Share Your Thoughts on HWDSB’s Anti-Black Racism Policy Draft
Your Voice Matters – We Want to Hear From You
The Anti-Black Racism Policy draft is now available for review and feedback. HWDSB is inviting students, staff, parents, guardians and community member to review the draft policy and provide further input. Your voice is valued and will further contribute to the final policy.
Please review the full policy here: https://www.hwdsb.on.ca/about/equity/draft-anti-black-racism-policy/ (A PDF version is available for download here).
How to Participate
- Fill out the survey – Please read and review the draft policy BEFORE filling out the survey
- LINK TO SURVEY: https://ca.research.net/r/HWDSBAntiBlackRacismPolicy
- Email your comments and feedback to equity@hwdsb.on.ca
- Participate in an in-person feedback session on May 17, 2022 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. REGISTER HERE
Please note that the Anti-Black Racism Survey is completely voluntary and anonymous.
If you need the survey translated into a different language or would like to enlist the support of an interpreter to share your answers, please let us know at equity@hwdsb.on.ca
The survey will be open until May 19, 2022.
About the Anti-Black Racism Policy
BACKGROUND
The impact and consequences of historical and ongoing marginalization have created systemic barriers that prevent students and staff from fully participating in the education system. This is especially true for Black students who are disproportionately impacted by systemic Anti-Black racism and inequitable outcomes. Data shows that Black students are less likely to graduate, over-represented in applied courses and special education, more likely to be racially profiled and face harsher disciplinary measures, less likely to learn about their histories in school in a culturally responsive way, and less likely to see themselves represented in board personnel, instructional resources and the day-to-day curriculum. Black staff also experience prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination in their schools and work environments.
The need to specifically address anti-Black racism at HWDSB has become clearer after what we heard and continue to hear from HWDSB Black students and staff, from research, from reports such as the Hamilton Center for Civic Inclusion & Hamilton Students 4 Justice Community Safety & Well-Being For Black Youth in Hamilton Schools (link) , from The Parents of Black Children (link) and from reviews done in Ontario school boards exposing Anti-Black Racism in the education system.
The Ontario Anti-Racism Act 2017 defines Anti-Black racism as follows:
“Anti-Black Racism is prejudice in attitudes and 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 society. Anti-Black racism manifests in the current educational marginalization of African Canadians, which includes unequal opportunities, disproportionately low academic achievement, lessened experiences of well-being, and overrepresentation in the disciplinary and Special Education data.”
An Anti-Black racism focused policy will allow HWDSB to identify and address the urgent issues that Black students and staff face in a more targeted way, but in a way that will also benefit all students and staff. This approach of targeted universalism targets the removal of systemic barriers experienced by the most disadvantaged communities in ways that contribute to the universal goal of achieving educational equity for all students and inclusive work environments for all staff.
Learn More:
- HWDSB – Anti-Black Racism Policy Draft
- HWDSB – Human Rights and Equity
- HWDSB – Equity Action Plan
- Ontario Anti-Racism Act 2017 – Anti-Black Racism
- HCCI & HS4J – Community Safety and Well-Being for Black Youth in Hamilton Schools
Updated on Wednesday, May 04, 2022.