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This section includes anti-Racism resources for white people, essential fiction by Black authors, non-fiction books and articles on policy and the Black experience, and more!
8 Terms Used in Anti-Racism Work Explained
If you’re looking for a place to begin engaging in anti-racism work, here are 8 key terms you might have heard throughout the global conversation on racism, and what they mean. Read them here.
10 things you should know about systemic racism
A list of 10 things you should know about systemic racism by IndigenousX. Read them here.
A Culture of Exploitation: “Reconciliation” and the Institutions of Canadian Art
The relationship between Canadian cultural institutions (art galleries, museums, funding agencies, collections, etc.) and Indigenous peoples has always been a contentious one. The theft of Indigenous bodies and objects by these institutions is an ongoing feature of colonialism in Canada and even as Indigenous art broke into mainstream Canadian consciousness, the relationship was beset by tokenism and inequality. It was only during a period of activism that culminated in 2017, did these institutions begin to express a commitment to reconciliation. And initially, the results of the “reconciliation year” were positive with increased representation and support. However, since then and in the midst of a pandemic, those commitments have begun to evaporate.
This Special Report by Lindsay Nixon, considers themes in the historic relationship between Indigenous people in the Institutions of Canadian art and culture to contextual a series of interviews conducted with cultural workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and which reveal a renewed exploitation of their labour and their works. Finally, the Report offers 15 Standards of Achievement that can serve as a guide for institutions and governments to begin reversing this exploitation and renewing the relationship.
Read the report and practical guide here.
"It Feels Like Having a Sugar Daddy. But in the Worst Way”: Thoughts from Racialized 2SLGBTQ+ Youth Artists in the Toronto Scene.
In 2018, the Little Sister team decided to do some community-based research on the experiences of QTBIPOC youth artists in the Toronto and GTA area. This report is the result of their findings.
Read the report and practical guide here.
Anti-Black Racism Analysis Tool for a Radically Equitable COVID-19 Response
Presented by: The City of Toronto’s Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit
The City of Toronto’s Confronting Anti-Black Racism Unit (CABR) has been leading the implementation of the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti- Black Racism and has developed an Anti-Black Racism Analysis Tool for the City of Toronto to ensure municipal services, spaces and policies are fully inclusive and accessible to Black Torontonians. Because the COVID-19 pandemic has deepened the social, economic and health crisis in Toronto’s Black communities, the Anti-Black Racism Analysis Tool has been adapted to serve as a resource for governments and community organizations that are committed to making their services, planning, practices and programs more responsive to the unique and specific experiences of Black communities. Read it here.
Anti-Racism Resources for White People
This document is intended to serve as a resource to white people and parents to deepen our anti-racism work. If you haven’t engaged in anti-racism work in the past, start now. Feel free to circulate this document on social media and with your friends, family, and colleagues.
Document compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker, Alyssa Klein in May 2020.
Non-fiction
Fiction
Looking for titles that tackle Black experiences in Canada specifically? Start with these:
An Essential Reading List for Black Liberation, Brought to You by the Schomburg Center
To mark its 95th anniversary, the center’s staff and curators chose 95 books by Black authors, including titles by James Baldwin, Saidiya Hartman, Jesmyn Ward, Deborah Willis, and Colson Whitehead.
For Organizations
For Parents, Caregivers & Individuals by Rania El Mugammar
Resources Compiled by STEPS Public Art
Categories include Supporting Indigenous Communities, Supporting the Black Community and Further Allyship & Other Resources. Check them out here.