Standing in Solidarity: About us
We, the creators and authors behind this exhibit, are undergraduate students studying Sociology at Bishop’s University in the province of Québec, Canada. Standing in Solidarity: Initiatives Combating Systemic Racism in Canada emerges from our coursework for a class on Racialization and Ethnic Diversity taught by Dr. Sunita Nigam, who holds a PhD in English from McGill University. This resource was supervised and edited by Dr. Nigam.
For this resource, each author has not only explored the nature of Canadian systemic racism but has also illustrated specific strategies, initiatives, or projects that organizations and individuals are using to combat racial disparities across the country. The goal was to create an informational and accessible resource that encourages the engagement of individuals in their communities to enact systemic change. So to this effect, we have worked hard on this resource compiling 15 texts introducing you, our readers, to these initiatives and projects!
You may read the texts below!
If you have any questions or comments about the information in this resource, please feel free to contact us, here:
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Ems Potvin & Lee Schaefgen
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environments” (pg.1). The project brings young women, residents, and researchers together to define leadership on their own terms. The goal of EGCC is to start a discussion regarding the challenges that young women face. BPEN has a similar mission, although, it starts a more general conversation regarding the challenges Black women face. BPEN has collaborated with community-based organizations, small enterprises, and academic institutions to achieve its goals in addressing gender-based violence and dismantling rape culture. As the founder Monica Samuel has shared: “it is my duty as a Black woman to ensure the well-being, prosperity and advancement of Black survivors.” Samuel’s initiative resonates with these goals. BPEN serves as an employment and training project designed for Black women, Black trans women, genderqueer, and nonbinary people aged 16 to 29 who reside in Toronto Community Housing or Neighborhood Improvement Areas. Black Women in Motion, the organization that offers the Black Peer Education Network program, seeks to educate Black youth on rape culture by facilitating crucial conversations about toxic masculinity and gender-based violence. This initiative seeks to improve learning environments for Black youth, specifically in areas with lower incomes. In addition, during the 7-month training and employment program they provide information on white supremacy, bystander intervention, and anti-Black sexism (sometimes known as misogynoir, a term coined by Moya Bailey). Black Women in Motion seeks to use peer communication to break down harmful stereotypes within the Black community and, throughout this initiative, it is said that education begins at the home. The values of Black Women in Motion include respect, integrity, transparency, accountability, equity, and collaboration. Its staff are trained to carry themselves with integrity and transparency toward each and every one of their clients as they work toward achieving their goals. They provide an inclusive environment to all Black women survivors and honour the experiences of their clients; they do not discriminate or downplay their experiences. The atmosphere promotes trust, which helps to elevate their opinions, abilities, and experiences. To promote and support Black women survivors, Black Women in Motion actively partners with local grassroots collectives, businesses, community agencies, and leaders in the field.
Organizations, scholars, and legislators may learn from Black Women in Motion's strategy for combating the systematic gender-based violence and rape culture that affect Black women and girls in Canada. Their framework, which is intersectional feminist, anti-racist, and survivor-centered, shows how grassroots efforts may empower and assist oppressed groups. Readers may actively support the initiative by spreading the word, offering their time, and donating materials. For chances to donate or volunteer, people can visit the website of Black Women in Motion, here:
Please note that, recognizing the interdependence of many types of injustice, the founders of Black Women in Motion stress the significance of acknowledging Indigenous land rights while also actively supporting land return movements, demonstrating a dedication to justice and solidarity.
Worldwide, rape culture is a widespread problem that impacts individuals of all racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The contours and effects of rape culture on Black women in Canada, however, are distinct. Studies show that socio-economic inequalities, such as limited access to high-quality education and healthcare, may result in situations in which individuals are more vulnerable to sexual violence. We also know that Black populations in Canada are disproportionately affected by socioeconomic challenges like unemployment, poverty and income inequality due to problems of systemic racism (Houle 2020, pg.1). These factors combined suggest that Black women in Canada might be disproportionately vulnerable to sexual assault than their non-Black counterparts and that Black women have fewer resources to access both mental health and legal support. To be sure, studies show that “Black women and girls in Canada are at greater risk of gender-based violence” (Canada, 2021).
Empowering Black Women: Combating Rape Culture and Gender-Based Violence
By Laury-Ann Amos & Audrey Bernatchez
Black Peer Education Network (BPEN) highlights how rape culture and gender-based violence impact Black women, specifically. The network initially started with the support of Professor Nombuso Dlamini, Hon, and Dr. Jean Augustine in January 2013 during a York University research project called Engaging Girls Changing Communities. Dr. Augustine (2013) states that “EGCC (Engaging Girls Changing Communities) looks into how young women and girls participate in community involvement and leadership programs in inexperienced
How Le Théâtre de la Sentinelle Counteracted Colour-Blindness in Québec’s Theatre Industry
By Anne-Claire Hénault-B.
In 2018, SLĀV, a theatre production staged by the prolific stage director, Robert Lepage, premiered at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. The production was subsequently cancelled over controversies about cultural appropriation. SLĀV was inspired by the history of Black slavery–indeed, the show was billed as “a theatrical odyssey based on slave songs,” yet Lepage’s casting and crew were mostly white (Nevins, 2018). In SLĀV, white actors sang slave songs and picked cotton on stage in a strange re-embodiment of white violence against Black
Photo from the "M'appelle Mohamed Ali" a Théâtre de la Sentinelle production
Photographed by: Yanick Macdonald f
bodies and it's accompanying Black resistance. Lepage, who is also white, claimed that freedom of speech should allow him to explore what he understands as 'universal' topics. But when the traumatic histories of a people whose bodies were stolen for the extraction of capital by white slave owners are used for the extraction of even more capital by white artists, is this really freedom of speech? Or is it a reaffirmation of white supremacy and its extractive logic—a repetition of past violence? The lead singer of the production, white actor Betty Bonifassi, justified her role by declaring to reporters that, “she doesn’t see race” (Scott, 2023). The same year, another creation from Lepage titled Kanata was cancelled. Kanata sought to revisit historical relations between white and Indigenous people in Canada, yet not a single Indigenous person was hired for the production (Delgato, 2018). Racial colour-blindness—or the pretence of not seeing skin colour—is a racial ideology that posits that the best way to not be racist is to pretend not to see race and to treat everyone the same regardless of skin colour. In reality, this logic allows people to ignore ongoing processes of racial discrimination and the distinct heritage, realities, meanings, and lived experiences of people of colour in our colonized and white supremacist society (Harvey Wingfield, 2015). As for Lepage’s artistic approach, he and his team used a colour-blind excuse to free themselves of any guilt as they capitalized on the historical traumas of Black and Indigenous communities, thus re-enforcing and repeating colonial oppression. Lepage’s complete lack of awareness of his own white privilege triggered vast protests in 2018 in the province of Québec, a time when performers belonging to a visible minority group (including Indigenous People) represented only 9% of the theatre industry in Québec (Drimonis, 2018; Nevins, 2018; Le Devoir, 2023, See Appendix A).
The communities oppressed by these white-led productions had been ready to be heard and seen for a long time. It was in 2017 in Tiohtià:ke in Kanyen'kehà:ka—the Mohawk name for what is known by most Westerners as the City of Montreal—that Afro-descendent Canadian actors Lydz Dantiste and Tatiana Zinga Botao founded Le Théâtre de la Sentinelle with a radical mission in mind: to solely produce and create plays by Indigenous, Black, and racialized people and cast actors belonging to these respective communities. To counterbalance white normativity in Québec’s cultural imaginary and the lack of significant opportunities for Black actors within the industry, in 2022 at Festival TransAmériques (FTA) and at Théâtre du Quat’sous in Tiohtià:ke, Dantiste, Botao and Sentinelle’s artistic director, Philippe Racine and Choreographer Claudia Chan Tak embarked on the production of M’appelle Mohamed Ali, a play by Congolese playwright Dieudoné Niangouna. To carry out this project, they assembled a cast composed entirely of Black actors. Mixing dance, theatre, and activism, Afro-descendant actors Lyndz Dantiste, Nadine Jean, Fayolle Jean Jr, Anglesh Major, Maxime Mompérousse, Widemir Normil, Martin-David Peters, Rodley Pitt, and Franck Sylvestre tell the story of the boxer Mohamed Ali to raise contemporary questions around assimilation and resistance specific to African American and Black Canadian identities. In particular, the play explores issues of systemic racism as experienced by Black immigrants. Thanks in part to the remarkable initiatives sustained by the people of Le Théâtre la Sentinelle, since SLĀV, the proportion of visible minorities and Indigenous people involved in theatre performances in Québec has increased to 21% in 2023 (Le Devoir, 2023, See Appendix A) M’appelle Mohamed Ali will be presented again from February 23rd to March 3rd 2024 at Le Théâtre du Nouveau Monde in Tiohtià:ke (Montréal) and in Québec city at Le Diamant from the 25th to the 27th April 2024. Productions by Théâtre de la Sentinelle also include Lettres d’une Africaine, Qui Veut la Peau d’Antigone?, Lequel Est un Basquiat, and their most recent production, Nzinga.
Official Woke or Whateva Podcast Cover
Photographed by: Dorothy Mombrun
Woke or Whateva: Voicing the Lives of Black Women in Montreal
By Alana Ospina & Markayza Mitchell
The media plays a vital role in creating, maintaining, and perpetuating social realities, stereotypes, biases, and hegemonic white ideologies (Henry & Tator, 2009; Mahtani, 2001). Through movies, books, broadcasts, advertising, and more, mass media shapes and reinforces racial and gender norms. Mass media also legitimizes, or instead works to dismantle, existing gender and racial inequalities produced by patriarchal and white supremacist beliefs (Aulette et al., 2020). As research on representation in the Canadian media shows, media overwhelmingly stigmatizes, underrepresents, and renders invisible racialized minorities, women, and 2SLGBTQIA+ folks, especially those who do not fit neatly into commodifiable stereotypes and images (Aulette et al., 2020; Black Screen Office, 2022; Cukier et al. 2019; Mahtani, 2001). Moreover, research conducted by Cukier and colleagues in 2019 on the number of expert sources invited on-air in Canadian television shows how racialized women’s insights and perspectives are excluded from media conversations in the country. Gaye Tuchman and her co-authors (1978) propose the term “symbolic annihilation” to express how the media sends indirect and direct messages that minority groups along with their opinions, experiences, beliefs, and emotions, do not matter (in Aulette et al., 2020).
In response to the exclusion and silencing of minority groups in Canada, multiple platforms address the discrimination minority groups face to amplify the voices living within these identities. The Montreal-based Woke or Whateva podcast is one such platform. This initiative was founded in 2019 by Titi and Beck, Black queer woman- and/or non-binary-identifying hosts. The podcast, which features content in both French and English, was created to generate a space within the Canadian media landscape for discussing and deconstructing the complexity of the relationships between overlapping gender and racial identities. Woke or Whateva does so across multiple accessible podcast platforms, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, and YouTube. In each episode, the hosts discuss themes that highlight the complex present-day experiences of Black women, and gender-nonconforming folks in a critical, fun, and educational way. Topics discussed include: colourism, the politics of hair, environmental racism, misogynoir, interracial adoption, and Black motherhood.
Significantly, the hosts of the podcast make sure to include experts—either scholars or individuals with experience in the topic at hand. Titi and Beck’s main goals are to inform Black communities in an economically and intellectually accessible way whilst creating a safe platform for Black voices to flourish and simply exist in the media. The growing initiative of Woke or Whateva has served as a tool that allows Titi and Beck to host anti-racism conferences in schools and raise funds for causes such as Breyonna Taylor, Regis Korchinski-Packet the Racines Bookstore in Montreal. The podcast, alongside these accompanying initiatives, thus serves as a way to engage with and educate community members in Montreal and the culturally distinct province of Quebec about the realities of racialized women and gender-nonconforming people who live in this city and province.
The goal of Woke or Whateva is not only to raise awareness about the diverse realities of Black people in Montreal, but also to create a space for Black solidarity and resilience, validate marginalized voices, and empower both Black listeners and Black experts who are denied media visibility. Readers can support anti-racist Black inclusivity in Quebec by engaging with Woke or Whateva’s content in an introspective and critical way and by learning more about the research experiences, and expertise of the invited guests on each of the podcast’s episodes.
Across Boundaries: Reversing the Fate of Racialized Mental Health Care Users
By Samia Annab
The social construct of ‘race’ has been used to justify the social oppression and exclusion of certain groups. Racialized people living within societies structured by systemic racism such as Canada are targeted by a system that restrains their social participation and possibilities for social emancipation. The impacts of systemic racism on racialized groups in turn produces biases within society at large that perceive racialized populations as the root cause of their social problems rather than as the targets of systemic inequalities.
These victim-blaming patterns operate on institutional, interpersonal, and subconscious levels. It should come as no surprise, then, that the tendency to view victims of systemic racism as the cause of their own problems has profoundly harmful impacts within Canada’s healthcare system and mental health services (Schouler-Ocak et al., 2021). Indeed, racialized people suffer from severe psychological consequences resulting from racism and discrimination, such as affective, psychotic, and substance use disorders. (Schouler-Ocak et al., 2021). Moreover, in 2021, a study conducted by Mahabir et al. regarding racism in Toronto’s healthcare system revealed that many racialized clients felt disrespected and mistreated when receiving healthcare, and dehumanized, neglected and discriminated against when accessing health services and resources.
Across Boundaries is an organization that was initially created in 1995 by members of the Ethnoracial Coalition in Ontario, Canada. This group of individuals first started their initiative by conducting research on mental health needs among people from racialized communities in the Greater Toronto Area. They then produced a book, The Healing Journey, which exposed the systemic racial inequalities within the mental healthcare system, as well as the stigma, prejudice, and even the violence that racialized people experienced when accessing care services. Their findings have demonstrated that language barriers, the clash of sociocultural notions of health and illness, and the racial biases of healthcare providers, contributed to the low rate of mental health resources accessed by members of racialized communities, despite the fact that racialized people face significant psychological struggles and distress (Across Boundaries, n.d.).
Accordingly, Across Boundaries has implemented strategies to provide quality care services for racialized people who struggle with mental health and addiction by creating anti-oppressive and anti-racist training programs for staff members. This training aims to eliminate biases, miscommunications, stereotypes and cultural misunderstandings amongst mental health service providers. The mission of the organization more broadly is to promote a holistic model of care while dismantling the colonial framework that structures the mental health sector in a way that empowers and dignifies racialized people (Across Boundaries, n.d.).
As such, Across Boundaries offers mental health resources such as clinical therapy, support groups, alternative and complementary therapies, as well as social and recreational activities in Caribbean dialects, African languages, Central Asian languages, South Asian languages, and South East Asian languages. Such initiatives support systemic transformation using an intersectional and inclusive approach to healing and recovery for racialized communities.
The initiatives that Across Boundaries has implemented represent promising measures for addressing racial inequities in mental health and mental services. As a result, this collective also works to educate the larger public on how intersecting oppressions must be addressed in order to eliminate the stigmatization of mental health problems and discrimination against racialized community members. Across Boundaries invites the public to consider new strategies, such as anti-racism training and treatment guidelines, for transforming current policies and practices in mental health. The implication of all members of the health community is crucial for creating actions that will lead to a healthier and more effective system of care. To achieve standards of equity, healthcare institutions and partners must make it their mission to combat racism by acknowledging the systemic perpetuation of racial mental health inequities. Here are ways to help and seek support:
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Ignored to Death: Systemic Racism in the Canadian Healthcare System
by Zoe Matthews & Maddy Kalashnikov
The “Ignored to Death: Systemic Racism in the Canadian Healthcare System" initiative aims to address the health disparities affecting Indigenous peoples as they relate to social determinants of health, racial profiling, discrimination, and structural racism in Canada. The ongoing colonization of Turtle Island/Canada has created and continues to create intergenerational trauma within Indigenous families. One of the ways that colonization remains ongoing in Canada is in the mistreatment of Indigenous people in the healthcare system and disproportionately negative health outcomes for Indigenous peoples. As the Journal of Global Health Action shows, “Indigenous Canadians have a life expectancy 12 years lower than the national average and experience higher rates of preventable chronic diseases compared with non-Indigenous Canadians” (Kolahdooz et al., 2015).
Inequalities in health outcomes between Indigenous peoples and on Turtle Island/Canada are perpetuated through current policies, practices, and the insufficient training of healthcare professionals in culturally sensitive approaches. Injustices that stem from institutionalized racism have cost the lives and well-being of many Indigenous people in Canada.
The “Sinclair Working Group,” founded after the tragic death of Brian Sinclair, encourages healthcare professionals, staff, and policymakers to examine the cultural history and mistreatment of Indigenous people in Canada to provide equitable care for everyone in the healthcare system. Brian Sinclair was a victim of systemic racism in the healthcare system, dying tragically after waiting over 34 hours to receive medical care at the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre (HSC) in September 2008 despite having been observed by medical professionals at least 17 times during this period. Brian was a 45-year-old Indigenous man who grew up in Winnipeg near Sagkeeng First Nation. He arrived at HSC seeking care for a bladder infection. By the time the hospital staff checked on him 34 hours after he had arrived in the waiting room, Brian, who was an amputee, had died and rigour mortis had begun to set in. Five years after his death, the government of Manitoba decided not to call an inquiry into Brian’s case, but instead to order an inquest. An inquest only considers a small list of issues whereas an inquiry looks into a bigger and broader range of issues. Racism and discrimination based on class and disability were all named as reasons that led Brian’s treatment by hospital staff and eventual death. However, in January 2014, the inquest ruled that there was no proof of systemic racism, social exclusion, or classism related to poverty that occurred in Brian’s case. This prompted the development of the Brian Sinclair Working Group. The group consists of Indigenous leaders who are health advocates, physicians, nurses, legal experts, academics, and health researchers. After the inquest was ruled, they all came together to develop a different report about how an Indigenous man died of a treatable infection due to systemic racism in the healthcare system. They also sought to correct the myth that is rampant in Canada that, when it comes to Indigenous peoples, ill health, disease, injury, and death are often [their] own fault. (Gunn, n.d.).
To address the violence against Indigenous people in the Canadian healthcare system, the Canadian government, healthcare officials, policymakers, and healthcare staff must revisit the effects of historical and ongoing colonialism in Canada and confront the structural racism that is ingrained in the healthcare system. Citizens also have a role in putting pressure on their political representatives to address systemic racism in Canadian healthcare. The Sinclair Working Group seeks to expose racism in Canada's healthcare system to pave the way for a more equitable healthcare system. The Working Group provides safe spaces for Indigenous peoples who have been harmed within Canadian healthcare. It is conducting further work to examine the role of racism in Brian’s death and is shedding light on the social determinants of health for Indigenous people in Canada (Brian Sinclair Working Group, 2017). The Group is also addressing systemic racism in Canada's healthcare system by advocating for the inclusion of Indigenous health practices. In particular, they advocate for a “two-eyed seeing” approach (Markham et al., 2021), which combines Indigenous ways of knowing with Western health practices. In conclusion, the Brian Sinclair Working Group aims to utilize a multisectoral approach to address these issues within the Canadian healthcare and legal systems by providing informational sessions, organizing public forums, and conducting further research on systemic racism in Canada. If you would like to support initiatives working to support Indigenous health in Canada, please find links to donate, here:
Secwepemc Nation Reclaiming Land & Sustaining Culture
By Ella Cousineau & Jacob Beliveau
The Stk’emlupsemc Te Secwepemc Nation, located in south-central British Columbia, has confronted a multitude of forms of systemic discrimination, resulting in pronounced inequalities for this Indigenous community. The Stk’emlupsemc Te Secwepemc Nation is a progressive community advancing towards self-governance and independence through education and economic development. Disparities faced by the Secwepemc Nation are evident in the transformation of Secwepemc territory. Once a rich land abundant in salmon and deer, it has, in recent decades, been transformed into an area with increasing mining and lodging. This transformation has displaced Secwepemc families. One
The mining company, Agnico Eagle Gold Mine, operates in Nunavut, Canada.
Photographer: Patrick Brazeau
example of the impact of mining on Secwepemc families. One example of the impact of mining on the Secwepemc Nation is the potential effects of the Ajax mine operations on human health through air pollution. The Ajax mine has impacted the city of Kamloops, which sits at the bottom of a valley and experiences frequent episodes of high air pollution (Sierra Club BC, 2015). The government has ignored the Secwepemc Nation’s growing distress concerning the health of their community and the effects of the regional mining economy on the environment. Out of the 180,000 square kilometres of their homeland, members of the Secwepemc Nation occupy less than 1 percent (RAVEN, 2020). The concerns of the Secwepemc Nation have been ignored by both the federal government and the provincial government of British Columbia in continuation with a larger systemic disregard for Indigenous rights. The Secwepemc Nation has not entered any treaties and has not been officially conferred rights to their land. As such, they lack the authority to assert their interests, which involve protecting the environment (RAVEN, 2020).
The Secwepemc are pursuing Aboriginal title to their lands, a pursuit that cites “the inherent Aboriginal right to land or a territory” (Hanson, 2009). This pursuit is based on their Indigenous laws, particularly the concept of Yecweminem, which mandates their duty of care to protect the land, water, and sky worlds within the Secwepemc territory. Through this land reclamation initiative, the Secwepemc has filed a civil claim before the Supreme Court of British Columbia. The judicial relief they seek is a declaration that the Secwepemc Nation holds Aboriginal title to Stk‘emlupsemc te Secwepemc territory. The Secwepemc have also filed an injunction prohibiting any mining, timber harvesting, or road building according to permits and authorizations granted to KGHM Ajax in respect of the proposed Ajax mine.
RAVEN is an organization that is working to support the Secwepemc land reclamation project, which it sees as being fundamentally aligned with the organization’s core mandate The President and Vice President of RAVEN are Jeffrey Nicholls (Raven Clan of the Tsimshian Nation),; And Ron Lameman (Beaver Lake Cree Nation, Treaty No. 6 Territory, Alberta). The vision of RAVEN is guided by some of the most brilliant legal advisors in the country, [they] work to enshrine environmental justice for all. The law is clearly on the side of Indigenous peoples: their victories protect [them] all” (RAVEN, 2020). The RAVEN team is focusing on raising funds to support the Secwepemc trial, as many requirements must be met for them to win. RAVEN is working with the Stk‘emlupsemc te Secwepemc Nation to find substantial evidentiary records, expert witnesses, and oral testimony from community members. This will help build a stronger case for the Secwepemc community.
The Secwepemc Nation project of advocating for the lands of the communities might serve as inspiration for other Indigenous communities to take legal steps to reclaim their lands and defend themselves against public and private sector drives to expand industrial compounds into Indigenous territories. The industrial development of Indigenous lands has been hazardous to the health of the environment and Indigenous peoples. exampled oil pipelines out east, conflicting through the sacred lands that the indigenous have been cherishing over the years.
Readers can support the RAVEN team and the Secwepemc Nation land reclamation project by joining protest actions, educating themselves about the harmful effects of mining, tree-clearing, oil-reserve-striking, and industrial engineering growth on the environment and Indigenous health, and raising awareness about the Secwepemc Nation resistance and the work of RAVEN through social media and within their communities. Readers can also donate to help fund their mounting legal costs, here:
No More Stolen Sisters! The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls
By Mujgan Safari
The murder of Indigenous women and girls is a pervasive and critical concern in North America, which lays bare a profound breakdown in the handling of the safety and well-being of Indigenous women and girls. In the period from 1980 to 2014, Canadian police recorded 6,849 cases of female homicides, with 16% of the victims being of Indigenous descent. In 2023, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) documented the names of ten Indigenous women who went missing, underscoring the ongoing and pressing nature of this complex and deeply troubling issue. According to Native Women Wilderness (2016), the National Crime Information Center reported 5,712 cases of missing Indigenous women.
According to the findings of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), a comprehensive examination of the structural causes underpinning various forms of violence against Indigenous women and girls, including sexual assault, is imperative. Native Women Wilderness highlights the great challenge posed by a lack of communication, compounded by jurisdictional complexities among state, local, federal, and tribal law enforcement entities, rendering the initiation of police investigations nearly insurmountable. The investigative process must extend beyond conventional boundaries, probing into the social, economic, cultural, institutional, and historical factors that contribute to the sustained violence against Indigenous women and girls in Canada, acknowledging their distinct vulnerabilities. Traditionally, Two-Spirit individuals and Indigenous women have been revered as life bearers and community contributors, leading to the assertion by MMIWG that "Our women and girls are sacred.” Despite this recognition, Indigenous girls and women, are socially undervalued in Canada, leaving too many susceptible to violent crimes.
The overarching objective of the National Inquiry is to lay the foundation for Indigenous women and girls to reclaim positions of authority. This involves unearthing the truth through the compilation of diverse accounts from a myriad of sources. In 2023, the organization implemented various initiatives to ensure the efficacy of its mission. These included the creation of community Gathering Stories, the development of an Artistic Expressions gallery, and the production of videos capturing key moments in the lives of Indigenous women. Collectively, these accounts elucidate the multifaceted nature of violence against Indigenous women and girls on Turtle Island/Canada. MMIWG's principal mission encompasses advocacy, awareness, support for victim families, policy reform, collaboration, and comprehensive research and data collection.
To ensure that improvements are made in the collective handling of the safety of Indigenous women and girls on Turtle Island/Canada, readers can advocate for Indigenous rights with their political representatives and donate to the Native Women’s Association of Canada, the Indigenous Women’s Fund of Canada, and other organizations dedicated to promoting Indigenous community empowerment through Canada Helps.org. Please find the link to donate to the Native Women’s Association of Canada and the Indigenous Women’s Fund of Canada, here:
Standing Together to Fight Racism: The Korean Canadian Scholarship Foundation’s Beyond Allyship Coalition
By Junyeong Kim
“We stand in solidarity with our Black brothers and sisters in their calls to break down a system inherently built on racist foundations and a system that continues to pit communities against each other.” – KCSF (2020)
1950, when Canada dispatched over 26,000 military personnel to assist South Korea during the Korean War, marked a new beginning for Canadian-Korean international relations. In 1963, formalized diplomatic relations were created between Canada and South Korea as each country established an embassy in the other’s country. In 1978, following a generation of immigration from Korea to Canada, the first generation of Korean-Canadian immigrants founded the Korean Canadian Scholarship Foundation (KCSF) to support future generations of Korean-Canadians through “Dream Tree” scholarships. “Dream Tree” scholarships are inspired by the metaphor of planting trees to grow a forest. Through the KCSF’s scholarships, young Korean-Canadian students are nurtured like young trees in the hopes that their generation will grow like a forest. The KCSF is currently run by Philip Cho. Its primary mission is to support the dreams of young Korean-Canadians.
But KCSF’s mission does not stop with its “Dream Tree” Scholarships or its focus on the Korean-Canadian community. The organization is also building alliances and solidarities with Canada’s Black and Indigenous Communities to fight systemic racism in Canada.
From the perspective of KCSF, as members of a minority group, Korean-Canadian individuals should stand with other minority groups, including Black and Indigenous peoples. KCSF seeks to build a cooperative youth community among different marginalized groups with the goal of fighting systemic racism in Canada. To this end, KCSF stands together with the Black community by fostering cooperation and alliances between Black community civic groups, including Black Health Aliance, Black Youth Helpline, and others. KCSF focuses on listening and learning from Blackand Indigenous communities, soliciting their expertise and strategies for combatting racism and moving forward into collaborative community relationships in Canada. The Community Development Committee (CDC) from KCSF engages with Black and Indigenous communities to build cross-racial relationships that might equip Korean-Canadian society help to seek solutions for specific problems of systemic racism in Canada.
With this goal of building cross-racial allyships, KCSF’s CDC hosts its annual Beyond Allyship conference. This conference takes stock of current realities affecting racialized populations in Canada to develop solutions and transform futures through cooperation. The CDC involves youth leaders who are working to develop the younger generation’s knowledge about racism in Canada.
Korean-Canadian Society experienced particularly painful times during COVID-19, as anti-Asian hatred reached new heights. This experience inspired the community to stand even more firmly in solidarity with other minority groups to fight racism. KCSF continues to embrace alliance- and solidarity-building as part of its mission as it combats systemic racism and racial hatred and works toward bringing about a brighter future for the diversity of peoples that call Turtle Island/Canada home.
Barros, R. (2015). Digital art [Illustration]. Pixabay.
Pauktuutit: Supporting Inuit Women and Girls.
By Kael Perras
The Inuit people are the Indigenous inhabitants of Inuit Nunangat, a region that encompasses land, ice, and waters within much of Arctic and Subarctic regions surrounding the North Pole. To this day, a vast majority of the Inuit of Canada people live within their rugged, yet stunning, vast Arctic homeland. For centuries, Inuit peoples thrived as hunter-gatherers, developing a rich and unique culture, leading to the creation of a wide variety of art forms such as carvings, songs, and oral traditions (Freeman, 2023). Subsequent European colonial violence and its accompanying patriarchal structures have resulted in distinct forms of systemic inequality faced by Canada’s Inuit women. This has led to the creation of organizations that aim to address the intersectional nature of this discrimination. One of these organizations is Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada.
To understand why Pauktuutit exists we must look at the on going colonial violence that affects Inuit women in Canada. The violent process of colonization has resulted in resource deprivation by the
Government of Canada and the imposition of values and norms that have left Inuit women particularly vulnerable. One of the greatest forms of systemic inequality faced by Indigenous women relates to their general health outcomes and access to healthcare. Inuit women experience higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases and complications during their pregnancy than non-Inuit women, and the rates of premature child delivery are more than three times the Canadian average (Healey & Meadows, 2007, p. 204). Mental health and substance abuse issues are also overrepresented within their population, as centuries of colonization and systemic inequality have resulted in Inuit women being far more prone to suicidality and stress (Healey & Meadows, 2007, p.199). The colonial violence experienced by Inuit people also manifests in food accessibility and security. Many people have expressed “growing concern regarding the levels of contaminants in country foods and the potential toxins Northerners may be exposed to when consuming these foods'' (Healey & Meadows, 2007, p. 207). The forms of systemic inequality described above affect Inuit men and, especially, Inuit women. Inuit women are especially vulnerable to forms of intersectional violence as women and Inuit. Women in Nunavut experience violent crime at a rate thirteen times that of the national average. The same pattern is seen with sexual assaults, which occur at a rate twelve times higher than average. Alarmingly, Nunavut has the highest rate of domestic violence against women in Canada (Comack, 2020, p. 6).
Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada was founded in 1984. This not-for-profit organization, headquartered in Ottawa, works as the national representative for Inuit women across the country and is led by a board of 15 directors headed by the president of the organization, Gerri Sharpe, an Inuit woman living in Yellowknife. Broadly, the organization’s goals are to advocate for the interests of Inuit women and girls, including better socio-economic conditions and increased participation in community life (Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, n.d.). Some of Pauktuutit's main priorities include sexual and maternal health awareness and education for Inuit women. They also strongly prioritize addressing gender-based violence, which is achieved through the education of men and boys on the topic, as well as by participating in the discourse surrounding the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The organization participates in the broader dialogues on Indigenous issues to ensure that the needs of Inuit women are prioritized (Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, n.d.). Pauktuutit also works with other national and international Indigenous groups and more local Indigenous initiatives.
One of the best ways that Canadians can help to combat the systemic oppression of Inuit women and girls is to advocate for policy solutions and initiatives that benefit this community, a strategy employed by Pauktuutit. Canadians can also use their power at the ballot box by supporting candidates who acknowledge the ongoing racial inequalities faced by Indigenous groups across Canada and plan to address them. For those within academia, further study on the systemic factors harming Inuit communities would be incredibly valuable to both advocacy and policy creation. Additionally, donations to other Inuit organizations and charities, such as Aqitauvik Healing Centre are a great way to contribute to the cause materially. The Government of Canada's actions, or lack thereof, have made it clear that addressing the problems it created within Indigenous communities, meaning it is up to advocates and people on the ground to fill in the gaps caused by centuries of neglect and outright discrimination. The work of groups such as Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada is invaluable for supporting Inuit women and girls across Turtle Island/Canada.
The Adjustment of LGBTQIA+ Forced Migrants in Western Settings
by Elizabeth Cordonero
Supporting Queer Forced Migrants to Canada
Since 1991, Canada has accepted asylum seekers escaping persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity and expression (SOGIE) (Kahn et al., 2017). In front of the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), queer asylum seekers must provide evidence that their claim is based on a real risk of persecution related to their SOGIE (LaViolette, 2009). Even if the IRB procedures have improved, they remain oppressive. Insofar as migrants must prove their queerness in order to seek asylum using this mechanism, many queer
Credit to Osvaldo Arias with the permission of AGIR Montréal
migrants prefer to use other pathways to enter Canada, such as obtaining a study visa (Marshall, 2021). For queer asylum claimants, the lack of evidence to support their claim may lead of evidence to support their claim may lead to their deportation. Importantly, cultural and communal norms related to SOGIE may prevent queer asylum claimants from publicly displaying their queerness, fearing rejection from their diasporic community in their host country (Marshall, 2021). Additionally, once in Canada, queer migrants may still struggle with homophobia and transphobia, which often intersect with new experiences of racism and xenophobia in their new home. The burden of IRB procedures and the double stigma of being labelled queer and racially or culturally ‘Other’ can harm the mental health of queer refugees. As such, it is essential that culturally appropriate mental health support be available to this population. Queer migrants are supported by organizations in different ways. However, many of these organizations lack an intersectional approach that recognizes the needs of migrants at the intersections of gender, sex orientation and ethnicity (Kahn et al., 2017). This can render migrants distrustful of services and increases the risk of mental distress and social isolation for this group.
AGIR Montréal (Action LGBTQIA+ avec les ImmigrantEs et Réfugiés) is an organization which advocates for the rights of queer migrant communities. AGIR offers support to its members by offering social activities to help them overcome stigmatization and by referring them to appropriate psychological and legal services. In 2023, AGIR launched the ‘Guide for service providers supporting trans+ and non-binary immigrants and refugees’, which is available on their website. This tool responds to service providers who seek to understand the specific needs of queer migrants and to migrants’ testimonies about their experiences regarding the services they received. The guide contains detailed intervention advice for mental health, health care and immigration services. The creators of this tool are AGIR employees from migratory backgrounds who identify as trans+ and non-binary: Dylan Montemayor, Iyan Hayadi, Mariam Mannai and Will Jammal. Explicitly based on decolonial and intersectional approaches, this guide was conceived using inclusive vocabulary and non-Western literature and data. The proposed interventions were designed by and for queer migrants. Among these interventions, the guide suggests that organizations provide a secure waiting room where visible pride flags display the words “You are safe” in many different languages. For health professionals, AGIR recommends inquiring about the medical history of patients to determine and provide treatment options related to their SOGIE. These interventions recognize the history behind individuals and aim to support coherent continuity between their cultural, sexual and gender identities.
Many queer migrants express the need to maintain their faith despite the incompatibility between certain religious precepts and their SOGIE (Alessi, 2016). Factors such as personal beliefs and lack of teaching about religious and spiritual struggles in the field of Western psychology result in the tendency of mental health workers to pathologize or neglect these dimensions in clients’ lives (Vieten & Lukoff, 2022). Excluding the religious and spiritual components from psychology training can make individuals reluctant to trust mental health professionals. It would be interesting to know if AGIR addresses this issue in the training offered to their staff and other service providers. A keen understanding of the role of religion in the lives of some queer migrants may help to address the ways in which religion affects the experiences of this demographic. If you wish to support AGIR Montréal, consider making a donation using this link:
‘Guide for service providers supporting trans+ and non-binary immigrants and refugees’: A tool “by-and-for” queer migrants
Diversity of Beliefs and Spiritual Struggles
Zines for Mental Health: Empowering Black Mothers through Storytelling
By Anne-Catherine Robert
Racial inequalities in a white supremacist society affect every sphere of Black people's lives, including their mental health. A U.S.-based study done by Chen and Mallory reveals that Black people who are experiencing racial inequalities have a 5% higher probability of cardiovascular diseases and a 3% higher probability of having depressive disorders (2021).
Amongst the Black-Caribbean population in Canada, the waiting time to receive mental health care is 16 months, which is more than double that of white people (Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2021). Some barriers to seeking mental health support might arise from cultural stigmas around mental health issues and seeking help. In a survey on the confidence that the Black Canadian population had in mental health services, 60% of respondents said they believed people would think less of them if they knew that they were affected by a mental illness (Kalambay, 2023). Research shows that Black mothers a more affected than other Black demographic subgroups by the social determinants of mental health, which includes factors related to the intersectionality of race, gender and economic status (Parker, 2021). The mental suffering of women is usually less openly discussed, especially when it relates to their role as mothers. To be sure, our society expects a lot from mothers, which can make it especially difficult for a mother to ask for help because of their difficulty in assuming their parental responsibilities because of psychological issues. Black mothers, however, might be especially reluctant to seek help given that they are more likely to have their children removed by social services than their white counterparts because of racial biases within the foster care system. As for example, in 2015 Children’s Aid Society of Toronto showed that African-Canadians accounted for 40.8 per cent of the children in care, even though they make up 8.5 per cent of the city’s population (Matar, 2020).
Freedom School Toronto is mandated to address systemic racial inequality in the provision of appropriate mental health services for Black Torontonians. In particular, the organization supports Black people in general, and Black mothers, in particular, to access mental health support. Since its founding in 2021, Freedom School Toronto has collaborated with Adornment Stories and Tracy Ampofoh to offer a Black Mom’s Mental Health Support Group. Adornment Stories is a collective composed of Black women and non-binary artists and educators. They aim to recognize the unique ways in which gender, race and intersectional identities impact mental health (Freedom School Toronto, 2021). Tracy Ampofoh is a Black social worker who challenges systemic oppression and anti-Black racism by promoting equal access to mental health and housing for the Black community. Her input in the project blended both clinical approaches and peer-based strategies (Freedom School Toronto, 2021). In her work with Freedom School Toronto, Ampofoh guided participants in creating a trauma-informed and person-centred zine (a DIY magazine that was notably used as a tool within Punk feminist movements) while providing emotional support to the participants throughout the creation process.
Ampofoh’s and the women’s project consisted of a zine that functioned as a resource for mothers to open up about their mental health. The initiators believed that, while creating the zine and sharing their narratives through storytelling, mothers would empower themselves and maybe start a healing process (Freedom School Toronto, 2021). The zine contains three parts, the first part offers a Black-centred framework for understanding psychological distress and the complex post-traumatic symptoms of colonization.
The second part includes specific stories from group participants and illustrates diverse lived experiences of Black women related to their relationships with mental health services. For example, some of the mothers fear that they will be reported to the authorities by a psychologist as a ‘bad mother’ because of their mental health issues or that their children may be taken away from them for the same reasons. Black women report difficulties in seeing psychologists since psychologists are mostly white and lack a lived understanding of their realities, traumas and daily struggles. Significantly, white mental health specialists are often shocked to hear about the traumas of their Black clients. This situation makes the patient-carer relationship harder to build, which leaves Black mothers in need of psychological help to have to rely on themselves. When the mental health specialist is a descendant of the colonial oppressor and benefits from ongoing systemic racism, this can create a barrier to providing care for Black clients.
The final section of the zine provides a list of culturally appropriate mental health resources and offers healing strategies, such as Abolitionist Safety Plans. In the Abolitionist's Safety Plans, the community plays the role of a government and proposes initiatives and programs to help Black people in need of feeling better. Members of the community can accompany individuals to their court dates and health-related appointments. They can also refer the person to culturally sensitive and safe services, such as lawyers or therapists, who can offer support for different needs. Finally, the Abolitionist Safety Plans refer Black mothers to a place they can go when they need a break or to speak to someone. This place offers on-site safe childcare services.
To counter systemic inequalities that prevent Black mothers and their children from accessing appropriate mental health support, non-Black readers can advocate for the need to address this issue to their political representatives, their educational institutions, and their local mental health services. Non-Black people also need to become more actively involved in addressing structural racist inequalities impacting Black people because silence is also violence (Parker, 2021). Finally, psychology faculties in universities must educate their students on culturally appropriate ways to offer mental health care to Black people who have distinct backgrounds and realities to consider.
Unmasking the Data Gap for Communities of Colour during the COVID-19 Pandemic
By Grace Lounsbury and Jillian Figueredo
Communities of colour in Canada suffer disproportionally from a lack of access to medical and mental health care, unstable and high-risk employment and a lack of access to information about COVID-19 (Kemei et al., 2023). These systemic factors increase the vulnerability of racialized communities to poor health outcomes. The general failure or refusal of governments and healthcare providers to collect race-based data during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated (and continues to exacerbate) systemic racial inequality in Canada. The City of Toronto, which did make some efforts to collect race-based data about COVID-19 found that, as the pandemic reached a peak, white
This photo illustrates how the absence of race-based data during the collection of COVID-19 statistics left people of colour silenced and vulnerable.
Photo Credit: Grace Lounsbury and Jillian Figueredo
Torontonians, who account for 48% of the city's population, represented only an estimated 17% of reported COVID-19 cases. By contrast, Black Torontonians, who account for 9% of the city’s population, represented an estimated 21% of reported positive COVID-19 cases (Wong, 2021). People of colour accounted for 83% of reported COVID-19 cases in the City of Toronto while making up only half of the city’s population (Cheung, 2020). The virus, of course, cannot determine skin colour. However, it does spread and flourish much more easily in conditions of economic poverty. First-generation Canadians from all racialized groups (excluding Filipino people) have higher poverty rates than white people in Canada due to historical contexts, employment disparities, and housing inequalities (Statistics Canada, 2023). Because COVID-19 is more likely to flourish in conditions of poverty, and because poverty is racialized in Canada due to problems of systemic racism that make people of colour more vulnerable to poverty, people of colour were and are more likely to be affected by COVID-19 than their white counterparts. The racial disparities that manifested during COVID-19 were continuous with existing patterns of systemic racism in Canada that have deprived individuals of colour from accessing basic human necessities (Wong, 2021). While racism existed before the pandemic, COVID-19 created conditions in which racism became more apparent.
The Colors of COVID is an initiative begun by Thierry Lindor to create awareness of the impact that COVID-19 is having on communities of colour in Canada. Lindor, an activist-entrepreneur, contends that COVID-19 is a socioeconomic pandemic with an impact on health. The goal of the research carried out by the Colors of COVID is to establish connections with social groups that have been affected by COVID-19 and gather perspectives on the prejudice experienced firsthand by these individuals. The Colors of COVID collaborated with researchers and medical institutions and contributed to increased data collection on discrimination throughout the pandemic. Collecting race- and ethnicity-based data is now considered a standard best practice in healthcare worldwide (McKenzie, 2020).
To combat systemic racism in healthcare in Canada, the government needs to standardize some of the practices modelled by The Colors of COVID-19 and generate, distribute, and analyze high-quality health statistics disaggregated according to race and ethnicity. To ensure equitable outcomes for all Canadians,
effective legislation must be put in place concerning public health, and social policy responses to health threats such as COVID-19 (McKenzie, 2020). Researchers need to consider partnering with human rights organizations and government agencies to ensure an accountable data analysis procedure that leads to fair and actionable insights (Toronto Police, 2022). In a study taken in 2022 about the impacts of COVID-19 on Black communities, participants expressed that going forward, they would like to see an increase in cultural competency among service providers in Canada, an increase in collaboration across all sectors and governments, and an increase in the number of Black healthcare professionals (Kemei et al., 2023). Thierry Lindor speaks in an episode of The Good Health Cafe podcast about how the brand Colors of COVID will outlive him as a founder. He expresses that once COVID-19 has passed, he would like the initiative to be renamed to ‘The Colors of Canada’ because there will still be discrimination in Canada’s healthcare system and related social policies. Lindor would like to use this project to continue to fight for the rights and equality of communities of colour for generations to come (Boston-Fisher, 2021). If readers wish to support the partners of the Colors of COVID, consider donating to the Côte-des-Neiges Black Community Association Inc (CDNBCA). This foundation strives to support the marginalized clients they serve on a regular basis through food security services and physical and mental health assistance, amonst other services. Find the link to donate, here:
corporate Canada. Black North Academy is an initiative led by Wes Hall, the founder and executive chairman of Kingsdale Advisors Corporation and the owner of various other businesses. Hall felt compelled to act after the murder of George Floyd by creating numerous programs to support Canada’s Black population. The tragic death of George Floyd by police brutality highlighted the fact that systemic inequalities are also very much present in Canada. The increased awareness of people around racial inequalities during this period made Hall feel like it was the right time to act and do his part in fighting for racial equity. Black North Academy is among many more programs from the Black North Initiative, such as its housing program, bursaries, and youth initiatives (CBC News, 2020). If Canada identifies itself as a multicultural country, its business landscape should reflect the population, which in turn might ensure trust between businesses and diverse consumers. The lack of diversity in corporate Canada can be explained by the structural inequalities that visible minorities, specifically Black people, have had to live with. Because of systemic racism in Canada, Black people have had less access to education, resources, and opportunities. These systemic disadvantages have made it more challenging for Black people to access higher positions in corporations. Furthermore, when Black people get into corporations, they often hit racial glass ceilings, which means that they are not given a promotion after a certain point to access higher corporate positions. This limits their presence in board director and executive positions.
The Black North Academy program, hosted at the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto, aims to increase the number of Black individuals in executive positions and on boards. Hall's approach prioritizes cultural diversity, equity, and inclusion in the learning environment. The program led by Hall, Professor David R. Beatty, and Professor Kelly Murumets, is designed to equip Rotman School of Business students with the tools to combat systemic racism in the business world while also providing opportunities for marginalized Black community members in the industry (David Beatty, 2021). As a businessman, Hall believes in finding business-minded solutions to societal issues, so he enlisted multiple signatories to join him in the fight against systemic racism toward Black individuals in business. The Black North Academy enriches the learning experience of its participants with guest speakers, conversations with Canadian CEOs, and other opportunities, such as building one's brand (Black North initiative, n.d.).
This initiative draws attention to the importance of the Black Lives Matter Movement. We can see that in the Black North Academy C-suite and boardroom preparedness article, there is a discrepancy regarding diversity. For example, there are less than 5 Black C-suite executives in Canada's seven largest energy companies, six largest banks, five largest telecoms providers, and even two of the largest life insurers (Black North Initiative, n.d). A C-suite executive is a high-ranking professional who leads an area of a company. C-level executives play a strategic role within an organization and hold senior positions that impact company-wide decisions. As a team, they ensure the company's policies and plans align with its operations and strategies. The main goal of this program is to give professionals the tools to strive in their work environment, improve their positions, and advance as C-suite office and board members.
To support this cause, readers can help promote change within the racial makeup of Canada’s corporate landscape by supporting Black businesses and acknowledging their contributions. Here is a link to make a donation to the initiative:
White males dominate corporate Canada. In 2021, racialized persons occupied only 4.5% of the corporate positions in Canada. In 2020, approximately 20% of board directors were women and only 1% were Indigenous women (Lonpré-Verret & Richards, 2021). Existing research shows that companies with diverse boards tend to outperform their competitors and reach their financial objectives more easily (Statistics Canada, 2020). The Black North Initiative boasts a variety of programs designed to combat systemic racism in c
The Black North Initiative: Fighting Systemic Racism in Corporate Canada
By Ava Frederico & Olivier Jolin
NCCAAR's Educational Initiative for Inclusivity and Equality
By Daniel Khazendar
Racism against Asians is a widespread problem in Canada, where both old and new prejudices, stereotypes, and forms of discrimination, are prevalent. Systemic racial inequality against Asian communities in North America is evident in various spheres of life, with data highlighting disparities in education, employment, and social perceptions. A study by the San Francisco Chronicle, reveals that Asian people face higher barriers to career advancement despite educational achievements, a phenomenon often referred to as the “bamboo ceiling.” Additionally, instances of microaggressions and discrimination contribute to their workplace experiences. Statistics from
People protesting against racism and Asian hate
Harvard Business Review demonstrate the underrepresentation of Asians in leadership roles, underscoring the systemic challenges Asian communities confront in achieving equal opportunities.
The National Coalition of Canadians Against Anti-Asian Racism (NCCAAR) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating anti-Asian racism in Canada. With a mission to promote inclusivity and equity, NCCAAR carries out its work through extensive research, education initiatives, and media engagement. The organization actively participates in public policy dialogues to combat systemic discrimination, striving to shape legislative changes. NCCAAR also plays a key role in developing educational programs and supports scholarships to advance knowledge in race relations and equity, aiming to address and dismantle discriminatory practices. (National Coalition of Canadians for Anti-Racism, 2023). NCCAAR has launched an initiative for inclusivity, anti-racism, and education support in Canada. Funding is provided to ACENet, a non-profit addressing educational issues for Asian Canadians, to enhance curriculum development by showcasing their contributions. NCCAAR collaborates with ACENet to offer students a comprehensive understanding of Asian Canadian history, fostering critical thinking. This partnership aims to empower educators, engage students, challenge stereotypes, and contribute to an inclusive society, aligning with NCCAAR's commitment to dismantling systemic racism through education. Together with ACENet, NCCAAR strives to create a Canada where every citizen feels valued and embraced, marking a crucial step towards inclusivity (nccaar.ca/asian Canadian curriculum project, 2005).
Anti-Asian racism is an urgent problem that attention now. This is why projects like the Asian Canadian Curriculum Project are so important. Readers can support these initiatives by advertising their programs, mobilizing social networks through social media, and donating funds to the National Coalition using the following link:
