A-180-AR: Anti-racism
References:
- A-110, Welcoming, Caring, Respectful and Safe Learning and Working Environments
- A-150, Discrimination and Harassment
- D-180, Resolution of Complaints/Concerns Regarding Division Staff
- Alberta Human Rights Act
- Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
1. Definitions
1.1 Anti-racism: is the proactive and consistent process of identifying, challenging, preventing and dismantling racism. It uses direct action to acknowledge where privilege exists, raise awareness, advocate for change and challenge beliefs (such as prejudice, bias and stereotypes) at the personal and institutional level to create and implement action to fight racism for individuals and within an organization, workforce or group.
1.2 Racism: includes conscious and unconscious discriminatory or derogatory attitudes, microaggressions, comments or actions directed at marginalized groups relative to race or culture. It is based on assumptions, perceptions, social constructs, lack of knowledge or personal beliefs of superiority. Racism occurs in the context of a power and privilege imbalance and can be experienced at the individual, institutional or systemic level.
In this context:
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- Individual racism refers to an individual expressing racist assumptions, beliefs or behaviours and is a form of racial discrimination, whether expressed overtly or covertly.
- Institutional racism occurs when institutions create or maintain racial inequity, often as a result of hidden biases in policies, practices and procedures that privilege some groups and disadvantage others.
- Systemic racism occurs when racist assumptions, beliefs or behaviours are reinforced by systems of power that perpetuate racial group inequity. Systemic racism involves dimensions of our history and culture that have allowed racial privileges and inequities to endure and adapt over time.
1.3 Intersectionality: the way in which people's lives are shaped by their multiple and overlapping identities and social locations, such as race, class, sexual orientation and gender, which, together, can produce a unique and distinct experience for that individual or group, for example, creating additional barriers, opportunities, and/or power imbalances.
1.4 Wâhkôhtowin: In nêhiyawêwin (the Cree language), a foundational wisdom concept that is central to nêhiyaw (Cree) worldview is wâhkôhtowin. Translated into English, wâhkôhtowin is generally understood to refer to kinship and relationality. In a practical way, wâhkôhtowin describes ethical guidelines regarding how you are related to your kin and how to conduct yourself as a good relative. The guidelines teach how to relate to human relatives and address them in accordance with traditional kinship teachings.
However, wâhkôhtowin also refers to more-than-human kinship relations. The nêhiyaw worldview emphasizes honouring the ancient kinship and relationships that humans have with all other forms of life that comprise their traditional territories. This emphasis teaches human beings to understand themselves as fully enmeshed in networks of relationships that support and enable their life and living.
Donald, D. (2021). We Need a New Story: Walking and the wâhkôhtowin Imagination. Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies (JCACS) Vol. 18 (2). P. 53-63. https://doi.org/10.25071/1916-4467.40492
1.5 Oppression: the systematic subjugation of one social group by a more powerful social group for the social, economic, and political benefit of the more powerful social groups.
1.5.1 Bias: a subjective opinion, preference, prejudice, or inclination, often formed without reasonable justification, which influences the ability of an individual or group to evaluate a particular situation objectively or accurately. Biases (particularly implicit or unconscious biases) are built into and perpetuated by societal systems and structures through socialization. These biases might be against others’ race, gender, weight, disability, sexuality, skin-tone, age, culture or religion.
1.6 Prejudice: negative or false prejudgment or preconceived feelings or notions about another person or group of persons based on perceived characteristics often in the absence of personal experience, legitimate or sufficient evidence. Racial prejudice refers to a set of discriminatory or derogatory attitudes based on assumptions deriving from perceptions about race and/or skin colour.
1.6.1 Unconscious Bias: refers to the attitudes or stereotypes that affect our judgements, understanding, actions and decisions in ways that are outside of conscious awareness and/or control. Also known as implicit bias.
1.7 Privilege: unearned power, benefits, advantages, access and/or opportunities based on membership or perceived membership in a dominant group.
1.7.1 White Supremacy: in this context, is the systematic marginalization of People of Colour based on a socially constructed racial hierarchy that privileges people who identify or perceived as white. It does not refer to extremist ideologies which believe that white people are genetically or culturally superior to non-whites.
1.8 Stereotype: incorrect assumption based on things like race, colour, ethnic origin, place of origin, religion, etc. Stereotyping typically involves attributing the same characteristics to all members of a group regardless of their individual differences. It is often based on misconceptions, incomplete information and/or false generalizations.
1.8.1 Discrimination: is negative differential treatment of a person or group on the basis of race, religious beliefs, ethnicity, language, colour, gender, physical disability, mental disability, age, ancestry, place of origin, marital status, source of income, family status, gender identity and/or gender expression or sexual orientation.
1.9 Systemic barrier: a barrier embedded in the social or administrative structures of an organization, including the physical accessibility of an organization, organizational policies, practices and decision-making processes, or the culture of an organization.
1.10 Microaggression: a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group (such as a racial minority).
1.11 Equity: is achieved in an educational institution when students with diverse backgrounds, lived experiences and needs are fully able to participate in the benefits of an education. Equity involves providing each learner with the type and amount of support needed to be successful, including culturally relevant and responsive environments and resources. Students are provided the opportunity to experience success and human dignity while developing the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to contribute as citizens in society. Equity must consider equitable access, processes and outcomes.
1.12 Intercultural Understanding: learning from and engaging with diverse cultures in ways that support commonalities and differences, create connections with others and cultivate mutual respect.
1.13 Cultural appropriation: also called cultural misappropriation, is the adoption of an element or elements of one culture or identity by members of another culture or identity for use, commodification or profit, often without understanding, acknowledgement or respect for its value in the original culture.
1.14 Cultural Diversity: refers to the presence of all diverse groups in an organization and community and acknowledges and values their socio-cultural differences and their cultural expressions and
contributions within the organization and community.
1.15 Cultural humility: is a lifelong process of self-reflection, self-critique and commitment to understanding and respecting different points of view, while engaging with others humbly, authentically and from a place of learning.
1.16 Cultural safety: a culturally safe environment is physically, socially, emotionally and spiritually safe. There is recognition of, and respect for, the cultural identities of others, without challenge or denial of an individual’s identity, who they are, or what they need. Culturally unsafe environments diminish, demean or disempower the cultural identity and well-being of an individual.
1.17 Culture: refers to a group’s shared set of beliefs, norms and values. It is the totality of what people develop to enable them to adapt to their world, which includes language, gestures, tools, customs and traditions that define their values and organize social interactions. Culture is expressed and reproduced through formal and informal systems of reinforcement. Human beings are not born with culture – they learn and transmit it through language and observation.
1.18 Colonization: the process of invasion, dispossession, genocide and subjugation of a people. The result is the dispossession of vast amounts of lands from the original inhabitants and the long-term result is institutionalized inequality. The colonizer/colonized relationship is by nature an unequal one that benefits the colonizer at the expense of the colonized. Settler colonialism — such as in the case of Canada — is the unique process where the colonizing population does not leave the territory, asserts ongoing sovereignty to the land, actively seeks to assimilate the Indigenous populations and extinguish their cultures, traditions and ties to the land. Colonialism refers to the ideology or method that makes way for colonization.
1.19 Race: a socially-constructed identity based on geographic, historical, political, economic, social and cultural factors, as well as physical traits. Race is not intrinsic to human beings but rather an identity created to establish meaning in a social/economic context.
1.20 Marginalization: is a long-term, structural process of systemic discrimination that creates a class of disadvantaged minorities.
1.21 Lived experience: personal knowledge about the world gained through direct, first-hand involvement in everyday events rather than through representations constructed by other people.
1.22 Diversity: the presence of a variety of unique human dimensions, qualities and characteristics within an individual, group or organization. Diversity includes such factors as age, sex, gender, race, ethnicity, physical and intellectual ability, religion, sexual orientation, educational background and expertise, socioeconomic status, and the unique personal characteristics that distinguish us as individuals and groups.
1.23 Inclusive: an inclusive education system is a way of thinking and acting that demonstrates acceptance of, and belonging for, all students. It is founded on the belief that all children can learn and reach their full potential given opportunity, effective teaching and appropriate resources. An inclusive education system supports every student to be included and feel represented within their greater school community.
1.24 Harassment: engaging in a course of comments or actions that are known, or ought reasonably to be known, to be unwelcome. It can involve words or actions that are known or should be known to be offensive, embarrassing, humiliating, demeaning or unwelcome.
1.25 Diversity: refers to the uniqueness of human differences. It includes ways of being, doing and knowing.
1.26 Disaggregated data: in the context of race-based data, this means breaking down composite ("aggregate") categories such as "visible minority" into component parts, such as Black, Chinese, Arab, etc.
2. Division schools and workplaces recognize that racism exists in our schools, the education system and the broader community and that the efforts to dismantle racism, discrimination and privilege from our learning and working environments is an ongoing and collective responsibility. Division schools and workplaces commit to the ongoing and collective responsibility through the following:
2.1 Anti-racism and Discrimination
2.1.1 Providing professional development and capacity building for division staff to better understand their responsibility to address racism when it occurs and their role in preventing and mitigating biases and barriers caused by racism and discrimination that affect students, staff and families in the school system.
2.1.2 Continuously and meaningfully engaging with members of the community who have experienced systemic and institutional racism and marginalization to help inform the division’s deliberate efforts to dismantle racism and discrimination within the school system.
2.1.3 Not tolerating, condoning or ignoring discrimination, harassment or hate activity in schools or division facilities by using principles of stop, intervene, educate.
2.1.4 Developing processes and resources that enable safe reporting of incidents and healthy relationships to strengthen open, respectful and restorative dialogue supportive of an environment of anti-racism, compassion and empathy.
2.1.5 Providing learning opportunities for students, families and communities to better understand their responsibility to address racism when it occurs and their role in preventing and mitigating biases and barriers caused by racism and
discrimination that affect students, staff and families in the school system.
2.2 Equity and Inclusion
Division schools and workplaces understand that a sense of belonging for students and staff enriches the learning and working environments. Division schools and workplaces commit to equity and inclusion through:
2.2.1 Establishing and implementing an anti-racist environment that reflects the cultural diversity of the school and broader community and that is responsive to students’ and staff life experiences and cultural backgrounds.
2.2.2 Supporting staff through professional development that is focused on helping staff understand the diversity within their school and broader community and their responsibility to respect cultural diversity and promote intercultural understanding.
2.2.3 Actively establishing and maintaining community relationships that reflect the diversity of the school and broader community.
2.2.4 Embedding equity and inclusive work on an ongoing basis and recognizing that anchor events (ie: recognizing that Black history month, National Indigenous’ Peoples Day) is insufficient.
2.3 Student Success and Achievement
Division schools believe that every student can reach their full potential, and acknowledges that respect for, and responsiveness to, students’ lived experience, culture and language is fundamental to their success. Deliberate and strategic efforts are required to ensure the success and achievement for all students. Division schools commit to this through:
2.3.1 Supporting an environment where students’ diverse histories, identities and lived experiences are valued and recognized as part of their success, engagement and belonging in schools.
2.3.2 Building staff capacity to review, identify and use resources and materials that represent the cultural diversity of the community.
2.3.3 Engaging with staff, family, educational institutions, community members and cultural groups to support student success and provide culturally meaningful opportunities to learn in a way that brings unique voices and lived experiences to the curriculum and their learning.
2.3.4 Developing a data gathering system in partnership with community to build understanding of student experiences and outcomes.
2.3.5 Providing peer support and restorative model as tools for education and mediation.