School of Human Resource Management- Faculty of

Liberal Arts and Professional Studies

Course: HRM 3450- Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity

Week 5- Chapter Six- Race and Racialization

Instructor: Ahmed Mohamed

 • The Social Construction of Race and Racism
• What is Racism?
• How Racism Operates and Acknowledging Racism
in Canada
Main Points • White Privilege and Its Denial
• Colourblindness, Hate Crimes, and Racial Profiling
in Canada
• Intersectionality – The Colour of Poverty and Post-
Racial Society

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 1. Race as a Biological Myth:
• Historical View:
o Race was historically used to categorize people biologically based on
physical traits (e.g., skin color).
o Example: Samuel Morton’s 1820s studies claimed racial differences in
brain size (English and Europeans vs Africans and Austrailians
Aborginals)to justify racial hierarchies.

• Modern Understanding:
o Genetic science refutes biological concepts of race; race is a social
construct.

Biological anthropologist Alan Goodman:

“To understand why the idea of race is a biolog-

The Social ical myth requires a major paradigm shift, an
absolute paradigm shift, a shift in perspective.
Construction And for me, it’s like seeing, you know, what
it must have been like to understand that the
of Race and world isn’t flat … in fact, that race is not based

Racism on biology but race is rather an idea that we

ascribe to biology. "

2. Racialization:
o The social process of constructing differences between groups,
leading to marginalization and oppression.
o Example: The Ontario Human Rights Commission uses "racialized
person" instead of outdated terms like "visible minority."

3. Racism:
o An ideology asserting the inherent superiority of one racialized group
over others, leading to marginalization.
• Levels of Racism:
o Individual: Offensive jokes, prejudicial attitudes.
o Systemic: Embedded in institutions like criminal justice, education,
health, and employment. 3
o Example: IQ-based immigration selection criteria in 1920s Canada
 4. Historical Atrocities of Racism:
• Examples:
o 1927: University of Toronto professor Peter
Sandiford suggested IQ scores be used to limit
immigration from Poles, Italians, and Asians.
o 1980s: Philippe Rushton (Western University)
claimed whites and Asians were more intelligent
than blacks, sparking outrage and debate.

The Social 5. The Social Construction of Race:

• Purpose:
Construction o Race was invented to create societal hierarchies
of Race and and dominant groups with social, cultural,
economic, and political power.
Racism o Example: The Africentric Alternative School in
Toronto was established to address dropout rates
among African-Canadian students by
incorporating culturally relevant curricula (Only
English and French history).

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 • The myth of race,
debunked in 3
minutes

The Social
Construction
of Race and
Racism

• [Link]
Question: Is the concept of race not real?
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 1. Definition of Racism:
• Broad Understanding:
o Racism is an ideology asserting that one group is
superior to others and using power to enforce this
belief.
o Example: Systems of privilege and oppression in
institutions like policing, education, and
employment.
• Equation of Racism:
o Racism = Prejudice + Discrimination + Power
(Fleras & Elliot, 2002).

What is 2. Forms of Racism:

1. Representational Racism:
Racism? o Uses imagery in media and culture to depict racial
stereotypes, devalue, or dehumanize racialized groups.
Examples:
o Historical: White actors in blackface dehumanizing
African Americans.
o Modern: Racially offensive sports mascots like the
Cleveland Indians' Chief Wahoo.
o Media: Stereotypes in Disney movies such as Jim
Crow characters in Dumbo and racialized caricatures
in Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp.

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What is
Racism?

2. Ideological Racism:
o Rooted in beliefs and worldviews that reinforce racial
superiority and naturalize hierarchies.
Historical Examples:
o Used to justify colonialism and imperialism.
Modern Examples:
o Donald Trump's rhetoric in the 2016 U.S. presidential
race: labeling Mexican immigrants "rapists" and
proposing a "Muslim ban."
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 3. Discursive Racism:
o Expressed through written and spoken language that conveys
discrimination.
• Examples:
o Racial slurs, hate speech, and patronizing descriptors.
o Loaded phrases like referring to African Americans as "inner-city
dwellers."

4. Interactional Racism:
o Racism is expressed through everyday social interactions.
• Examples:
What is o Verbal or physical assaults based on race.

Racism? o Assumptions about someone's status, such as mistaking a

racialized person for a low-level employee instead of a
business owner.
o Avoiding or ignoring racialized individuals in social settings.
o Example: Samuel’s (Black Male) experience of others tightening
their purses or avoiding him in hallways.

3. Social Impacts of Racism:

• Consequences:
o Racism can marginalize and limit opportunities for racialized
groups.
o Example: A racialized person did not get promoted at the
workplace compared to his non racialized colleagues.
4. Key Takeaway:
• Racism as a Social Construct:
o While race has no biological basis, racism persists due to
societal power structures and stereotypes.
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o The hope lies in deconstructing racism through education and
 1. Levels of Racism: Individual, Institutional and
Societal
1. Individual Racism:
o Expressed through discriminatory attitudes or
behaviors based on socially constructed
concepts of race.
How Racism o Can be overt (e.g., offensive jokes, graffiti, hate
Operates and crimes) or subtle (e.g., avoiding contact, verbal
abuse).
Acknowledgi o Example: A racialized person being verbally
ng Racism in insulted or excluded in social settings.
2. Institutional Racism:
Canada o Embedded in policies, practices, or procedures
of organizations or institutions, creating
systemic disadvantages.
o Often normalized as "just the way things are."
o Example: Policing practices that
disproportionately target racialized communities
or curricula that exclude Indigenous
perspectives.

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 • “Isn’t racism just ignorance, people simply not
knowing any better?”
• A favourite quotation used to respond to this question
comes from an interview with Robin D.G. Kelley, an
American professor, who states:

“When I teach about racism the first thing I say to my

students is that racism is not ignorance. Racism is
knowledge. Racism in some ways is a very complicated
How Racism system of knowledge, where science, religion,
Operates and philosophy, is used to justify inequality and hierarchy.
That is foundational.…And that is why you can’t think of,
Acknowledgi racism as simply “not knowing.” That is not the case at all
—on the contrary. (PBS, 2005)”
ng Racism in
Canada
3. Societal Racism:
o A framework of ideas, values, and systems that
support racial inequality and cultural superiority.
o Example: Culturally biased tests or assuming
racialized Canadians were not born in Canada.

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 2. Acknowledging Racism in Canada:
• Denial and Misconceptions:
o Many Canadians deny the existence of racism or see it as a
historical or foreign issue.
o Canadians often compare racism to slavery in the U.S. or
apartheid in South Africa, ignoring Canada’s own history.

• Historical Racism and Apologies:

o Acknowledgments and apologies for past racism include:
• The mayor of Halifax apologized for the evictions and razing of the
How Racism African-Canadian community of Africville

Operates and • The Canadian government apologized to Aboriginal peoples for

Acknowledgi Canada’s role in the Indian Residential School System, where children
were separated from their parents and subjected to abuse
ng Racism in
• The Canadian government apologized to Japanese Canadians for their
Canada internment and seizure of their property during World War II.

• The Canadian government apologized to Chinese Canadians for the

head tax they were forced to pay and that prevented family
reunification

3. Persistent Racism Today:

• Modern Examples:
o 2011: Business students in Montreal wore blackface and
mocked Jamaican accents.
o 2012: Racist graffiti at the University of Ottawa’s Law
School.
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o 2014: Students in blackface won a Halloween contest at
 In an open letter from the Department of Labour Studies at
Brock University (2014), Professors Larry Savage, Kendra
Coulter, and Simon Black and student Nick Ruhloff-Queiruga
wrote:

Blackface can never be disassociated from the vicious

legacy of white supremacy and institutionalized anti-Black
racism in the United States and Canada, just as redface or
“playing Indian” cannot be disassociated from colonialism
and the subjugation and dispossession of indigenous
peoples … However, blackface is not simply a remnant of a
racist historical past, but part of a broader set of cultural
practices which maintain and normalize anti-Black racism
and systemic oppression.
How Students, staff and faculty at Brock University need to
Racism understand that such costumes are not “just a joke.”
Regardless of the intent or motivation of the students in
Operates question, donning blackface for Halloween is never okay; it
is racist, full stop.*
and
Acknowled
ging
Racism in
Canada

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 The Construction of Race and Crime in Canadian Print
Media (Rachael E. Collins)

– This study investigates how race influences the portrayal of crime,

offenders, and victims in Canadian print media over 30 years.
– Using content analysis of four major newspapers, the research
highlights systematic racial biases in language, focusing on themes of
fear and marginalization.

How Racism • Key Findings

Operates and
1. White Offenders Are More Likely to Be Rationalized
Acknowledgi
• Crimes committed by white offenders are often explained away with
ng Racism in psychological reasons, extenuating circumstances, or extraordinary
character defects.
Canada • Example: "He was abused as a child and now suffers from an anti-social
personality disorder" (Toronto Star, 1987).
 White offender committed a serious crime but was framed as a
victim of his past traumas rather than as a dangerous criminal.

2. Visible Minority Offenders Are Depicted as Naturally Criminal

• Crimes committed by visible minorities are rarely explained or excused;

instead, the focus is on poverty, lack of education, and social
pathologies.

• Example: Hispanic offenders were described as having only a "Grade 9

education" and working low-income jobs
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 low education level and socioeconomic status were emphasized,
subtly implying that their criminal behavior is linked to their race
 3. White Victims Are Portrayed with Fear and Sympathy
• Crime reports describe white victims with fearful and
emotional language, emphasizing their innocence and
tragedy.

• Example: "All women at risk" and "ultimate fear"

after a white woman was attacked
How Racism
Operates and 4. Non-White Victims Are Blamed for Their Own
Victimization
Acknowledgi • Articles often suggest that visible minority victims were
ng Racism in involved in crime or dangerous lifestyles.

Canada • Example: An Aboriginal victim’s murder report

emphasized how he was unemployed, raised by a
single mother, and lived in a "known problem area"
(Rollason, 2007).

5. The Media Creates a "Hierarchy of Victimization"

• White victims are given more coverage and sympathy,

reinforcing who "deserves" justice.

• Example: In one newspaper, a white victim’s story

appeared at the top of the page with detailed
emotional reactions, while a Black victim’s murder
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was at the bottom with no quotes from the victim's
 6. The Use of Fear and Sensationalism Has Increased Over Time
• Over 30 years, crime reporting has included more graphic violence
and extreme fear-based language.

• Example: News headlines now use terms like “crime wave” and
How Racism “urban chaos” to describe isolated incidents, creating unnecessary
fear.
Operates and
Acknowledgi
ng Racism in 7. Race Impacts How Crime Is Framed in the News
• White offenders are described as mentally unstable or under exceptional
Canada circumstances.

• Visible minority offenders are framed as part of a larger racial crime

problem.

• White victims are described with heightened fear and sympathy.

• Visible minority victims are often blamed for their victimization.

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 4. Canada’s Efforts Against Racism:
• Commitments:
o Canada is a signatory to the United Nations
International Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms of Racial Discrimination.
o Participation in the UN Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples.
o Annual International Day for the Elimination of Racial
Discrimination (March 21).
How Racism
Operates and 5. Challenges in Addressing Racism:
• Reverse Discrimination Arguments:
Acknowledgi o Claims of reverse discrimination in employment
create tension and challenge anti-racist efforts.
ng Racism in o Example: Lawsuits have been filed against diversity hiring programs,

Canada arguing that they disadvantage majority group applicants.

• Embedded Racism:
o Racism is not limited to isolated incidents but is
entrenched in societal systems and daily life.
o Example: Blackface costumes or jokes perpetuate
cultural practices that maintain systemic racism.

6. Call to Action:
• Acknowledgment as a Starting Point:
o To combat racism, Canadians must first recognize it as
a persistent, systemic issue.
o The myth that racism is a relic of the past must be16
dismantled to address the realities of racial prejudice
 1. Definition of White Privilege:
• Concept:
o White privilege refers to the systemic advantages
conferred upon white individuals, often unnoticed by
those who benefit from it.
o Example: Tim Wise describes white privilege as being
born into environments where legitimacy is rarely
questioned based on race.
Reflecting: "To be white is to be born into an environment where one’s
legitimacy is far less likely to be questioned than would the
legitimacy of a person of colour, be it in terms of where one lives,
where one works, or where one goes to school.”
White
2. Denial of White Privilege:
Privilege • Resistance to Acknowledgment:
and Its o Many white individuals resist acknowledging white
privilege, reinforcing the systems that uphold it.
Denial o Example: A student, Ashley, dismissed Samuel's(Black
Male) experiences with racism, arguing, "We all belong
to one race—the human race.“

• Language of Denial:
o Phrases like "reverse discrimination" or "we are
beyond race" are used to dismiss systemic inequality.

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 3. Systemic Reinforcement of White Privilege:
• Social Institutions:
o White privilege persists through political, economic,
and social systems that favor whiteness.
o Example: White flight in Brampton, where white
residents left as visible minorities became the
majority, highlights racialized perceptions of
community.

• Cultural Isolation:
o White isolation in racially segregated
White neighborhoods fosters ignorance about systemic
Privilege racism.
o Example: Eduardo Bonilla-Silva (Sociologist) argues
and Its this isolation normalizes racial inequality and
Denial blames individual deficiencies for systemic issues.

4. Examples of White Privilege in Action:

• Systemic Resistance:
o Resistance to inclusive policies, such as
employment equity and tax exemptions for First
Nations, reflects systemic reinforcement of
privilege.

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 5. Impact of White Privilege Denial:
• Effects on Racialized Individuals:
o Denying racism delegitimizes the lived experiences of
racialized groups.
o Example: Samuel’s story of daily microaggressions (e.g.,
being stereotyped or ignored) was met with disbelief and
dismissal by white students.

• Normalization of Inequality:
o Avoiding discussions about racism perpetuates the belief
that inequalities are natural rather than systemic.
White o Example: Children raised in environments where racism is
ignored may grow up believing marginalization is based
Privilege on individual failings.

and Its 6. Common Defense Mechanisms:

Denial • "Reverse Discrimination":
o Affirmative action is portrayed as unfair to white
individuals.
o Example: Opponents argue for "equal opportunity" while
ignoring systemic inequality, where historical and
institutional barriers have long excluded marginalized
communities from equal opportunities

• "Colour Doesn’t Matter":

o Denying racial significance dismisses the real impact of
race on marginalized communities.
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o Example: The statement "We all belong to one race—the
human race" negates the structural and social realities
 1. Colourblindness:
o Claims not to see race, dismissing its social consequences.
o Example: Statements like "I don’t see colour" or "We all
belong to the human race."

• Impact:
o Fails to address the lived experiences of racialized
individuals and systemic inequalities.

2. Hate Crimes in Canada:

Colourblindne • Crimes motivated by hate or prejudice against a person’s race,
ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.
ss, Hate o Examples:

Crimes, and • Violent: Assaults or murders.

• Non-violent: Harassment, graffiti, or property damage.
Racial
• Legal Protections:
Profiling in o Canadian Criminal Code (Sections 318 and 319):

Canada • Criminalizes inciting hatred against identifiable groups.

• Requires courts to consider bias or hate as
aggravating factors in sentencing.
o Example: Supreme Court upheld limits on free speech in
the case of William Whatcott(Social conservative
activist) to combat hate speech.

• Statistics:
o Race or ethnicity motivates 52% of police-reported hate
crimes in Canada. 20
o Example: Black Canadians are the most frequent targets,
 White Supremacy and Nationalism:
o Examples:
• Neo-Nazi groups like Blood and Honour or Aryan
Resistance Movement.
• Ideologies promote white racial superiority and
anti-Semitism.
o Symbols: Tattoos (e.g., "88" for "Heil Hitler") and red
shoelaces signify violent acts.

3. Racial Profiling:
• Definition:
o Actions based on stereotypes about race or ethnicity
Colourblindne rather than reasonable suspicion.
ss, Hate o Contexts: Policing, schools, employment, and retail.

Crimes, and • Examples:

Racial o Policing:
• "Driving while Black": Black individuals stopped
Profiling in disproportionately by police.
• Example: 40% of Black males aged 15–24 were
Canada stopped by Kingston police compared to 11% of
white males (Wortley & Marshall, 2005).

o Education:
• Latino children disciplined under zero-tolerance
policies for actions seen as normal for others.

o Retail:
• Security guards following racialized shoppers
21 due
to assumptions of theft.
Colourblindne
ss, Hate
Crimes, and
• Notable Incidents:
Racial o Dudley George (1995):
Profiling in • Unarmed Indigenous protestor shot by police at
Ipperwash Park.
Canada • Found to be rooted in systemic racism and
historical dispossession.
o Carding in Toronto:
• Practice of stopping and documenting individuals
disproportionately targeted racialized groups.
• Reforms in 2017 mandated officers issue
receipts and justify stops without racial
grounds.
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 4. Acknowledging Racism in Canada:
• Addressing Systemic Racism:
o Examples of positive change:
• Ontario’s ban on racial profiling in carding
practices.
Colourblindne • OPP's framework for collaborating with
Indigenous communities.
ss, Hate
Crimes, and 5. Call to Action:
• Acknowledging Racism:
Racial o Acknowledging racism is the first step toward
Profiling in addressing systemic inequality.
o Anti-racism efforts require sustained dialogue,
Canada transparency, and collaboration with racialized and
Indigenous communities.

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 1. The Racialization of Poverty in Canada:
• Poverty as a Racial Issue:
o Indigenous and racialized persons are
disproportionately affected by poverty.
o Example: 40% of Indigenous children and 60% of
First Nations children on reserves live in poverty.
• Consequences:
o Poverty leads to reduced opportunities due to
systemic racism.
o Examples:
• Racialized communities are less likely to get
Intersectionality – jobs, receive equal pay, or access healthcare and
The Colour of education.

Poverty and Post-

2. Critique of "Post-Racial Society":
Racial Society • Morgan Freeman’s Argument:
o Freeman suggests that stopping conversations
about race could eliminate racism.
o He criticizes Black History Month as relegating Black
history to a specific period, instead of integrating it
into the larger narrative of American or Canadian
history.

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•Intersectionality – The
Colour of Poverty and
Post-Racial Society

Morgan Freeman and Mike Wallace video:

[Link] 25
si=ym_4Kk1E5uBVzlza
 3. Challenges with Tokenism:
o Observing specific months like Black History
Month or Asian Heritage Month may risk
trivializing the histories of racialized
groups as "other" or secondary.
o Example: Teachers may rush through
Intersectionality –
abbreviated curricula on Black history,
The Colour of focusing only on slave narratives or civil
Poverty and Post- rights leaders.
Racial Society

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 4. Vision for a Post-Racial Society:
• Martin Luther King Jr.'s Dream:
o A world where people are judged by their character,
not the color of their skin.
• Challenges in Canada:
o Canada’s human rights record is respected, but
modern policies and practices still echo its racist
history.
o Example: Policies of colourblindness and frameworks
of diversity fail to address equity, as they do not
disrupt existing power structures.

Intersectionality – 5. Path Forward:

The Colour of • Moving Beyond Tokenism:
o Ensure histories and contributions of racialized
Poverty and Post-
groups are integrated into everyday education and
Racial Society societal narratives.

o Example: Include the experiences of Black,

Indigenous, and Asian Canadians in national
curricula.

• Dismantling Power Differences:

o Eliminate socially constructed power hierarchies
among racialized groups to achieve equity.
o Example: Samuel, a Black student, dreams of a world
27
where he is judged by his character, not his race.
 • The Social Construction of Race and Racism
• What is Racism?
• How Racism Operates and Acknowledging Racism in
Canada
• White Privilege and Its Denial
Takeaways • Colourblindness, Hate Crimes, and Racial Profiling in
Canada
• Intersectionality – The Colour of Poverty and Post-Racial
Society

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