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Online seminar: Anti-Black racism 101

February 25, 2021

We invite you to watch this 90-minute online seminar to increase your understanding of anti-Black racism, including tools to name, disrupt, challenge, confront and ultimately eradicate anti-Black racism. This seminar was led by the Education, Awareness and Outreach unit of the Office of the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion (OVPECI).

Contributors will guide participants through:

  • the historical nature and context of anti-Black racism in Canada
  • the impacts of anti-Black racism on Black people
  • language to empower you to engage in critical discussions about anti-Black racism
  • skillful ways you can use your privilege to support the eradication of anti-Black racism and challenge white supremacy
  • the importance of committing to self-education to continue to learn and advocate against anti-Black racism
  • the meaning of solidarity and intersectionality in the context of allyship 

Watch the seminar online 

This video includes hard captions. Watch the video with ASL interpretation.

Facilitator

Crystal Mark, Education, Awareness and Outreach Consultant

Crystal Mark

Education, Awareness and Outreach Consultant, OVPECI

Crystal is the seminar’s facilitator, providing participants with an in-depth overview of anti-Black racism. She addresses the insidious nature of anti-Black racism and its roots in white supremacy and colonization.

Contributors

Dr. Denise O'Neil Green, Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion

Dr. Denise O’Neil Green

Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion

Denise sets an important context for participants in the context of Ryerson’s work to address the systemic, historical and pervasive nature of anti-Black racism. She speaks of our collective responsibility to eradicate this oppression in our lifetime, referring to current world events and the release of Ryerson’s Anti-Black Racism Campus Climate Review.

Dr. Cheryl Thompson, assistant professor at Toronto Metropolitan University in the School of Creative Industries

Dr. Cheryl Thompson (external link) 

Assistant Professor, School of Creative Industries, Faculty of Communication and Design

Cheryl discusses her research, work and experiences as a Black educator and student. She shares personal examples about anti-Black racism within educational institutions and in the workplace.

Watch Dr. Thompson’s address.

Desmond Cole, award-winning journalist, radio host, and activist in Toronto

Desmond Cole (external link) 

Award-winning journalist, author, radio host and activist in Toronto

Desmond reads an excerpt from his national bestselling book “The Skin We're In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power” to highlight the complexity of the Black Canadian experience. He also addresses his work on the front lines of Black resistance and his work to address anti-Black racist violence in Toronto and Canada. 

Watch Desmond’s address.