Hello there,

Thank you for joining our February Communities Ending Poverty Anti-Racism call, where members engaged in a informal chat about anti-racist work and explored questions and challenges. 
 
We wish to make these Communities of Practice a safe space for open dialogue. The group decided to forgo recording the session due to the topic's sensitive nature. 

Discussion Highlights

• The pre-read article explores the context and impact of racism in education and acknowledges the prevalence of Whiteness.
• Communities must navigate the tension of "Pacing for Privilege" - moving at the pace of the people with the least interest in racial equity rather than those with the most investment in racial equity.
• Our children "marinate" in a school system entrenched in colonialism for 13 years, and the output of this system generates a population of people who continue white supremacy ideology.
• When hiring, there is an opportunity to be transparent about the limitations and challenges associated with system and policy change work. Ensuring applicants understand the pressures they may face and the tangible support they will receive gives people an opportunity to consider if it is an environment they'd like to work. At the same time, it's essential that we work on disrupting these dynamics and more fulsomely commit to anti-racism.
• A trauma-informed approach is sometimes adopted as though it is a racial equity initiative. Sometimes it offers coping mechanisms rather than correcting conditions, such as inequitable policy.

Resources

• Article | Avoiding Racial Equity Detours | Four "equity detours" derail many racial-equity efforts.
• Article | Detour-Spotting | Becoming a re-conditioned and effective anti-racist means becoming aware of "habits," attitudes and their attached behaviours, which may divert from an intended goal.

Upcoming Opportunities

• WEBINAR | When Children Succeed: A Collective Impact Success Story | February 28 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET | Discover the initiative that increased Grade 3 literacy rates of students in low-income schools to match the provincial district average.
• EVENT | CEP 2023 National Gathering: Summit for Strength | April 25 - 27th | Learners across Canada will convene to co-create a plan for resiliency that moves beyond ending poverty toward economic mobility in ways that honour people, partnerships, and the planet.
• WEBINAR | Transforming our Systems to Continue Reducing Poverty | French Event | March 8 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET | Join the conversation exploring the National Advisory Council's 2022 report, with members of the council. 

Sincerely,

Maureen Owens (she/her) 

Learning Lead – Communities Ending Poverty

Vibrant Communities, Tamarack Institute

maureen@tamarackcommunity.ca