OPC Communicator

Building our Knowledge

Resource supports for school leaders

Racism, oppression and homophobia are often seen as individual biases, but following the events in recent months, we know too well that even the most well-intentioned people or systems are capable of reinforcing systemic bigotry.

Equitable change takes reconditioning the discourse in ourselves, our schools and systems. Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, racialized and gay rights global communities are asking that collectively we make time to call ourselves and our systems into proactive education. Take time to read, listen and learn, recognizing there is a great unlearning and re-learning to occur, to support the historical and social values that represent the stories of our students.

We’ve put together an initial list of resources available to support this dialogue. They’ve been read, heard and recommended by your peers. We recognize that these are just a few, and that there are many more. Our intent is to support avenues for further in-depth education in your own personal and professional journeys.

To Read

• 21 Things You Did Not Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph

• A Knock on the Door by Phil Fontaine

• A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliott

• Am I Safe Here?: LGBTQ teens and bullying in schools by Donn Short

• Anti-Racism Resources by the Government of Canada

• Breaking the Ocean by Annahid Dashgart

• Deep Diversity by Shakil Choudhury

• Generation M by Shelina Janmohamed

• How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

• Islamophobia at Work by Canadian Labour Congress

• Is Everyone Really Equal? by Özlem Sensoy and Robin DiAngelo

• Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad

• Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence by Derald Wing Sue

• Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga

• So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

• Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

• Stand by Me by Jim Downs

• Stonewall by David Carter

• The Muslimah Who Fell to Earth by Saima S. Hussain

• The Skin I’m In by Desmond Cole

• White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo

• Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum

To Watch or Listen

• 13th

• All My Relations (podcast)

• Building Critical Consciousness for Educational Equity with Nicole West-Burns (TED Talk)

• Code Switch (podcast)

• I Am Not Your Negro

• Just Mercy

• Pod Save the People (podcast)

• The ABCs of Oppression

• The Diversity Gap (podcast)

• The Secret Life of Canada (podcast)

• When They See Us

Resources and Courses

• Egale

• Human Rights Campaign

• OK2BME, Public education, training and consultation

• The Equity Continuum, Centre for Urban Schooling

Do you have additional social justice resource recommendations? We welcome you to share them with your peers. Please send them to lromanese@principals.ca.