Canadian Books & Resources on Racism

“Racism doesn’t exist in Canada. Right?”

Yes, you read correct! The statement above is what was said to me on June 4, 2020. And it started off as a question … asking me to validate if this was true. And in my response, I told her that racism exists. I shared with her an encounter that my husband, my kids and I faced when the boys were just 2 years old. She told me that she was sorry that happened to us and then changed the subject, stated that she couldn’t believe the amount of looting that took place in the US (this was right at the peak of the George Floyd murder and daily protests were occurring).

I remember the heat rising in my face and when I got back to my desk, I sent a text to my husband with the play by play conversation, because I was in disbelief. I had a personal and working relationship with this person of more than 15 years and this was a side of her I had never seen. That text message made its rounds to family, friends and chat groups. I went back to her a week later and with the help of a family member and friend, we pulled together some talking points on why resources could be helpful for myself and others. I was met with silence. The months following that conversation, others spoke up. Sharing concerns was considered aggressive which resulted in gaslighting, microaggressions and retaliation. There was no such thing as a safe space.

And here I am, two years later from that initial conversation. If I were to ask that person for those resources now, do you think that they would say racism doesn’t exist in Canada?

Well, I said yes back in 2020 and my answer hasn’t changed. Racism doesn’t have to be in your face with name calling or something traumatic captured on video. Racism can show up behind closed doors or be the result of decisions where people are in a position of authority or influence.

You’re in my safe space and below are resources and books that will help you understand the landscape of racism in Canada.

THE SKIN WE’RE IN is the perfect answer to “Racism doesn’t exist in Canada. Right?”, written by Canadian author and activist Desmond Cole. The book speaks to the history of Black Canadians where the author shares his experiences, stories of other Toronto residents and the Indigenous community. One story that was tough to read, was in 2016 where a 6-year old Black girl was handcuffed at school by a police officer.

This book is a wake up call that racism exists in Canada. As a reader, I was hoping for a call to action with additional resources and tools. This book is available in bookstores and libraries. I would recommend borrowing it. And when you’re ready to take action and need the tools, go out and get Allies and Advocates: Creating an Inclusive and Equitable Culture by Amber Cabral.

Scarborough is written by Canadian Author, Catherine Hernandez. A story told from many voices within the community. Scarborough is in the greater Toronto area and speaks to poverty, diligence, hope, love, abuse and racism. The story takes you through three families that fall into a system that fails them. For those who struggle to identify or understand systemic racism, this story captures it.

This book was recommended to me by my sister-in-law and I read the book in one weekend. The movie was released earlier this year and is now available online through Prime Video, AppleTV and Youtube. They did a great job translating the book into a movie. I would even recommend watching the movie if you are short on time.

I came across #BlackInSchool on one of my visits to Indigo and what caught my attention was the title. Habiba Cooper Diallo shares journal entries from her high school years of her experience with racism and microaggressions as a young female black student. It was definitely an eye opener. As a person of colour, I didn’t face the same challenges or maybe I was unaware.

But as a mother to twin boys who are multiracial and reading the news of systemic racism taking place in school boards, I need to be equipped and know what to look out for.

This book is a short and easy read and I recommend this to educators and parents.

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir is Samra Habib’s story as a young girl in Pakistan immigrating to Canada. I saw this book in a Little Free Library and picked it up knowing nothing of it other than glancing at the cover knowing it was written by a Canadian Author. It’s a short read that covers a variety of topics from commitment to family, traditions, friendships, race, sexuality and identify. I was fascinated by Samra’s story of agreeing to an arranged marriage and the struggles she faced between choosing loyalty to her family or acceptance and happiness for herself.

I enjoyed this book considering it was a random pick. I’m not too familiar with the Muslim culture and that’s the beauty of reading, where you gain perspectives on other people’s experiences.

Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy was recommended to me by my sister-in-law. It is written with passion and fire and the authors tells you to do just that .. Do Better. I’ve read a number of anti-racist books and the topic in itself is heavy. Rachel Ricketts, the author is unapologetic in her approach. I found reading this book to be challenging and had to put it down every few chapters and come back to it. She’s direct, she swears a lot (which didn’t bother me) and she’s forceful. She forces the reader to do some inner work.

This book is a different style of learning about White Supremacy through spiritual activism, self reflection and exercises. If you’re just starting to learn about anti-racism, this would not be the first book to pick up and read. I do recommend this because there needs to be a variety of voices out there. She’s fierce and she demands action.

Exile Blues written by Douglas Gary Freeman is a novel written about the author’s life events. I read this book when it was released in 2019 and reading it again before writing my review (I do that a lot!)

Gary Freeman is my husband’s best friend’s father. He was born in DC and grew up in Chicago. He fled to Canada after shooting and wounding a Chicago Police Officer in self-defence. He restarted his life in Canada, raising a family with his wife in Mississauga.

More to come in a book review.

Additional online media resources that I recommend: