Researchers investigating racism in Quebec elementary schools
A research partnership launched this month will document the experiences of anti-black racism among elementary school students in Quebec, a phenomenon that is more prevalent than one might think, according to the project's director, special education and training professor Gina Lafortune.
"I've done some research in the past that focused more on understanding the experience of young people in high school and college, and every time, it came back," said the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) professor. "Not just the kids, but a lot of the teachers and community workers were talking about things that happened in elementary school.
"It's part of what young people are experiencing. They will say, 'a friend said something to me related to colour, an insult, refused to play with me because I was black, or wouldn't sit next to me' (...) we also hear sometimes comments from teachers who say things about certain students or make remarks related to their skin color, or skills, abilities that they don't have."
To identify these types of situations, the researchers will begin by observing how classes in participating schools are conducted.
Then, they will interact with the children through age-appropriate activities and interview parents and school staff.
They will follow approximately five or six volunteer schools over a period of one-and-a-half to two years.
The research will be done in collaboration with a dozen partner organizations, including the Department of Education and several school service centres. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Observatoire des communautés noires du Québec have contributed $335,000 and $108,000, respectively, to the initiative.
INVISIBLE CONSEQUENCES
In addition to direct attacks, anti-black racism can also take more insidious forms, said Lafortune, who is also interested in what is said in the textbooks that children are made to read.
"How are groups presented in textbooks, in children's literature, who is there, who is not there, in what role, in what status?" he said.
The racism that a child experiences in elementary school can follow him all his life, she said. "At a certain point, we feel that the expectations towards us are different, that we have this representation that we are 'destined to fail,' so it plays on our self-esteem and creates a feeling of injustice and of malaise."
She also wonders about "the process of directing students into classes with learning disabilities, behavioural problems," as "it is quite well documented that there are biases in these ways of doing things."
She argues that these choices can affect a child's entire life.
"If I am quickly directed into a learning disability or behavioural disorder class, it has been documented that this will have a clear impact on the rest of my life, on the high school graduation rate, and it is certain that it maintains a cycle of poverty in certain communities," she said.
Moreover, the intersection of "racism and disadvantage" is also an issue that is under his microscope.
"For example, in some environments where there are many minority students from immigrant backgrounds, do they have all the necessary resources when compared to other schools?" she said.
FINDING SOLUTIONS
Professor Lafortune insisted that the purpose of her approach was not to point fingers but to find solutions.
"It's not to make people feel guilty or to say that the teacher is racist; we're not at that point," she said. "It's much more of a system, it's ingrained, it's something historical that is perpetuated."
She said she is aware of the "unease" surrounding these issues.
"We're in a kind of denial ... but I think we're at the point where we're talking about it, we're at the point where we're saying we can't pretend it doesn't exist," she said.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 25, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
'Unacceptable': Trudeau reacts after AFN chief says headdress taken from plane cabin
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief said her headdress was taken from an airplane cabin this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the incident 'unacceptable' and a 'mistake' on the part of Air Canada.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
From faulty kids' cribs to flammable kids' bathrobes, here are the recalls of the week
Health Canada issued recalls for various items this week, including kids’ bathrobes, cribs and henna cones.
Taylor Swift dons Montreal designer's dress in 'Fortnight' video
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.