Anti Oppression Toolkit

As Canadians, we see a lot of bigotry and hatred across the border and tend to think it couldn’t

happen in our own backyard; it doesn’t matter which flag you’re under, racism exists. This video gives

a real perspective of what it’s like to be Black in Canada and the struggles the Black community have

to live with everyday.

Kathleen Bremang-Newman, Tracy Moore, and Shemroy Parkinson talk about the spectrum of racism

they experience and how they are constantly reminded of systemic barriers in their everyday lives.

They touch on the 2020 Academy Awards and how “black performers are good enough to sing and

dance for the Oscars but not good enough to award”. Jane Schmidt then talks about the lack of

diversity in the library profession, tokenism, and how it’s often driven by white fragility.

Peggy McIntosh talks about the hypothetical line of social justice, privilege and unearned

disadvantages that we all experience. She discusses how being white grants you immediate

privileges while people of colour have to work hard to achieve them.

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi explains the contrasts and what it means to be not racist vs being anti-racist and

discusses that today you must actively stand up and fight against racism.

University Chancellor, Susan E. Borrego talks about white privilege and how difficult it is for some

white people to acknowledge and accept the benefits they have from having white skin.

This short video shows how tradition and “that’s just the way it is” ideology continually contributes to

the mistreatment and abuse of marginalized people and communities.

This short video compares micro aggressions to mosquito bites in that people of colour get bit harder

and much more often then white people, and the effects it has on their mental and emotional health.

A comprehensive list of things you can do to be an ally to the Black community, from following and

participating in the Black Lives Matter movement, to educating yourself about the history of Black

oppression, to understand that “you will continue to mess up racism. So continue to be teachable,

open to correction from POC, and vigilantly monitor yourself for defensiveness and white fragility. You

never ‘arrive’ as an ally, you must continually *practice* allyship” - @itsjacksonbbz

A list of real life dos and don’ts of how white people can be good allies to the black community - by

listening and trying to understand the struggles, barriers, and lived experiences of Black people to

legitimately help end systemic racism.

Just as the title says, this is a non-exhaustive list of things queer people can do to be allies to the

Black community and help end racism and police brutality, from holding those in power accountable,

supporting demonstrations, donating to Black initiatives and causes, learning how to be anti-racist, to

being thoughtful with online posts, supporting your Black friends and to stay committed to ending the

fight against racism.

We have so many exciting things going on, be the first to find out!