This committee provides a forum to inform, discuss, and advise the Federation on issues relevant to Black and racialized members. This includes organizing efforts to dismantle anti-Black racism and racism while addressing material and societal inequities that disproportionally affect Black and racialized communities.
Terms of Reference
- The Committee on Addressing Anti-Black Racism/ Racism shall have as its purpose: the organization of efforts to dismantle racism including anti-Black racism, and to combat material and societal inequities that disproportionally affect Black and racialized communities;
- To advise Provincial Executive on actions to combat the material and societal inequities that disproportionally affect Black and racialized communities using an anti-oppressive, anti-racist, and intersectional lens;
- To provide a forum to inform, discuss, and advise on issues relevant to Black and racialized members and ensure effective communications between District and Bargaining Units and provincial OSSTF/FEESO with respect to these issues.
- To advise Provincial Executive, the Provincial Council, and the Provincial Assembly on matters and needs relating to members who identify as Black or racialized as part of their role within OSSTF/FEESO and to combat anti-Black racism and racism in education;
- To provide advice, assistance, training support, and resources to all levels of the Federation regarding the work of the Committee including dismantling anti-Black racism;
- To advise Provincial Executive on ways to promote, and educate members on how to engage, mobilize, and build networks with local members and community;
- To advise on how to increase representation of Black and racialized members at various levels within the Federation;
- To advise the Provincial Executive on liaison opportunities with community partners who provide advocacy for Black and Racialized communities;
- To provide advice to the Provincial Executive for the on-going development and implementation of the Action Plan to Support Equity, Anti-Racism, and AntiOppression.
- To liaise with OSSTF/FEESO advisory work groups, committees, and councils.
- To maintain on-going communication and collaboration with the Equity Advisory Work Group, the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Advisory Work Group, the Human Rights Committee, and the Status of Women Committee on issues of mutual interest;
- To recommend and provide advice on priorities and programs to the Provincial Executive, and policy to the Provincial Council and AMPA including the development of an anti-racist framework.
Definitions
What is Anti-Black Racism?
Anti-Black Racism is prejudice, attitudes, beliefs, stereotyping and discrimination that is directed at people of African descent and is rooted in their unique history and experience of enslavement and its legacy. Anti-Black racism is deeply entrenched in Canadian institutions, policies, and
practices, to the extent that anti-Black racism is either functionally normalized or rendered invisible to the larger White society. Anti-Black racism is manifest in the current social, economic, and political marginalization of African Canadians, which includes unequal
opportunities, lower socio-economic status, higher unemployment, significant poverty rates and overrepresentation in the criminal justice system.
What is Racial Justice?
Racial justice initiatives address structural and systemic changes to ensure equal access to opportunities, eliminate disparities, and advance racial equity—thus ensuring that all people, regardless of their race, can prosper and reach their full potential.Racial justice and equity are achieved through deliberate action to dismantle problematic and build positively transformational systems – action must be carried through with the conviction, commitment and dedication.
Resources
Unmasking ‘racial micro aggressions’ https://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/02/microaggression
Racial Microaggressions in Everyday Life https://www.cpedv.org/sites/main/files/file-attachments/how_to_be_an_effective_ally-lessons_learned_microaggressions.pdf
Say This, Not That Activating Workplace Diversity Through Inclusive Language Practice https://thediversitymovement.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/WW-SayThis-whitepaper_201116-F.pdf
Hostility, Harassment, and Violence: On the Limits of ‘Free Speech’ for Minority Feminist Scholars – Robyn Bourgeois https://atlantisjournal.ca/index.php/atlantis/article/view/5537/4710
Brock University Support Staff 