1. Anti-Racism Educational Workshop

2. Session Goals Recognizing that racism exists
Understanding racism and its complexities
Responding to racism and becoming an ally

3. Group Standards
In order to have courageous conversations about racism what do you need to feel comfortable and safe in this environment? What can you offer?

4. Definition Game
Ally: a member of the dominant social group who takes a stand against social injustice directed at a group or individual targeted by discrimination e.g. person who takes a stand against racism.
Anti-Racism: included beliefs, actions, movements, and policies adopted or developed to address racism.
Discrimination: the granting or denying of certain rights to certain groups. This is an action directed towards persons or groups based on prejudice. There are many forms of this term e.g. racism, homophobia, sexism, and so on.
Dominant/Majority Group: refers to a group that shapes or controls other groups through social, economic, cultural, political, or religious power. In Canada this generally refers to White Anglo-Saxon Christian males.
Ethnocentric: the belief in the superiority of one’s own ethnicity. It’s a disposition to judge others on the standards and practices of one’s own culture.
Prejudice: a preconceived opinion about an individual or group without adequate knowledge or thought.

5. Definition Game Cont’d
Race: a social and political construct which categorizes people on the basis of biological characteristics such as skin colour, eye shape, hair texture, body size, etc. There is no scientific basis for race.
Racism: a form of discrimination based on physical characteristics such as skin colour. It is prejudice plus power used to the advantage of one group over another.
Stereotype: a generalization, usually exaggerated, oversimplified and often offensive, that is used to describe or distinguish a group.
Systemic/Institutional Racism: the propagation of racial superiority by social institutions through their policies, practices, procedures, and organizational, culture and values, either consciously or unconsciously.
Privileged: belonging to a group that enjoys special privileges. In Canada, groups that enjoy social privileges are White, Canadian born, English speaking, male, heterosexual, and so on.
White Privilege: the privileges afforded to the dominant racial group through the structures of institutions and systems.
Xenophobia: an unreasonable fear of strangers or foreigners.

6. Flower Power/Assessing My Attitudes
A chance to critically reflect on our own identity and where we stand within our society according to our power/powerlessness and privilege/oppression. We can all experience both power/privilege and powerlessness/oppression in different situations.

7. Privilege Line-Up
A chance to empathize with a perspective you don’t normally identify with.

8. Scenarios
A chance to explore different actions that allies can take when responding to racism.

9. Responding to Racism
Six steps to speaking up against everyday discrimination:
Be ready
Identify the behaviour
Appeal to principles
Set limits
Find an ally/be an ally
Be vigilant

10. Responding to Racism Cont’d
What can I do?
Assume racism is everywhere, everyday
Notice who is the centre of attention and who is in the centre of power
Notice how racism is denied, minimized, and justified
Notice how White privilege is normalized
Understand and learn form the history of Whiteness and racism
Understand the connections between racism, economic issues, sexism, and other forms of injustice
Take a stand against injustice
Step in purposively
Be strategic
Don’t confuse the battle with war
Support the struggles of people of colour
Support the leadership of people of color
Learn something about the history of White people whoa have worked for racial justice
Don’t do it alone
Accept the “onion theory”
Talk with your children and other young people about racism
Educate others
Remember it is in your interest to end racism

11. Reflection and Evaluation
Were the goals met? What did you learn from this workshop?
Short music video called “The Love You Give” (or other!)