People of Colour Matter Too: An Analysis of Scholar Strike Canada

Abstract

Regardless of decades-long social and political advocacy aimed at reversing the damaging discriminatory practices embedded in Canadian laws, societal beliefs, and cultural practices, Canadian BIPOC communities have not achieved equality, nor are they treated equitably. Thus, the current research project intended to critically evaluate and expose the systemic nature of racism by examining the information presented in a recent online conference: The Scholar Strike Canada. In this conference, several BIPOC scholars dispersed their knowledge and their demands for equity via teach-ins that occurred on September 9th and 10th 2020. By conducting a qualitative content analysis of the sessions, five major themes emerged as key foci of BIPOC advocates in Canada: systems of oppression, the institution of policing, lived experiences of BIPOC, the white settler state, and finally resistance. These findings speak to the many disparities that BIPOC survive through in Canada and the US and provide an opportunity to learn about how BIPOC scholars see racism and other forms of institutional oppression to impact their lives. The results and findings demonstrate how racism is a systemically embedded issue in Canada, particularly where the criminal justice system and education systems intersect.