Anti-Racism 101

Anti-Racism 101

An interactive session designed to introduce participants to the ways racism has been rooted within Canadian institutions historically to contemporarily. There will be opportunities to explore distinct forms of racism including but not limited to, anti-Black racism, anti-Indigeneity, Islamophobia, Sinophobia and more, and to understand how racism operates on multiple levels, including within professional positions, organizations and industries.

Participants will be introduced to various ways allyship can be built against racism and how to reflect this through policies, practices, procedures and interactions. This session encourages critical opportunities for reflection, accountability and ultimately, growth.

Topics Covered:

  • Understanding the social construction of race and racism on multiple levels – including internalized, interpersonal and institutional

  • Exploring how colonialism and Western supremacy perpetuates racism

  • Analyzing how racism can permeate within workplace cultures, policies, practices, procedures and interactions

  • Enhancing accountability – for ourselves, towards colleagues and from leadership

Outcomes and Takeaways:

  • Building intentional allyship

  • Knowledge sharing opportunities

  • Strengthening and applying an anti-racist lens to the work we do and people we engage with

  • Ability to position oneself as a racial and intersectional being, exploring how this influences worldviews and decision-making

  • Text and media resources to support current and continued learning

Anti-Racism 201

Anti-Racism 201 (Up to 4 hours):

Prerequisite: Anti-Racism 101

An in-depth session focused on strategic planning and the practical application of anti-racist perspectives to integrate and embed within policies, practices and procedures in alignment with an organization’s mission, values and vision.

This session is an excellent prerequisite for organizations seeking a deeper understanding of how to improve metrics around recruitment, retention, promotions, colleague or client interactions, and for organizations preparing to design an Anti-Racism Strategy or Anti-Racism Action Plan.

Topics Covered:

  • Exploring the impact of race and power dynamics within professional roles

  • Forward thinking actions and strategies to improve equity, diversity and inclusion

  • Aiming further than compliance – striving to meet more than just the minimum standards of the Ontario Human Rights Code

  • The importance of a diverse array of Employee Resource Groups

Outcomes and Takeaways:

  • Ability to integrate and embed anti-racist principles within policies, practices, procedures and interactions

  • Greater competency to identify, measure and dismantle systemic racial and cultural barriers to equity and inclusion

  • A deeper understanding of how to intentionally attract and engage with underrepresented racially and culturally diverse populations