Dreams Delayed – Video 1

Video 1 of 3 Dreams Delayed 

Described Transcript

[This video contains a sequence of words on screen and close-ups of diverse students and educators in various settings. The opening scene shows various characters from the Dreams Delayed graphics, appearing and exiting in a collage style. Upbeat music begins.]

Narrator: The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) welcomes you to our three-part educational series exploring Dreams Delayed.

[The scene changes quickly to show a young student holding books with a graphic design in the background, then a close-up of the Dreams Delayed report cover. Upbeat music fades out. The scene then changes to show a video of a young boy exiting a school bus.]

Narrator: Over the course of this 3-part series,

we begin with an overview of Dreams Delayed, explore the human rights obligations in education and outline the actions and expectations needed to address discrimination, and we’ll highlight how organizations, education leaders, and communities can play an active role in addressing systemic anti-Black racism and discrimination in Ontario's public education system.

[The scene changes to show diverse children racing through a green schoolyard, then shows a closeup of a young boy at the top of a slide.]

As you move forward in this video series, we encourage you to reflect deeply on your role as a duty-holder, how your decisions, daily practices and the policies you create or follow 

shape the experiences of Black students and educators.

[The scene changes to show text on screen and graphic elements from the Dreams Delayed report cover, coming in and leaving quickly in a collage-style.]

We invite you to engage openly, think critically, and consider how the learnings from this series can shape our collective work moving forward. 

[The video scene changes to a sectional break, showing a young boy on a computer who smiles at the camera. The section is titled ‘Core Definitions and Concepts’.]

Next, let's take a look at an Overview and some Core Definitions and Concepts. 

[The scene changes to a text-based design with various characters from the Dreams Delayed graphics.]

In 2022, the OHRC launched the Anti-Black Racism and Discrimination in Education initiative,

centering the voices of students, families, educators, and communities with lived experiences.

[The screen splits to show a video of flipping pages in a textbook, combined with text on screen.]

The Ontario Human Rights Commission reviewed more than 70 years of community reports and compiled over 190 recommendations from 83 reports into a Compendium of Recommendations.

[The video changes to a mix of text-based design and video footage, showing a young community member engaging in a tabletop discussion.]

These findings reflect decades of advocacy and the ongoing impact of anti‑Black racism in education.

[The scene changes to show a video of a young girl playing at a table with a schoolmate.]

For generations, Black students, families, and education workers have faced racial discrimination and harassment, disproportionate discipline, academic streaming, and feeling unsafe in school environments.

[The video shows a text-based design with an inset video of two women having a discussion in an agency setting.]

Dreams Delayed builds on community leadership and provides a roadmap for ending systemic anti‑Black racism in education.

[The scene changes to a video of young students standing in a circle, putting their hands together in an ‘all-in’ gesture.]

It imagines school environments where Black students, educators, and staff are respected, supported and experience a strong sense of belonging.

[The next scene shows a young female teacher sitting on the floor surrounded by students clapping and singing.]

At its core, it calls on education leaders as duty-holders, to uphold their human rights obligations to respect, protect, promote

[The video changes and a different female student is shown sitting on a chair reading to a group of students sitting in front of her.]

and fulfil the right to non-discrimination by creating learning and working environments free from discrimination and harassment.

[The video changes back to text-based graphic design, showing the outline of an Ontario map partnered with characters from the Dreams Delayed graphics.]

Black communities have made profound contributions to Ontario,

yet inequalities persist - making systemic change essential.

[The video scene changes to a sectional break, showing a female teacher writing on a white board in front of a class. The section is titled ‘Three Foundational Themes’. The design then changes to text-based, showing the definitions of the themes along with various characters from the Dreams Delayed graphics, on flipping pages of a spiral-bound book.]

To make real change, Dreams Delayed identifies three foundational themes:

1.         Accountability and Transparency: Duty‑holders must improve outcomes, not just check off tasks. The public must also see whether human rights obligations are being met.

2.         Monitoring and Evaluation: Progress must be outcome‑based, supported by the collection and analysis of data. 

3.         Student Well-Being: Student well‑being is central; real change requires transforming systems, not asking students to adapt to harmful environments.

[The video scene changes to another sectional break, showing a young girl following along to a lesson from her textbook. The section is titled ‘Defining Anti-Black Racism’.]

It is essential that we begin by defining what we mean by anti-Black racism.

[The scene changes to text-based design, partnered with the report cover graphic from Dreams Delayed.]

Anti‑Black racism is prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination directed at people of African descent and rooted in the history and legacy of enslavement.

[The scene changes to show text on screen combined with an inset video of an aerial view of a school in Milton, Ontario.]

It is embedded in institutions and systems, to the extent it is often normalized or invisible.

[The scene changes to rapidly changing images in sync with the listed inequalities in education; a female in a classroom looking worried, a group of young professionals having a discussion, hands holding open an empty wallet, a young boy smiling at the camera, and a graphic image of the scales of justice.]

It contributes to persistent inequalities in education, employment, income, and over-representation in the child welfare and criminal justice systems.

[The video scene changes to a sectional break, showing a male teacher assisting students in a classroom. The section is titled ‘Human Rights Concepts’.]

Key Human Rights Concepts

To address discrimination, we must understand the human rights principles behind this work:

[The scene shows text on screen and characters from the Dreams Delayed graphics.]

Systemic Discrimination

When policies or practices, even ones that appear neutral, create or perpetuate ongoing disadvantages for certain groups.

[The scene shows text on screen and an image of a group of students doing crafts in a classroom with a female teacher watching over.]

Substantive Equality

True equality focuses on outcomes by ensuring fair access and opportunity and recognizing that different treatment may be needed to address systemic disadvantage.

[The scene shows text on screen over an open textbook.]

Race and Racism

Race is a social construct, not a biological one. 

Racism can show up in attitudes, behaviour, policies and systems.

[The scene shows text on screen and an image of a young girl in a wheelchair.]

Intersectionality

Students may face overlapping forms of discrimination - for example, based on race and disability.

[The scene shows text on screen and an image of a young girl with her face in her hands as she overhears others talking about her.]

Harassment

A pattern of unwelcome comments or conduct that a person knows or reasonably should know is unwelcome. 

[This scene shows text on screen and a graphic design of a young girl with her head in her hands and a pencil above scribbling in circles.]

Poisoned Environment:

A school climate made harmful by discriminatory comments or conduct, even if not directed at one person.

[The video changes to a scene that is a combination of text-based design and an image of a smiling male and a female student sitting at their desks in a classroom.]

Schools must ensure positive, inclusive, and non‑discriminatory learning spaces.

[The video shows graphic elements from the Dreams Delayed report cover, coming in and leaving quickly in a collage-style.]

Your role in taking this action is simple:

[This scene is a combination of text on screen listing the role of the duty-holders, with the Dreams Delayed graphics as the background.]

1. Reflect on your responsibilities. 

2. Begin conversations within your teams. 

3.  Commit to creating safer schools that advance substantive equality. 

And 4. Use Dreams Delayed to guide meaningful action.

[The video changes to a text-based scene recapping the content covered in the video, combined with characters from the Dreams Delayed graphic and a partial image of the report cover. Upbeat music begins.]

Thank you for taking this first step. 

This video introduced systemic discrimination, substantive equality, accountability, and student well‑being.

[The scene splits to show text on screen and a character from the Dreams Delayed graphic and a design of multiple hands holding up a flourishing plant in a pot.]

Each duty‑holder must act decisively to address discrimination and build an inclusive education system.

[The video changes to text-based, with characters from the Dreams Delayed graphic.]

Carry these concepts into the next videos as we explore how to apply human rights obligations in practice.

The next video explores the Ontario Human Rights Code and the principles guiding education.

[The video changes to show a laptop with the Dreams Delayed website landing page on its screen, combined with a text-based design and characters from the Dreams Delayed graphic.]

To learn more about Dreams Delayed, visit: ohrc.on.ca/DreamsDelayed

[Upbeat music fades out.]