Anti-racist education

March 21st was International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Diversity Office hosted a film viewing and discussion on the topic. "A Film About Races: A Fresh Look at Diversity" (2010, 56 minutes) is a Films on Demand release available to all faculty and students as part of Fleming's online Library services (see the portal, under Student Resources).

The film explores some controversial questions, like "what does 'race' mean?" and "how many races are there?" Biologists may talk about race as if it can be scientifically defined but in fact race is a complex aspect of human identity. Consider the Canadian census and how parents of biracial children complete the survey when asked to identify their child's race. My daughter is Haitian descent - is she black? white? African-Canadian? Caribbean descent? This is the experience of an increasing number of people, as our world becomes smaller and communities diversify. And there are no easy answers.

Anti-racist educators work from a sociological definition of race, and often a post-colonial perspective (race is only important because colonialism and slavery ensured whites could dominate, and the structural inequalities these systems left behind continue to affect billions of non-white peoples around the world today). This history encourages us to also ask what it means to be white, and how white people can develop a positive white identity while understanding and dealing with their own white privilege. As educators, we need to lead classroom discussions that address this important contemporary issue, while encouraging the positive identity formation of all our students, regardless of their race or ethnicity.

This film also explores these ideas by asking a racially and ethnically diverse group of Americans to compete in a fun Olympic competition based on teams composed of members of the same race. The documentary follows these games from the initial selection of team members to the event itself, and reveals an interesting story as everyday Americans discuss how they see their own racial identity.

The film is an excellent conversation starter and the Films on Demand menu options allow you to choose short segments. Check the teaching notes and accompanying worksheet I have developed for your use - click on the Diversity Resources link (gold Diversity logo, upper right) to find it on my wiki. As always, the tools you find there are available for educational use at Fleming College.