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In 1960, while peacefully protesting apartheid in South Africa, 69 people were killed and 80 wounded after police fired on the crowd of demonstrators. The United Nations Security Council condemned the Sharpeville Massacre and the racist actions of the South African government. In 1966, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 21 the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The day was created to remind people of racial discrimination’s negative consequences. Although we have come a long way in the 48 years since this declaration, we still have much work to do.

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is a day to reflect on and oppose racism. We must all commit to oppose this hateful ideology that contradicts our belief that all people are born free and equal.

The 2021 theme for this United Nations observance is “Youth standing up against racism.” This effort engages the public through #FightRacism, which aims to foster a global culture of acceptance, equality and anti-discrimination and calls on each and every one of us to stand up against racial prejudice and intolerant attitudes.

Every day, people in Hamilton confront ongoing racism in their workplaces, in the lack of equal educational opportunities, in unequal access to health care or public services, as well as in overt racist actions. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, racism has been increasing against at Asian, Black, Indigenous, and other racialized communities.

Sadly, the world is grieving again after a mass shooting. In Atlanta, eight people lost their lives, six of whom were Asian women. This horrific act of violence occurred at a time when acts of anti-Asian racism and violence are rising here in Canada and across the world.  Within our community, staff, students, and families are experiencing harmful impacts on mental health, well-being and safety having to confront anti-Asian discrimination and racism. We urge you to access the attached resource, Addressing Anti-Asian Racism, to assist in dealing with some of the root causes of these negative experiences.

Racism has real costs if we do not act against it.

Locally, we are striving to make change. COVID-19 has exposed two pandemics in our society: one related to the virus itself, and one related to the social inequities that the virus has intensified, like anti-Black racism. I want to thank the team of staff informed by our community that has created a series lessons to address the two pandemics, in modules for Learn.Disrupt.Rebuild@HWDSB: Building a Community of Care​.

We need to better understand the experiences of Black, Indigenous and racialized students and staff, so that we can identify gaps and address them. It is an opportunity and a moral responsibility to learn from Indigenous, racialized and other ​historically under-represented communities across HWDSB. This spring, our student census We All Count will be part of our effort to close gaps created by systemic racism. We will also be listening to this lived experience through the Racialized Student Voice Committee.

As an institution, HWDSB is also facing concerns about racism, as our Board Chair summarized on March 5 amid the Trustee Code of Conduct complaints. We acknowledge the harm that anti-Black racism has caused in our community, and we are committed to the work required to repair this harm in our schools, workplaces and community at large.

We have already started to implement recommendations from the investigative report into these concerns. Our steps are an opportunity to change our trajectory as an institution. We need action that guides us toward building a culture of inclusion and dismantling the systemic racism and bias that no one should ever endure.

HWDSB staff should not tolerate any harassing, racist or discriminatory remarks or acts of violence against anyone. In these trying times, instead of division we present a unified stance against racism and re-affirm the vital role that education plays in fighting racism, hatred, and fear. As racism seeks to divide us, our response must foster community solidarity. We want everyone to know that they belong, and that their contributions are valued. We know that racism has no place in our schools, our community or our society.

Thank you for helping in this important work as we #FightRacism and #Standup4humanrights.

Sincerely,

Resources:
Equity Resources for Staff
Equity Resources for Families