History of anti-Black Racism in Canadian Schools and Universities- The significance of the Scarborough Charter for addressing Anti-Black racism in Canadian Institutions of Higher Education – with keynote speaker Dr. June Francis

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Saturday, February 5th, 2022
1:30 PM to 3:00 PM

This talk will explore the ways in which the history of Canadian educational institutions have contributed to persistent and contemporary anti-black racism in the educational system. Valorization of founders of Canadian universities with known links to racists view and institutions, notably George Ramsay, founder of Dalhousie university who advocated for racist, segregationist views and McGill university’s founder who had slave interests are reflective of this history. Racially segregated schooling that existed in Canada has also been downplayed in favour of narratives that portray Canada as a bastion of tolerance at the end of the underground railway. Education was fundamental to the protection of whiteness ideology, pedagogy and the promotion of Euro-centric values and worldviews. Today the effects are curriculum that pays scant attention to Black Canadian History and an erasure of African and the African Diaspora contribution to knowledge production. Black under representation across the educational system and the near absence of Black/African thought, pedagogy and history have had profound impacts on the identities and well-being of Black Canadians and these effects persists to today.

The talk will also discuss the transformative potential of The Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education: Principles, Actions and Accountability (Scarborough Charter). The charter was developed to address Black exclusion in tertiary educational system and has now been signed by many Canadian and BC universities and colleges. Do we need a similar charter for all levels of the Canadian educational system?