Getting back to the middle - Centering US

…
The Durham District School Board is committed to
learning and working environments that centre
human rights and equity and are safe, welcoming,
respectful, equitable, accessible, inclusive and free
from discrimination.
 Norms
★ CREATE A SAFE AND
INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY
★ STAY ENGAGED
★ ACKNOWLEDGE PERSONAL
DISCOMFORT
★ SPEAK YOUR TRUTH
★ EXPECT and ACCEPT
NON-CLOSURE
 Why
What does Cypher we
have toare hereanti-Black racism?
do with
Anti-Black racism is inextricably linked to adolescent Black boys constantly
seeking out spaces for acceptance and respect for who they are and what they
represent.

This session will explore foundational understandings of how anti-Black racism

impacts the well-being of Black youth, centering Black males experiences and
realities. We will discuss the role that public education spaces play in upholding
systems of oppression and the actionable steps that teachers can take in
dismantling practices that do not serve all students, particularly Black boys.
 Outcomes
●

●
 What is a CYPHER?

freestyle (improvisation),
 The Cypher in Durham

★
★
 Providing Space for Ideas and Reflections

https://padlet.com/mcinelea2768/jkjdga07fcpt033h
 Sociocultural Competence
● The part of my identity that I am most aware of on a daily
basis is_________ ‘WHY?’
● The part of my identity that I am the least aware of on a daily
basis is_______ ‘WHY?’
● The part of my identity that was most emphasized in my
family as I grew up was ________ ‘WHY?’
● The part of my identity that garners me the most privilege is
_______ ‘WHY?’
 Sociocultural Competence

responsive educators understand their position in our

present social… context; Self-reflection is
foundational to the examination and identification
of one’s own biases. This critical process… allows us
to recognize how our own social identity is
constructed…
An excerpt from Capacity Building Series – Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Monograph
Intersectionality

▹
▹ Looking critically at how race, gender, class and other individual
characteristics intersect and overlap with one another
▸

▹ understand the interconnected

systems of disadvantage and discrimination
Power and Privilege
Students Learn An Important Lesson About Privilege
 What is anti-Black Racism?

Anti-Black Racism is defined as policies and

practices rooted in Canadian institutions such as,
education… reinforceing beliefs, attitudes, prejudice,
stereotyping and/or discrimination towards people of
Black-African descent.
Anti-Black Racism in Schools
 The Role of Education
Student Discipline

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 School-to-Prison Pipeline
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★
School to Prison Pipeline
 The Role of Education - A Case Example

What do you say to the parent as a teacher?

What questions may you have for the parent who is about to make this decision?
 The Role of Education
Streaming
★

★
Towards Race Equity in Education: The schooling of Black
students in the Greater Toronto Area.
Questions to Consider
 Pathways to Success
★
Apprenticeship College University World of Work
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PRIOR

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 Student Voice As Multidimensional and Telling

Whose voices are heard? Not heard? How are we listening?

What are we hearing from Black boys and their expressions
of voice?
 Expressions of Student Voice
in writing conversations with peers art
role play over erasing body language
non-compliance disorganization
self-regulation speaking silence
at-play sleep gestures aggression
conversations with parents (caregivers) at home
Student Voice - Case Example
 Student Voice Case Example Questions

Several expressions of voice were displayed by T., given his

Black identity and intersectionalities, how might the biases,
stereotypes prejudices and perceptions shaped the actions of
staff?

What are some risks factors for T. in terms of educational

outcomes (graduation, course selection, pathways,
expectations)?
Voices of Grade 7 & 8 DDSB Black students
Listening….with a critical ear
Allyship and Action
“The opposite of racist isn't 'not racist.' It is 'anti-racist.' What's
the difference? One endorses either the idea of a racial hierarchy
as a racist, or racial equality as an anti-racist. One either believes
problems are rooted in groups of people, as a racist, or locates
the roots of problems in power and policies, as an anti-racist.
One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or
confronts racial inequities, as an anti-racist. There is no
in-between safe space of 'not racist.”

Ibram X. Kendi
“The good news is that racist and anti-racist are not
fixed identities. We can be a racist one minute and
an antiracist the next. What we say about race,
what we do about race, in each moment,
determines what -- not who -- we are.”

Ibram X. Kendi
Moving from Ally to Co-conspirator
 The Role of Helping Professionals

Dr. Vardy (2013) discuss the impacts of racial trauma and

strategies that helping professionals can use to support the
healing of hidden wounds;

1. Affirmation and Acknowledgement

It is important for the helping professional to convey a general
understanding and acceptance of the premise that race is a
critical organizing principle in society.
2. Create Space for Race
Conveying a sense of openness and curiosity, we take a very
proactive role in encouraging conversations about race.

3. Racial Storytelling
Young people are invited to share personal stories of racial
experiences. This enables them to develop their voices and
begin to think critically about their experiences growing up as
youth of color.
4. Validation
Young people are invited to share personal stories of racial
experiences. This enables them to develop their voices and
begin to think critically about their experiences growing up as
youth of color.
5. The Process of Naming
One of the most debilitating aspects of racial oppression is that
this is a nameless condition, difficult to describe, quantify, or
codify.
6. Externalize Devaluation

7. Counteract Devaluation

color exhale and expunge the societal toxins

8. Rechannelling Rage
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4804332/us
er-clip-conspirators

Ally as a Co-Conspirator
“Not everything that is faced
can be changed, but nothing
can be changed until it is
faced.”
James Baldwin