Anti-Racism Learning Toolkit

Welcome 

When people think 'racism,' they think about hate groups or actions that happened in the past. Recent events have shown we are not as colourblind as once believed. For some, getting treated the same simply does not happen and Canada has a history of not treating people the same. While many are familiar with Indigenous peoples and their encounters with racism, many groups have encountered overt and covert ways of keeping them out. For others, events happen suddenly making generations of Canadians from one group 'the enemy' overnight.

This guide goes over historical instances of racism but also focuses on what's happening now. Anti-racism aims to learn from the dark side of history in order to be mindful to do better, to listen to other’s voices, and to help effect true change to promote authentic diversity. 

It is the goal of this guide to contribute to our educational efforts in acknowledging how racism has shaped our thinking and actions so that we can enhance our knowledge and speak out against racism and systemic barriers. 

We acknowledge the contribution of Joan Boersma, Reference Technician, of resources involving the Indigenous experience with racism and marginalization, and Meagan Acquisto, Library Technician, for her work on the Anti-Black Racism page.