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October 6, 2023
In 2022, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) announced the development of an Action Plan to tackle anti-Black racism in Ontario’s publicly funded education system. As part of that work, the OHRC organized a two-day roundtable in April 2023 to develop practical solutions. The OHRC’s Anti-Black Racism in Education: What We Heard Report summarizes key insights from these roundtable events, involving students and duty-holders in the education system.
The OHRC is using this report as a starting point for public dialogue as it moves into its community engagement sessions. In addition, the perspectives from this report will help inform the final Action Plan and its solutions.
Student Perspectives
The OHRC sought insights from Black Anglophone and Francophone students on improving the education experience for Black students. The discussion focused on three key questions: identifying challenges affecting Black students' success, discussing ways educators can better support them and their families, and determining the skills needed to provide equitable opportunities for all students, regardless of their background. The following themes were identified:
- Affinity and safe spaces for Black students
- Representation and support
- Cultural competency
- Teacher-student dynamics in discussions about race
- Tokenism and burden of leadership
- Racial aggressions and stereotypes
- Black Joy
- Accountability and transparency
- Training and awareness
The OHRC also reviewed over 80 victim impact statements from parent organizations and cross-analyzed them with themes from the student roundtables. The following themes highlight the systemic issues of racism and discrimination in Ontario’s education system, affecting both students and parents:
- Trauma
- Discrimination
- Communication and transparency
- Cultural sensitivity and awareness
- Stigmatization
- Student representation and voice
Educator Perspectives
The OHRC organized the roundtable discussions around eight key areas, including successful pathways for students and parents, student achievement and Black Joy, professional development, performance indicators, data collection, accountability mechanisms, operational drivers, and relationships, policy and advocacy drivers. Themes stemming from these conversations included:
- Networking between schools and boards, parents, and community supports
- Parent and student engagement
- Affinity spaces
- Representation
- Data collection
- Accountability
- Sustainability
- Legislative and regulatory changes
- Curriculum
- Black Joy
- Unlearning, disrupting, and re-imagining learning practices
- Building Francophone-specific networks, resources, and capacity
Despite community and grassroots efforts spanning decades, discrimination and racism continue to affect Black students, families, educators, and administrators. The What We Heard report highlights the persistent issues of anti-Black racism in Ontario's education system.
Additional Resources
News Release: Make Your Voice Heard at OHRC’s Community Engagement Sessions
Backgrounder: Anti-Black Racism in Education: Compendium of Recommendations
What We Heard Report PDF
Compendium of Recommendations PDF
Compendium of Recommendations Online