Abstract
Race-based discrimination in Canada exists at the institutional and structural level. While acknowledging its existence is a crucial first step in eradicating this particular form of discrimination, an essential second step includes implementing structural changes at the institutional level in Canadian universities. In an effort to disrupt the Eurocentricity of knowledge production this commentary argues that the Canadian government’s official historical narrative that depicts Canada as being born of the pioneering spirit of British and French white settlers fails to capture the actual history of the country. Rather, it fosters the continuation of the supremacy of whiteness thereby causing significant harm through the perpetuation of racial bias. We argue that the history and contributions of Indigenous, Black, and Chinese Canadians, all of whom were in this country prior to confederation, should be told in a mandatory university course. Our findings indicate that while a number of universities have individual courses, usually electives and some graduate degrees on Indigenous, Black, and Chinese history, there is little offered from the Canadian context and certainly nothing that is a mandatory course requirement. In addition, we suggest compulsory university staff-wide anti-racism training; the ongoing hiring of professors and sessional instructors who are racially representative of the population of Canada; and community outreach, mentorship, and counselling programs that are designed to help students who are underrepresented in Canadian universities. In our opinion, we believe that these changes have the potential to provide a lens to disrupt settler colonial spaces, mobilize race in academic curricula, and encourage social justice actions that can offer a more inclusive learning environment.
Highlights
Race-based discrimination in Canada exists at the institutional and structural level (Este & Sato, 2018; James et al, 2010)
First and foremost, teaching the actual history of the Indigenous peoples of this land is central to our understanding of this country, second, both Black and Chinese peoples have been in this country prior to confederation
This course would be mandated and funded by the federal government in all Canadian universities and would have the added advantage of enriching and furthering the scholarship of Black, Indigenous, and Chinese Canadian’s and the larger BIPOC community. It could foster an understanding of how racism is produced and reproduced, where it exists at all levels of practice, and could guide students in tackling this issue at all entry points. Throughout this commentary, we have highlighted the need for changes to the Canadian university system that incorporates a mandatory course that accurately covers the actual history of Canada
Summary
Race-based discrimination in Canada exists at the institutional and structural level (Este & Sato, 2018; James et al, 2010). We suggest going a step further by expanding on the primary school and high school educational recommendations to include a more accurate overview of the history of Canada at the university level At this point, it is important to say, that our proposals are just one possible constellation of actions that could be taken to mitigate the perpetuation of white supremacy. In this commentary we propose several institutional level changes that are designed to affect real and lasting change that include: a country-wide addition of a mandatory first year university course that incorporates the history of these three groups within the Canadian context; a provision for mandatory university staff-wide anti-racism training; the ongoing hiring of professors and sessional instructors who are racially representative of the population of Canada; and community outreach, mentorship, and counselling programs that are designed to help students who are underrepresented in Canadian universities. What we advocate for is structural change that institutes DEI frameworks at the organizational cultural level (Kepinski & Hucke, 2017; Maitland & Steel, 2020; Martinez, 2015; TD Diversity and Inclusion, 2015)
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