Anti-Racism Toolkit

This Anti-Racist Toolkit has been designed to help support administrators on the journey towards decolonizing education, using Critical Race Theory as the guiding force. The first section is to have us take a fresh look at race and racism. We cannot seek to be Anti-Racist, if we do not understand the social construction of race, and deconstruct the good-bad binary of racism. " The good news is that racist and antiracist are not fixed identities... What we say about race, what we do about race, determines what - not who - we are." - Ibram X Kendi.

PDSB Action: this is the why behind what we must do. This work is responding to call to action. This page helps set the context for further understanding.

Reflection: to help us as administrators, as well as the staff that we lead and support, reflect on our own power, privilege and personal bias. As Malcolm X once said, "Education is the passport to the future for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today." When we educate ourselves we learn to unlearn, we learn to redefine, we learn to examine and uncover. We learn to grow and be transformed.

Culturally Reflective and Responsive Pedagogy: let's truly examine our practices that support learning. Our we leading equitable and inclusive schools? This is not just the right thing to do, it is supported by several policy documents which makes it our administrative responsibility.

Anti-Indigenous Racism: We have intentionally created a separate page for the sovereignty of Indigenous people. It is not an issue of equity, it's a very distinct issue of law makers attempting to de-identify Indigenous peoples of Canada. To fully understand what are the key issues for Anti-indigenous racism, one must first understand Colonialism. Colonialism was based upon the practice of European settlers moving into territories already inhabited by Indigenous peoples for the purposes of acquiring new lands and resources. This expansion was and still is rooted in the violent suppression of Indigenous peoples’ governance, legal, social and cultural structures. Colonialism has historically attempted to force Indigenous peoples to accept and integrate into our European institutions that are designed to force them to conform with the structures of the colonial state. “Colonialism remains an ongoing process, shaping both the structure and the quality of the relationship between settlers and Indigenous peoples.” (TRC Final Report, 2016 What We Have Learned: Principles of Truth and Reconciliation)

A.R.E. in Action: Anti-Racist Education in Action provides administrators with tools to purposefully take action within their buildings. On this page you will find ministry documents, and Equity tools to evaluate where you are in accordance to the Provincial Equity policy. Suggestions for how to do an effective Equity Walk, how to partner with parents and community and more. Check it out and take action!

Student Voice: How do you talk to students about race? Is there a space for them to have safe dialogue? Are the given an opportunity to share their voice, through clubs, focus groups, leadership, and other opportunities? Are we listening to what our students are trying to tell us?

Resources: to help administrators continue to learn, grow and apply the learning to lead anti-racist and equitable schools.

OPC Admin: Here you will find tools created by OPC administrators like yourself, to support Anti-Racism and Equity development in your school.

ARTtoolkit Site: Created and maintained by Marsha Forbes (@ateachertweet)