Tackling systemic racism starts with an overhaul within government institutions
In recent months, there has been increased attention to systemic racism brought on by demonstrations worldwide since the killing of George Floyd in June. In Canada, the recent death of Joyce Echaquan due to alleged racially motivated negligence and the brutal killing of Mohamed-Aslim Zafis outside a Toronto mosque, have led to calls for changes […]
The N-word is hate speech, not free speech
CALGARY—The aroma of burning crosses dotting the landscape of this “multicultural” nation sure smells like the anti-Black racism most “leaders” are purported to stand against. The proliferation of N-word usage, primarily among educators in publicly funded institutions is becoming a crisis of mental and emotional abuse that manifests itself in structural violence. Coined in the […]
Time for a more inclusive innovation economy
TORONTO—Canada performs below its innovation potential. We have exceptionally well-educated and creative people producing world-class research and a handful of innovative and growing firms making a mark on the world stage. Yet, innovation and commercialization across the economy more widely are lacklustre. Canadian firms continue to falter on business spending on research and development, technology […]
Failure and success in Indigenous health
OTTAWA—On Monday, Sept. 28, Joyce Echaquan from Atikamekw died in the Joliette Hospital while nurses taunted her with racism. Joyce was expecting to experience racism; that is why she took the video. Systemic racism across provincial ministries has already been documented in the Public Inquiry Commission on relations between Indigenous Peoples and certain public services […]
New Senate art display is the first ever to feature Black artists
The portraits of past Speakers and monarchs—white man, after predominantly white man, aside from Queens Victoria and Elizabeth and two Speakers—have long decorated the halls of the Senate, but a new display is breathing new life, and representation, into the space. “I’m a firm believer that the arts are an international language, along with movement […]
Throne Speech a missed opportunity to signal real action on tackling systemic racism
A Throne Speech isn’t meant to be much more than a high-level outline of what the government intends to do in the coming session of Parliament. But there is room for specificity, and the government has taken advantage of that for other initiatives. For example, this time around, the Liberals zeroed in on the creation […]
Driving right-wing extremism out of the Canadian Armed Forces
OTTAWA—Last week Army Commander, Lieutenant-General Wayne Eyre presided over the annual army council meeting. Although the sessions were held in Ottawa, the majority of the attendees participated virtually due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions. Reaching out directly to 450 top- to mid-level army officers, Eyre outlined to his chain-of-command a new set of explicit directions […]
Attacking prominent women does no one any good
KAMOURASKA, QUE.—Among the “bon mots” offered by Maryon Pearson, none stands out more than her comment, “Behind every successful man stands an astonished woman.” Maryon Moody’s brilliance attracted Professor “Mike” Pearson to her in his University of Toronto history class. Her early married life was not easy, living in Ottawa while her diplomat husband spent […]
University education and Black youth
In Statistics Canada’s recent report, Changes in the socioeconomic situation of Canada’s Black population, 2001 to 2016, René Houle writes that “one of the main challenges” faced by members of Canadian Black communities is that Black youth—especially young men—“are less likely to have attended a higher educational institution and to have earned a post-secondary diploma.” […]
Black student groups lead the charge as StatsCan data gives deep dive on racism in education
As the international focus on systemic racism continues, disaggregated data from Statistics Canada gives a new glimpse into how anti-Black racism affects Black students in Canada, and the findings should compel universities and other major institutions to “look back to the basis of the structures we’ve operated in for years” to reform racist practices, says […]
