality, and disabil-
multiracial and multiethnic diversity, particu- differential academic performance and school- ity). Anti-racism is more than a discourse. It is
larly in urban centres (see Canadian Council ing experiences of students. For example, a form of education that makes very explicit
on Social Development, 2002; Galabuzi, research on education and performance shows the intended outcomes to subvert the status
2001; Ornstein, 2000). New data from the the severity of issues for certain student bod- quo and bring about change. It is political edu-
Canada Census, reported in the Toronto Star, ies. Despite the successes, Black/African- cation whose credibility rests in action.
show that 4 in every 10 people inToronto have Canadians, First Nations/Aboriginals, and
neither English nor French as their first lan- Anti-racism highlights the material and
guage. Within the public high school system, experiential realities of minorities in dealing
with the school system.A key tenet is that edu-

o r b i t , Vol 33, No 3, 2003 Call 416 923-6641, ext. 2077 to order Orbit or visit www.orbitmagazine.ca
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ANTI-RACISM POLICY IN ONTARIO, PAST AND PRESENT

We can trace the history of anti-racism policy the policy was expanded to cover other aspects cators must begin to understand their students
in Ontario to the Yonge Street Riots of May like anti-homophobia, socio-economic status, through the lens of race as a salient part of their
1992 when the then NDP government commis- gender, and disability through an anti-oppression myriad identities. But in fact, the serious con-
sequences of race are often denied both
sioned the Stephen Lewis report. Lewis correctly prism (see Toronto District School Board, 2000). because racism is an unsettling issue for most
Canadians and because it is a very complex
identified the problem as “anti-Black racism” The NDP also passed employment equity legisla- concept. Just as seeing one’s identity in terms
of race can be oppressive, the denial of race
although there were class and gender dimensions tion and as large employers all school boards also constitutes an oppressive act (see Taylor,
1994, p. 25). We must be careful that our use
to the disturbance. Many of the report’s recom- were expected to develop goals and timetables of the concept is not rigid or monolithic. We
must work with ambivalence, contention, con-
mendations dealt with the police (see Lewis, for the hiring and promotion of visible/racial flict, and conjunction around the term of race.
But we cannot afford to be immobilized by this
1992). The report called for the reconstitution of minorities, women, Aboriginals, and the disabled. complexity and say, “Let us discard race,
because it is meaningless.” Race has powerful
the Race Relations and Policing Task Force to Most boards abandoned these efforts when the material, political, symbolic and spiritual con-
sequences, and it serves no purpose to those
assess the status and current implementation of Tories repealed the legislation in 1995. Since who are disadvantaged by race to deny its
salience.
recommendations that had 1995 there has been a
I do not underestimate the daunting chal-
been made over the years. gradual decline of anti- lenge of ensuring that genuine educational
reform addresses questions of equity and jus-
It also recommended a At the school board level, racism initiatives at gov- tice. As a student teacher noted when speaking
about obstacles at his school, “The sheer vol-
systematic audit of Police one could briefly applaud the fact ernment/ministerial lev- ume leaves administrators floundering in
Race Relations policies els in Ontario. paperwork rather than focussing on school
across the province. There that the Policy/Program Changes in internal community, and real leadership for social
was a recommendation for Memorandum No. 119 change and educational justice.”
a strengthened Police governmental structures
is still in place. may provide a useful ref- However, I believe there are many levels of
doing anti-racist work.Asking critical questions
Complaints Commissioner erence point for discus- is a start. For example, why do we see magnifi-
cent new public schools with state of the art sci-
and Special Investigations sion of the history of ence labs and banks of computers in wealthy
suburban areas and not in the inner cities or low
Unit, a requirement that police be required to file anti-racism in Ontario. Just as the Ontario Anti- income neighbourhoods?Why are we creating a
two-tier system in our communities?
reports whenever guns were drawn. The report Racism Secretariat was dismantled soon after the
Another place to start anti-racist work is by
also specifically asked for beefed-up race rela- election in 1995, the Anti-Racism, Access and assuring all students that they are welcome in
the class and that each has the right and the
tions training and an investigation into racism in Equity Division in the Ministry of Education and responsibility to have a voice that must be
heard. Learning happens from developing
other aspects of the criminal justice system, Training ceased to exist. An Anti-Racism and humility for each other’s knowledge and
appreciating the student’s contributions. The
including the judiciary and detention centres. Equal Opportunity Branch was put in place briefly fear of not meeting expectations and/or failing
is genuine, collectively shared, and must be
It is worth noting that the Stephen Lewis within the Elementary/Secondary Operations & addressed in a highly competitive society. A
teacher can start in the classroom by letting
report acknowledged the government’s “disap- French Language Education Division. In a later students know through the humility of teach-
ing practice that if learners are humble in their
pointing” record on employment equity and rec- reorganization, the Division was removed. In claim to know they will always leave a class-
room setting knowing more than they came in
ommended the passage of employment equity fact, in terms of concrete achievements it is not with.

legislation without delay. The report called for an overstatement to say that the entire Anti-

the upgrading of the Ontario Anti-Racism Racism and Equal Opportunity Branch has not

Secretariat, the establishment of a Cabinet survived past 1997.

Committee on Race Relations to meet with repre- At the school board level, one could briefly

sentatives of visible minority communities at applaud the fact that the Policy/Program

least four times a year, and funding for commu- Memorandum No. 119 is still in place. But it is

nity development projects to deal with health, difficult to assess what this memorandum has

social service and employment problems faced by accomplished in practice and what effects it con-

minority communities. To its credit, the NDP gov- tinues to have (if any) in the current climate. By

ernment moved on a number of the recommenda- and large the policy has been toothless except,

tions. perhaps, in individual cases where school boards

In the specific area of education the govern- have strong commitments to anti-racism.

ment issued a policy directive, Policy/Program But one cannot say all is lost. For example, the

Memorandum No. 119, “Development and inquiry of the Ontario Human Rights Commission

Implementation of School Board Policies on Anti- into racial profiling and the discussion paper it

Racism and Ethnocultural Equity” which required released September, 2002 on an intersectional

all boards to develop a race relations policy and approach to discrimination may hold some prom-

outlined the parameters of these policies. All ise for change. Regarding racial profiling, it is

policies were to be vetted by the Race and quite possible that some court decisions which

Ethnocultural Equity Unit within the Ontario acknowledge systemic racism are going to compel

Ministry of Education and Training. In fact, after anti-racism efforts. The Board’s court decision

the Tories took over, this particular legislation may be significant because it references the

was one of the few pieces of NDP legislation that Report of the Commission on Systemic Racism in

was not repealed and eventually served as the the Ontario Criminal Justice System, a commis-

basis for the TDSB equity policy. In later years, sion established by the NDP government.

Anti-Racism Practices and Inclusive Schooling

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Anti-Racism Education

Within North American in North American society race demarcates life to emotional, social, and psychological con-
chances more profoundly than any other form cerns. To assist society in dealing with these
society race demarcates life of difference. In effect, in a highly racialized issues educators cannot extend a helping hand
society, anti-racism must a work with the ideas from a distance.We must assist all students to
chances more profoundly than of both severity and saliency of different “come to voice,” to challenge the normalized
oppressions. order of things and, in particular, the constitu-
any other form of difference. tion of dominance in Western knowledge pro-
Rethinking anti-racism is also to become duction. The prevailing notions of “reason,”
ENTRY POINTS FOR ANTI-RACIST WORK aware of the dangers of the mere acknowledg- “normalcy,” and “truth” are essential to the
For the classroom teacher, an “entry point” for ing of difference without responding to differ- structuring of asymmetrical power relations in
anti-racist work is one’s personal experience. ence. For example, it is important for an edu- Euro-Canadian society.
For example, an anti-racist would ask: How do cator not simply to note that there are differ-
some whites perpetuate racism and employ a ences but to ask about what it means to The individuation of school success or
powerful racist ideology without ever feeling respond to these differences. Responding to failure allows some educators to see homes,
that they have abandoned the liberal democratic difference may mean acting to address families, and communities as the sources of
ideals and values of social justice for all? It is inequities. In this practice we cannot simply schooling problems instead of critically exam-
important to note that not all whites are indicted collapse anti-racist work into the ining what schools do or fail to do in enhanc-
here as racists; however, there needs to be a “human/social relations” paradigm (e.g., liber- ing and supporting academic excellence for all
recognition of how one is helped or hindered al notion of “social justice for all”). Embedded students.We fail to examine how the principle
by such a system. Starting with the self means in this is the danger of equating oppressions in of meritocracy itself can be a way of denying
the white anti-racist educator must acknow- the undifferentiated notion of sameness. the access to institutions by certain groups.
ledge his or her dominance and allow other Effective anti-racist work requires that in deal- What constitutes merit is culturally, ideologi-
whites to see their privilege by virtue of a ing with the multiple oppressions and their cally, and politically defined, as well as context
white identity. intersections we simultaneously acknowledge bound. Unfortunately this observation is vehe-
the severity of certain forms of oppression. mently denied or challenged by a large seg-
All oppressions have certain things in com- ment of our society. In fact, this critique does
mon. They operate within structures, are Similarly, a rethinking of anti-racist dis- not mean we abandon merit or standards.
intended to establish material advantage, and course entails developing an ability to name What it means is a critical examination of what
create an “Othering” process between the self “race” and “privilege.” Naming is always the has conventionally stood for merit, merito-
and the other. Nevertheless, oppressions are first act of colonization. The power to name cracy, excellence, and particularly how our
not equal since they differ in their conse- oneself and self-define is also a form of resist- definitions have excluded other ways of know-
quences. A rethinking of anti-racist practice ance and part of the process of decolonization ing or doing things. By working with limited
requires that we work with the idea of situa- of the mind and soul. In order to deal with definitions and understandings, we all con-
tional and contextual variations in intensities race and difference we must be able to speak tribute to limit the chances and ability of dis-
of oppressions. It also requires a recognition of about race and not avoid it. For example, as advantaged groups to participate in and obtain
the relative saliencies of different identities. argued earlier, educators cannot simply wish a fair share of the valued social and economic
For example, while all students may have to race away. goods of society.
contend with the problem of school disengage-
ment, we know that the problem of “dropping Working with allies and building coalitions in There must be more to success at school
out” from school is more acute among First progressive politics at school sites is always wel- than grade point averages, test scores, and
Nations/Aboriginal, African-Canadian, and come provided the issues of power are addressed placement in higher level classes. Academic
Portuguese students.We also know that with- within these movements. Anti-racist educators success must be coupled with social success to
must be careful about the intellectual and political produce excellence broadly defined. For anti-
paralysis of labouring in “parallel tracks” rather racist educators the question is how do we
than communicating “across tracks,” while also ensure that such excellence is not simply
noting that the collective quest for solidarity in accessible but also equitable? Excellence
anti-oppression work can mask some underlying emerges from our diversity and from address-
tensions and ambivalences. ing the issues of equity. For many students,
particularly minority youth, the fear of failing
ASKING NEW QUESTIONS school emerges from the idea and practice of
“thinking in hierarchies” rather than “thinking
Schools have a responsibility to help students in circles.” Thinking in circles is valuing each
make sense of their identities, to build the con- other’s contributions. The establishment of
fidence of all students, and remove the fear of intellectual hierarchies has worked to abrogate
conforming to lowered expectations. It is also “knowing” to certain segments of our popula-
important for an educator to know that the
needs of students extend beyond the material

o r b i t , Vol 33, No 3, 2003 Call 416 923-6641, ext. 2077 to order Orbit or visit www.orbitmagazine.ca
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tion and there is a pressure to perform to meet The power to name oneself and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
expectations. The fear of failure is rife and it I would like to thank Meredith Lordan of the
avoids a critical examination of the ways we self-define is also a form of resistance Department of Sociology and Equity Studies
produce and validate knowledge. Anti-racism (OISE/UT) for reading and commenting on a
destabilizes this thinking and argues for and part of the process of draft of this paper. Rick Sin of OISE/UT also
acknowledging strength and power in differ- shared some ideas with me in a personal con-
ence and diversity. decolonization of the mind and soul. versation.

All students learn from their peers who are SUSTAINING OURSELVES REFERENCES:
different from themselves and it is this knowl- I agree we cannot be politically paralyzed or
edge that creates excellence. It is such knowl- immobilized by the daunting task of ensuring Brathwaite, K., & James, C. (1996). (Eds.). Educating African
edge that can compel action. But in order for change. But we must sustain ourselves emo- Canadians. Toronto: James Lorimer & Co.
such excellence to be equitable there must be tionally, spiritually, and materially if anti-racist
opportunities for all students to have access to practice is to go ahead. So, for me, the key Brown, R.S. (1993). A follow-up of the grade 9 cohort of 1987
schooling, education, and knowledge. No one question today is not really to ask who can do every secondary student survey participants. Toronto: Toronto
must be left outside the school door. This anti-racist work. Rather it is for each of us to Board of Education, Research Services, Report No. 207.
places a huge obligation on teachers to ensure ask whether we are prepared to face the risks
that their knowledges reach all students, that and consequences that come with doing such Brown, R.S., Cheng, M.,Yau, M.; & Ziegler, S. (1992). The
they do not simply avoid problems by creating work. For it is going to get even nastier and 1991 every secondary student survey participants. Toronto:
artificial boundaries between schools and com- harsher. Toronto Board of Education. Research Services. Report
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tized communities in accounting for student There is the emotional and psychological
failures while schools take credit for the suc- harm, and the “spirit injury” to constantly con- Canadian Council on Social Development. (1991). Stay
cess of students. Racial minority communities, front racism. But we must be bold to face and in School Supplement: Social Development Overview.
despite conventional assertions, have high aspi- address the risks and the injuries so that we are 1(7), 14.
rations for their children’s success at school always whole and healed when we pursue anti-
and make the effort to ensure such success. racist work. Traditionally anti-racist workers Canadian Council on Social Development, (2002). Census,
Like other parents, they care deeply about have not shied away from bringing passion and 2002. Ottawa.
their children’s academic achievement. It is emotion to our work. What is needed now is
problematic, for example, to infer that because an articulation of our individual and collective Carey, E. (2002). Toronto: Canada’s Linguistic Capital.
some minoritized students may lag behind in sense of spirituality that will help heal and Toronto Star. December 11, 2002, p. A3.
homework completion these students are not rejuvenate the soul as we continue to pursue
interested in school. Critical anti-racist educa- anti-racism. Situating spiritual knowing into Cheng, M. & Yau, M. 1998. The 1997 every secondary stu-
tion would shift the gaze on to the schools anti-racist practice should itself be seen as a dent survey: Preliminary findings. Toronto District
themselves (of course, not in isolation from form of resistance to both the continued dam- School Board. Academic Accountability Office. Report
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es of schooling, the distribution of available of constructing knowledge about ourselves
educational resources (human and material), and our communities. Cheng, M. &Yau, M. (1999).The 1997 every secondary stu-
teacher expectations, and the economics of dent survey: Detailed findings. Toronto District School
schooling are cardinal to students’ success. The mandate of anti-racist education, while Board. Academic Accountability Office. Report No. 227.
affirming the salience of cultural diversity with
the official Canadian policy of multicultural- Dei, G.J.S, Mazzuca, J., McIsaac, E., & Zine, J . (1997).
ism, is also to strive for conditions of equity Reconstructing ‘dropout’: Understanding the dynamics of black
and excellence for all students. In this era of students’ disengagement from school. Toronto: University of
conservative educational and fiscal policies in Toronto Press.
Ontario, the challenge becomes one of trans-
gressing a system of differential rewards and Dei, G.J.S., & Karumanchery, L. (1999). School reforms in
punishments. In so doing, the masks of stan- Ontario:The ‘marketiization of education’ and the result-
dardization and centralization of educational ing silence on equity. The Alberta Journal of Educational
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dents and school communities. Galabuzi, G. (2001). Canada creeping economic apartheid: The
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Henry F., &Tator, C. (1994).The ideology of racism—‘dem-
ocratic racism.’ Canadian Ethnic Studies 26(2), 1–14.

Lewis, S. (1992). Letter to the Premier: Report on Race Relations
in Ontario. Toronto: Publications Ontario.

Ornstein, M. (2000). Ethno-Racial Inequality in the City of
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[email protected]. (2003). The loss of equity in Toronto
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Taylor, C. (1994).The Politics of Recognition. In A. Guttman
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GEORGE DEI is Guest Editor of this Orbit issue with
Njoki Wane.

Anti-Racism Practices and Inclusive Schooling

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