Popular in Professional

Culture and Society

The City as a Growth Machine: Toward a Political Economy of Place

New York University Harvey Moltoch

Education

The Role of Education in Reducing Racial Inequality

University of Southern California Pedro A. Noguera

Law

Diversity and Social Mobility in the UK legal profession

Law Society I. Stephanie Boyce

Internet Law

The Law of AI for Good

University of San Diego Orly Lobel

Pharmacy

Cytotoxic Activity and Anti-Migratory Effect of Berberine-Phytantriol Liquid Crystalline on Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

University of Technology Sydney Kamal Dua

Human Rights Law

Transforming Restorative Justice for Transitional Settings

University of Nottingham Kerry Clamp

Education

Educating for Critical Race and Anti-Colonial Intersections

View more insights in Professional - Education - Rights, Equality & Justice in Education

View more figures from University of Toronto

View the page of George Dei

Read the Study

George Dei discusses the dominant ways of pursuing of “global education” pointing to the possibilities of such education through an Indigenist anti-colonial lens

Image courtesy of interviewee. June 11, 2024

Generating Workspace

Export as PDF

This video discusses the significance of race and its intersection with identities, alongside the importance of critical race theory and anti-racism in understanding societal dynamics. It asserts that race is a fundamental aspect of identity, much like class, gender, and sexuality, influencing perceptions, power dynamics, and the distribution of resources.

The speaker emphasizes the relevance of acknowledging historical contexts to better understand contemporary racial issues, challenging the notion that race is a non-issue or should be ignored. They argue that racism and its institutional nature require active engagement and honest discourse within various societal arenas, including education.

Key points include:
- Race is a real and consequential construct that heavily impacts people's experiences and societal interactions.
- Conversations surrounding race must include discussions on whiteness and privilege, as these concepts help highlight systemic inequalities.
- True inclusion and anti-racist efforts require recognizing and valuing diverse experiences and histories, creating a sense of community, and fostering collective responsibility.
- Success should be defined collectively, highlighting interconnectedness among individuals’ achievements and failures.
- The speaker calls for action beyond mere discussion, stressing that change is achieved through active engagement and critical consciousness, which should lead to efforts aimed at social justice and liberation for all.

Overall, the text advocates for proactive involvement in understanding and addressing racial issues, acknowledging that they are not merely "special interests" but fundamental to creating a just and equitable society.

Language:

Export as PDF

X-TIMESTAMP-MAP:LOCAL=00:00:00.000,MPEGTS=900000

00:00.115 --> 00:03.645
When we say something is about a study of critical race,

00:05.485 --> 00:09.595
what we are trying to get at is a recognition that

00:10.345 --> 00:13.735
Race is An equally important

00:15.545 --> 00:16.965
aspect of our identities.

00:17.035 --> 00:20.205
Just as we talk about class, gender, sexuality,

00:22.315 --> 00:23.645
ability, disability,

00:24.855 --> 00:29.525
and that we need to bring some consciousness to the question

00:29.525 --> 00:30.645
of the racial identity.

00:31.795 --> 00:34.615
No matter how it is contested, it is relevant,

00:37.125 --> 00:41.725
it is relevant in terms of how people

00:41.745 --> 00:42.745
Are perceived.

00:43.595 --> 00:48.255
It's relevant in terms of How the material, goods

00:48.255 --> 00:51.095
And services of society are distributed.

00:52.665 --> 00:56.685
It is relevant in terms of the question of

00:58.275 --> 00:59.705
Power and privilege,

01:01.025 --> 01:03.465
And it's relevant when we talk about

01:04.045 --> 01:06.465
social justice and oppression. Oppression.

01:07.165 --> 01:10.835
So bringing that consciousness to the study

01:12.295 --> 01:14.785
also requires looking at history

01:15.985 --> 01:17.725
and how history implicates

01:18.265 --> 01:21.245
The way we understand, The

01:21.245 --> 01:22.605
Way we come to know ourselves

01:24.675 --> 01:28.035
And the way we come to value, acknowledge,

01:29.075 --> 01:34.025
validate our different experiences, histories, knowledges,

01:37.135 --> 01:40.435
And our points of resistance and contestations.

01:41.925 --> 01:44.745
And there's no way we can Talk about education today

01:45.455 --> 01:47.225
That puts race in the

01:47.225 --> 01:50.925
closet, that it is

01:51.095 --> 01:54.115
Irrelevant It as currency

01:56.315 --> 01:58.435
material, and political currency.

01:59.795 --> 02:01.235
I always argue that if

02:01.935 --> 02:05.155
Scientifically, If intellectually we want

02:05.155 --> 02:06.195
to debate race,

02:07.135 --> 02:08.845
There comes a point where we say,

02:09.885 --> 02:11.985
If science is not able To account for

02:11.985 --> 02:15.625
Race, the problem is not race. The problem is

02:15.735 --> 02:20.015
Science, Because race is real.

02:20.885 --> 02:21.895
It's consequential

02:24.095 --> 02:28.195
and it's racism that makes race real.

02:28.875 --> 02:30.915
I, I always avoid using the word travel

02:30.915 --> 02:33.635
because, travel speaks of it.

02:33.655 --> 02:36.475
It has some ation to it about, I think to me,

02:36.615 --> 02:38.875
how do we move towards a critical race theory? I,

02:39.235 --> 02:40.275
I will preach through

02:40.475 --> 02:44.035
A critical, anti-racist lens, right?

02:44.575 --> 02:46.875
Uh, it doesn't mean that critical race theory is not

02:47.075 --> 02:49.235
relevant, I think sometimes are funny to be

02:49.235 --> 02:50.635
so US centered, right?

02:51.215 --> 02:52.235
Uh, and, and

02:52.235 --> 02:53.875
through the legal scholarship, it's relevant.

02:53.955 --> 02:58.875
I think the, the recognition that, society is,

02:59.745 --> 03:02.445
Racism is very endemic to our society, right?

03:03.065 --> 03:04.125
Uh, and that we need

03:04.125 --> 03:05.885
to address it, I think is very, very important.

03:06.515 --> 03:08.205
Also, the, the fact that it is very,

03:08.205 --> 03:10.125
very institutionalized, right?

03:10.305 --> 03:13.365
Is very important. And those also aspects of,

03:13.605 --> 03:16.085
critical theory that we need to be aware of.

03:16.155 --> 03:19.525
Also, the question about, the extent to which we

03:20.275 --> 03:24.245
acknowledge the knowledge, the values, the experiences

03:24.345 --> 03:27.245
of those who are, who have experienced

03:28.055 --> 03:29.515
racism, right?

03:29.815 --> 03:32.235
And also the question of white and whiteness, right?

03:32.235 --> 03:33.795
Sometimes when we talk about race, right?

03:33.795 --> 03:37.355
People think race is about black, race is about indigenous,

03:37.575 --> 03:38.795
or race is about the other.

03:39.225 --> 03:41.355
Race is also about whiteness, right?

03:41.975 --> 03:44.395
Uh, and to be able to engage all of

03:44.395 --> 03:46.475
that in conversations, right?

03:46.535 --> 03:49.845
In that, and I think to me, we come

03:49.845 --> 03:53.725
to know about these issues when we center our conversations

03:55.315 --> 03:58.915
around the acknowledgement of

03:58.975 --> 04:01.275
how race has material effects.

04:02.255 --> 04:05.385
That when students go to school, right?

04:07.115 --> 04:08.565
They go to school with their bodies

04:10.295 --> 04:12.115
and bodies is about identities.

04:12.775 --> 04:16.445
And these identities are structured along race, class,

04:17.025 --> 04:18.965
gender, sexual lines,

04:20.185 --> 04:23.515
that sometimes there's a discomfort in speaking about race

04:23.515 --> 04:26.465
because of the history of racism.

04:27.565 --> 04:28.785
So we want to avoid it,

04:29.405 --> 04:32.465
but if we want to address it, if we want to respond to it,

04:33.275 --> 04:35.575
we must have honest conversations around it,

04:37.465 --> 04:40.245
within our homes, within our families, within the churches,

04:40.665 --> 04:43.855
on the streets, and of course in the classrooms,

04:44.515 --> 04:46.055
we cannot wish it away.

04:48.255 --> 04:51.015
I think we can talk about contestations

04:51.205 --> 04:52.935
that race is not fixed.

04:53.695 --> 04:55.785
It's a social construct.

04:57.445 --> 05:00.055
Nonetheless, it is meaningful

05:00.845 --> 05:04.255
because we live in race coded world.

05:06.995 --> 05:09.785
There is, there is a scholar that that, that caused me,

05:09.785 --> 05:14.355
and we, who talks about our society is so racialized that

05:14.375 --> 05:17.995
to be without a racial identity is to be in danger

05:18.095 --> 05:20.275
of having no identity at all.

05:21.245 --> 05:24.775
In, in the attempt to deny this is inte,

05:24.775 --> 05:26.215
intellectually dishonest.

05:28.945 --> 05:32.995
Grace is not a problem, as many others have said,

05:33.695 --> 05:36.595
it is the interpretation that we put on

05:36.595 --> 05:38.835
that identity that becomes a problem.

05:39.985 --> 05:41.885
So if, if I walk into a room

05:41.885 --> 05:45.485
and I talk about, I don't see any color, right?

05:46.725 --> 05:50.875
That's an insult. The problem is not the color.

05:51.095 --> 05:55.595
And many scholar talk about this is the interpretation

05:55.595 --> 05:57.485
that we put on that color that is a problem.

05:58.895 --> 06:02.595
So to say that black means inferior, black is equal

06:02.595 --> 06:05.545
to criminal, white means fear,

06:06.115 --> 06:08.345
white is intelligent, that is a problem.

06:10.695 --> 06:12.635
So we must have honest conversations

06:12.695 --> 06:14.755
around the interpretations

06:15.105 --> 06:17.755
that we have brought to these terms.

06:20.555 --> 06:22.815
And the response is not say we do away with it,

06:23.275 --> 06:25.415
but have honest conversations around that.

06:28.095 --> 06:30.945
That black, for example, is about also resistance.

06:32.715 --> 06:36.755
That we many ways we in target

06:37.095 --> 06:41.845
and question the association of criminality,

06:42.595 --> 06:44.955
devi, deviancy to black

06:44.955 --> 06:49.245
and blackness, that we are also able

06:49.265 --> 06:52.405
to talk about what it means to talk about whiteness.

06:54.405 --> 06:58.945
And as, let's talk about it, to see whiteness as a system,

06:59.265 --> 07:01.665
a structure and ideology of privilege

07:04.105 --> 07:06.155
that bodies can tap into it.

07:09.865 --> 07:11.885
One of my student, Joe has seen talks about it

07:11.905 --> 07:14.645
as a pary passport of privilege.

07:16.085 --> 07:19.025
It open doors, it opens doors

07:22.415 --> 07:24.475
for bodies that are able to tap into it.

07:25.155 --> 07:27.815
And this is why it's also very important in having these

07:27.815 --> 07:31.735
conversations to make the distinction between whiteness

07:32.035 --> 07:33.455
and white identity.

07:34.115 --> 07:37.415
And it is relevant to make that distinction so

07:37.415 --> 07:40.895
that white bodies see their responsibility,

07:41.185 --> 07:42.295
their implication,

07:42.515 --> 07:47.485
and complicities in maintaining whiteness

07:47.505 --> 07:48.725
as a system of dominance.

07:49.405 --> 07:52.895
That they can also start from their identity

07:54.155 --> 07:58.535
and engage in work that addresses questions

07:58.535 --> 08:00.035
of oppression.

08:00.885 --> 08:02.895
That they have a role to play,

08:03.735 --> 08:05.135
starting from where they are at.

08:06.245 --> 08:07.465
And talking about whiteness

08:07.465 --> 08:12.245
and white privilege, that's not deny that we have somebody

08:12.825 --> 08:16.665
who they hardships around class,

08:17.525 --> 08:21.145
gender, sexuality, ability, and disability.

08:21.145 --> 08:22.505
And some of those can be white bodies.

08:23.675 --> 08:26.335
But the point about white privilege is that

08:28.395 --> 08:33.255
the sort of abuses, the oppressions,

08:35.705 --> 08:39.975
the aggressions, the violence that a black body

08:40.925 --> 08:45.075
goes through by virtue of their

08:46.635 --> 08:48.785
black racial identity

08:50.715 --> 08:53.615
is not extended to the white body in the same way

08:53.615 --> 08:56.845
because of their white racial identity.

09:00.825 --> 09:05.195
In other words, that whiteness

09:06.095 --> 09:10.755
and that white racial identity can be a mitigating factor

09:13.335 --> 09:17.575
to the hardships, which is not extended to the black body.

09:20.635 --> 09:23.785
Their blackness does not become mitigating factor.

09:26.045 --> 09:27.625
So we need to understand these issues

09:27.645 --> 09:29.025
and these, things, right?

09:29.785 --> 09:31.125
We, because currently, right?

09:31.185 --> 09:32.285
One of the things we see is

09:32.285 --> 09:36.715
that there's this whole thing about the,

09:36.775 --> 09:39.635
the conservative assault on public education

09:40.695 --> 09:44.305
that when we teach about these issues is indoctrination.

09:46.115 --> 09:48.195
I don't know how these issues become indoctrination.

09:49.675 --> 09:51.855
It is talking about our histories.

09:52.245 --> 09:53.855
It's talking about oppressions,

09:54.245 --> 09:55.935
it's talking about our complicities.

09:56.125 --> 09:57.975
It's talking about our responsibilities

09:59.925 --> 10:03.545
and our roles in creating a socially just society.

10:05.505 --> 10:08.245
So to be working, to be a awake

10:09.765 --> 10:12.305
to these histories to be, are working

10:12.365 --> 10:16.765
to the contemporary challenges to be, are working to how

10:17.755 --> 10:22.605
goods and services of society are distributed in order

10:22.665 --> 10:24.525
to create fairness and justice.

10:25.455 --> 10:26.545
It's not indoctrination.

10:28.455 --> 10:32.595
We teach history, not just simply for

10:32.595 --> 10:34.435
what we want to know.

10:36.465 --> 10:40.815
We teach history also for what we should know.

10:42.665 --> 10:47.305
And we cannot put history in the closet is about a bad,

10:47.365 --> 10:49.705
and the good is about the lessons

10:50.325 --> 10:51.745
and how we learn from those lessons

10:52.125 --> 10:53.385
and bring it to the present

10:53.645 --> 10:55.665
and be able to project onto the future.

10:57.795 --> 11:02.175
His is also about creating an awareness

11:03.745 --> 11:07.895
of our roles, the hiss of our ancestors,

11:08.975 --> 11:13.945
the struggles, the challenges that paved the way for us

11:13.945 --> 11:14.985
to be where we are today.

11:15.925 --> 11:20.545
And the importance of continuing the struggle to open doors

11:22.275 --> 11:26.555
to make a more just and fair society

11:28.475 --> 11:31.445
and critical race, anti-racism.

11:31.995 --> 11:33.845
It's also talking about communities,

11:34.145 --> 11:35.685
how we build communities.

11:37.595 --> 11:40.375
We don't plug communities from the sky.

11:41.175 --> 11:43.075
We build them one brick at a time.

11:43.655 --> 11:46.905
We create them one brick at a time.

11:47.165 --> 11:49.625
We make communities just as we make features.

11:51.775 --> 11:55.365
You know, as somebody who has an African ancestry,

11:56.425 --> 11:57.905
I always talk about people, you see

11:57.905 --> 12:00.225
how people talk about it takes a village to raise a child.

12:01.085 --> 12:02.145
I'm sure you've heard that scene.

12:02.205 --> 12:03.545
It takes a village to raise a child.

12:04.285 --> 12:05.985
Of course it takes a village to raise a child,

12:06.285 --> 12:08.025
but I don't think people really understand it.

12:08.565 --> 12:11.305
You must create the village in the first place

12:11.925 --> 12:13.185
to be able to raise a child.

12:13.685 --> 12:15.545
So we must create communities.

12:16.915 --> 12:20.775
We don't create communities when we are in inheritance about

12:20.775 --> 12:24.545
who is smart, who is dumb, who has power, who doesn't.

12:25.205 --> 12:28.065
We create committees. When we value, when we acknowledge,

12:28.095 --> 12:31.305
when we respect, when we deal with power, when we deal

12:31.305 --> 12:33.625
with inequity issues, when we deal with oppression,

12:33.695 --> 12:34.825
when we deal with violence.

12:35.205 --> 12:37.435
That's how we create communities so

12:37.435 --> 12:40.995
that everybody feels a sense of belonging, a sense

12:40.995 --> 12:43.795
that they matter, a sense that they have something to offer

12:44.375 --> 12:46.595
our world and our communities.

12:48.215 --> 12:49.635
And these things are very important

12:49.635 --> 12:53.755
because this is how we create ethical

12:54.315 --> 12:55.435
learning subjects.

12:58.705 --> 12:59.885
So these are very important.

12:59.895 --> 13:01.605
These, these questions are very important

13:03.385 --> 13:05.085
in the way we talk about the issues, right?

13:05.425 --> 13:07.645
You know, not, we hear about this

13:07.785 --> 13:10.885
and being, to me, to be anti woke as others.

13:10.995 --> 13:13.125
I've also said it's also to be anti-black,

13:14.205 --> 13:17.855
because being woke is to be aware

13:18.395 --> 13:22.525
of these histories, the histories of injustices,

13:26.205 --> 13:28.645
and to learn from that so

13:28.645 --> 13:31.205
that we create a more fair injustice society.

13:34.785 --> 13:37.785
I think when we talk about being a woke is to be a woke to

13:38.175 --> 13:39.585
what is happening to the environment,

13:41.735 --> 13:46.595
the environmental crisis, the climate crisis, to be aok

13:46.595 --> 13:50.635
to injustices in the law, criminal justice system to be aok

13:50.695 --> 13:53.235
to the me injustices in media.

13:59.395 --> 14:03.335
How we have conversations that are not contextualized

14:04.705 --> 14:07.925
and not rooted so people don't have a full understanding

14:09.385 --> 14:10.885
of the challenges we are dealing with

14:11.275 --> 14:13.605
because we want to go with soundbites.

14:16.715 --> 14:19.335
So history and context becomes very important in these

14:19.335 --> 14:23.995
conversations, but also it's very

14:23.995 --> 14:26.115
important to talk about it in terms of

14:27.265 --> 14:28.685
how we talk about successes.

14:29.275 --> 14:33.325
That there

14:34.135 --> 14:38.395
are successes that we can speak about in multiple ways,

14:42.325 --> 14:45.705
and that if you wanna talk about community, let's look at

14:46.485 --> 14:50.255
success and how we create them in collective ways.

14:50.855 --> 14:54.315
I, I don't think success is just simply true

14:54.485 --> 14:56.075
individual work.

14:58.165 --> 15:00.895
It's also about the conditions in which we operate.

15:01.285 --> 15:06.115
It's also about the community that is around us, all those

15:06.135 --> 15:10.415
who helped us in achieving that success.

15:12.905 --> 15:15.955
That means we bring a very broad definition to success,

15:17.455 --> 15:19.705
that it is collectively produced.

15:21.055 --> 15:24.025
That my success is our success.

15:25.475 --> 15:29.895
And by the same way, my failure is our failure.

15:31.205 --> 15:34.915
And if you have that mindset, it helps to create a fair

15:35.215 --> 15:36.235
and just society.

15:37.015 --> 15:38.635
Not say, this is their problems.

15:38.785 --> 15:42.565
They have to deal with it. It is our problem.

15:43.295 --> 15:45.805
Let's all deal with it. Let's see how we are implicated.

15:46.095 --> 15:47.805
Let's see how we become complicated.

15:48.295 --> 15:50.565
Let's see how we acknowledge where we are,

15:50.665 --> 15:54.445
the land on which we are, the issues that bring us that land

15:54.705 --> 15:56.205
and the teachings of that land.

15:57.245 --> 15:59.465
And some of the teachings of the land are about

15:59.985 --> 16:04.515
building relationships, reciprocity, sharing

16:06.295 --> 16:07.755
mutual interdependence,

16:09.415 --> 16:13.505
and acknowledging the worth of

16:14.155 --> 16:15.325
each and every one of us.

16:15.655 --> 16:19.205
First of all, I mean, I, I, I talk about, we have to define

16:19.205 --> 16:20.645
what we mean by inclusion, right?

16:20.995 --> 16:24.815
Inclusion is not just simply adding to what already exists.

16:25.585 --> 16:27.915
Because if you do that, you're only reproducing it.

16:28.625 --> 16:30.325
And then also you can be included

16:31.265 --> 16:34.785
while you still exist on the margins, right?

16:35.615 --> 16:37.755
And so to me, inclusion is about centering.

16:39.645 --> 16:43.825
Centering each learner, each person

16:44.855 --> 16:46.755
so that they can read the world from their eyes,

16:47.545 --> 16:49.915
from their history, and be able to make connections.

16:49.915 --> 16:52.755
Because our history are connected, they're intertwined,

16:54.115 --> 16:55.735
but increasing is also

16:57.565 --> 17:00.155
about acknowledging the multiple knowledges

17:01.635 --> 17:06.025
that we each bring, right?

17:06.025 --> 17:08.305
There are people who talk about, see the most dangerous

17:08.305 --> 17:09.465
of all delusions, right?

17:12.435 --> 17:16.075
Is to think that your experience, your reality,

17:17.575 --> 17:22.275
your knowledge is the only one worth discussing.

17:24.815 --> 17:27.715
We have to talk about the multiple centers,

17:28.815 --> 17:32.435
how we bring multiple experiences,

17:33.115 --> 17:35.855
multiple histories, multiple knowledges

17:36.075 --> 17:37.615
to the classroom, to the space.

17:38.235 --> 17:41.265
And we engage learning through that process.

17:43.285 --> 17:46.305
And part of that is also acknowledging the history

17:46.305 --> 17:50.665
of colonialism, because this work,

17:51.145 --> 17:53.875
critical race work, anti-racist work has

17:53.875 --> 17:56.475
to acknowledge questions of colonization

17:58.675 --> 18:00.375
and by extension, decolonization.

18:01.585 --> 18:04.645
And by that, what I mean is that we have to recognize that

18:05.185 --> 18:07.565
for some, for for, for example, from where I sit,

18:08.225 --> 18:12.775
the black experience did not begin

18:12.775 --> 18:13.815
with 1492.

18:17.655 --> 18:20.805
There was Europe is not The advent of human history

18:20.905 --> 18:22.125
as adults have talked about.

18:22.825 --> 18:25.445
And recognizing as others have also talked about

18:25.985 --> 18:27.125
is not our only story.

18:28.465 --> 18:32.475
We have to look at our indigenous communities, the bodies

18:32.535 --> 18:36.745
of knowledge, the resistances, the fact

18:36.745 --> 18:41.725
that there was a world before Europeans came to the actual.

18:42.885 --> 18:43.985
And to recognize that.

18:44.825 --> 18:45.845
And that is also very,

18:45.845 --> 18:48.285
very important in our discussions, right?

18:48.545 --> 18:53.105
So inclusion to me is creating a new space

18:54.165 --> 18:57.835
where everyone feels a sense of belonging, a sense

18:57.835 --> 19:01.275
that they have a stick, a sense that they have rights,

19:01.875 --> 19:03.395
a sense that they have responsibilities

19:03.395 --> 19:05.675
because you can't have rights without responsibilities.

19:06.355 --> 19:08.475
A sense that they are part of a community.

19:09.175 --> 19:13.545
The whole idea of committee of learners to create committees

19:13.545 --> 19:15.185
of learners, that's about inclusion,

19:16.285 --> 19:19.425
that's about seeing schooling as a community

19:19.955 --> 19:24.145
increasing is dealing with power in,

19:24.605 --> 19:25.585
you can't talk about increasing

19:25.585 --> 19:26.825
without dealing with the question of power.

19:28.115 --> 19:29.485
Because the curriculum,

19:30.465 --> 19:33.005
the school curriculum itself is power saturated.

19:33.665 --> 19:36.465
We have to ask questions about who constructs it.

19:36.605 --> 19:37.705
How is this constructed?

19:37.835 --> 19:42.745
Whose knowledges count and increasing?

19:43.345 --> 19:45.065
I don't see how you can talk about increasing

19:45.845 --> 19:47.065
and claim to be for liberty.

19:47.455 --> 19:52.315
When you are banning books, you cannot ban books

19:52.495 --> 19:53.715
and say you are for liberty.

19:57.655 --> 20:02.275
Increasing is to be made aware of the different knowledges,

20:02.295 --> 20:04.955
the different histories, the different experiences

20:05.885 --> 20:07.495
that we have, and to deal

20:07.495 --> 20:09.935
with the power implications of that.

20:10.315 --> 20:14.415
We are talking about, questions of race, racism

20:14.755 --> 20:16.495
and the, the place in our society

20:16.515 --> 20:17.695
and how we deal with it, right?

20:18.315 --> 20:20.405
Um, I think it's very important

20:20.405 --> 20:22.845
that we don't see these issues as special interests.

20:24.745 --> 20:26.035
They're not special interests.

20:27.515 --> 20:30.975
There are issues for everyone, right?

20:31.185 --> 20:32.295
There are issues for everyone

20:32.725 --> 20:35.255
because we want a better world for everyone.

20:36.105 --> 20:40.495
It's also very important that we acknowledge our

20:41.105 --> 20:43.375
individual and collective responsibilities

20:45.745 --> 20:47.085
as we talk about these issues.

20:48.565 --> 20:53.495
It's also very important that we recognize

20:53.565 --> 20:57.275
that if you want change,

20:59.785 --> 21:00.965
you have to fight for it.

21:03.145 --> 21:06.165
In that words, we cannot just

21:06.165 --> 21:09.435
simply talk about it.

21:10.605 --> 21:13.465
And this is why anti-racist work, kids got racist work.

21:13.575 --> 21:16.355
It's about action, what we do,

21:19.775 --> 21:23.625
because speaking about these issues, that's not mean.

21:23.625 --> 21:25.635
You are doing the work. It's about

21:25.635 --> 21:26.875
what we do in our communities,

21:27.055 --> 21:29.115
how we build committees in our own spaces.

21:30.515 --> 21:34.125
It's about how we engage in action. To bring about change.

21:36.195 --> 21:37.725
Part of it is about consciousness,

21:39.635 --> 21:41.375
having a critical consciousness.

21:41.915 --> 21:43.455
But as Fanon talked about,

21:44.115 --> 21:46.855
having a critical consciousness is not enough.

21:47.515 --> 21:49.215
It must be backed by action.

21:51.425 --> 21:52.765
And this is why for me,

21:52.845 --> 21:54.765
I talk about this question of identity, right?

21:54.895 --> 21:56.325
There are others who speak about identity

21:56.325 --> 21:58.295
as political, right?

21:58.355 --> 22:02.585
And there's an African addict that says it is not so much

22:02.885 --> 22:03.945
how one is called.

22:05.955 --> 22:07.045
That is important.

22:07.305 --> 22:09.165
Of course, it is important how one is called

22:09.165 --> 22:10.605
because there's a power in naming.

22:11.835 --> 22:13.975
But it is what you respond

22:14.155 --> 22:17.265
to that's most important.

22:17.805 --> 22:20.545
So when you are called, what do you respond to when

22:21.905 --> 22:24.025
you are called, you respond to the child

22:24.245 --> 22:25.345
to fight for justice.

22:25.965 --> 22:27.825
Social justice is about liberation.

22:31.785 --> 22:33.395
It's about freeing the mind.

22:35.435 --> 22:38.955
It's about acknowledging the power of the mind

22:40.135 --> 22:41.555
to work and bring about change.

22:44.755 --> 22:47.125
It's so important for us to deal with this,

22:49.795 --> 22:52.605
that sometimes what happens is that we have learners

22:54.615 --> 22:58.555
in our classrooms who may be very good on the test course.

23:00.475 --> 23:02.005
They may get a's and a plus,

23:04.105 --> 23:06.445
but they're very lousy when it comes

23:06.445 --> 23:09.725
to interpersonal relations, right?

23:10.385 --> 23:12.725
If you are good academically,

23:13.635 --> 23:15.495
how do you put your success

23:18.175 --> 23:21.115
at a service and are the betterment of those

23:21.295 --> 23:24.655
who have challenges, right?

23:25.155 --> 23:27.865
That's so important in this regard.

23:30.075 --> 23:33.285
Otherwise, we create a society of hierarchies

23:34.375 --> 23:36.555
and we need to break the colonial hierarchies.

23:37.175 --> 23:38.915
We need to think in circles

23:40.715 --> 23:44.695
rather than think in hierarchies. We need to

23:44.735 --> 23:48.265
Acknowledge that

23:52.095 --> 23:56.865
success, while it demands

23:57.015 --> 24:01.075
hard work, also demands creating the conditions

24:03.255 --> 24:06.885
for people to achieve it.

00:00 - When we say something is about a study of critical race, what we are trying to get at is a recognition that Race is An equally important aspect of our identities. Just as we talk about class, gender, sexuality, ability, disability,

00:24 - and that we need to bring some consciousness to the question of the racial identity. No matter how it is contested, it is relevant, it is relevant in terms of how people Are perceived. It's relevant in terms of How the material, goods And services of society are distributed. It is relevant in terms of the question of Power and privilege, And it's relevant when we talk about

01:04 - social justice and oppression. Oppression. So bringing that consciousness to the study also requires looking at history and how history implicates The way we understand, The Way we come to know ourselves And the way we come to value, acknowledge, validate our different experiences, histories, knowledges, And our points of resistance and contestations. And there's no way we can Talk about education today

01:45 - That puts race in the closet, that it is Irrelevant It as currency material, and political currency. I always argue that if Scientifically, If intellectually we want to debate race, There comes a point where we say, If science is not able To account for Race, the problem is not race. The problem is

02:15 - Science, Because race is real. It's consequential and it's racism that makes race real. I, I always avoid using the word travel because, travel speaks of it. It has some ation to it about, I think to me, how do we move towards a critical race theory? I, I will preach through A critical, anti-racist lens, right? it doesn't mean that critical race theory is not

02:47 - relevant, I think sometimes are funny to be so US centered, right? and, and through the legal scholarship, it's relevant. I think the, the recognition that, society is, Racism is very endemic to our society, right? and that we need to address it, I think is very, very important. Also, the, the fact that it is very, very institutionalized, right?

03:10 - Is very important. And those also aspects of, critical theory that we need to be aware of. Also, the question about, the extent to which we acknowledge the knowledge, the values, the experiences of those who are, who have experienced racism, right? And also the question of white and whiteness, right? Sometimes when we talk about race, right? People think race is about black, race is about indigenous, or race is about the other.

03:39 - Race is also about whiteness, right? and to be able to engage all of that in conversations, right? In that, and I think to me, we come to know about these issues when we center our conversations around the acknowledgement of how race has material effects. That when students go to school, right? They go to school with their bodies and bodies is about identities.

04:12 - And these identities are structured along race, class, gender, sexual lines, that sometimes there's a discomfort in speaking about race because of the history of racism. So we want to avoid it, but if we want to address it, if we want to respond to it, we must have honest conversations around it, within our homes, within our families, within the churches, on the streets, and of course in the classrooms, we cannot wish it away.

04:48 - I think we can talk about contestations that race is not fixed. It's a social construct. Nonetheless, it is meaningful because we live in race coded world. There is, there is a scholar that that, that caused me, and we, who talks about our society is so racialized that to be without a racial identity is to be in danger of having no identity at all. In, in the attempt to deny this is inte,

05:24 - intellectually dishonest. Grace is not a problem, as many others have said, it is the interpretation that we put on that identity that becomes a problem. So if, if I walk into a room and I talk about, I don't see any color, right? That's an insult. The problem is not the color. And many scholar talk about this is the interpretation that we put on that color that is a problem. So to say that black means inferior, black is equal

06:02 - to criminal, white means fear, white is intelligent, that is a problem. So we must have honest conversations around the interpretations that we have brought to these terms. And the response is not say we do away with it, but have honest conversations around that. That black, for example, is about also resistance. That we many ways we in target and question the association of criminality,

06:42 - devi, deviancy to black and blackness, that we are also able to talk about what it means to talk about whiteness. And as, let's talk about it, to see whiteness as a system, a structure and ideology of privilege that bodies can tap into it. One of my student, Joe has seen talks about it as a pary passport of privilege. It open doors, it opens doors for bodies that are able to tap into it.

07:25 - And this is why it's also very important in having these conversations to make the distinction between whiteness and white identity. And it is relevant to make that distinction so that white bodies see their responsibility, their implication, and complicities in maintaining whiteness as a system of dominance. That they can also start from their identity and engage in work that addresses questions

07:58 - of oppression. That they have a role to play, starting from where they are at. And talking about whiteness and white privilege, that's not deny that we have somebody who they hardships around class, gender, sexuality, ability, and disability. And some of those can be white bodies. But the point about white privilege is that the sort of abuses, the oppressions,

08:35 - the aggressions, the violence that a black body goes through by virtue of their black racial identity is not extended to the white body in the same way because of their white racial identity. In other words, that whiteness and that white racial identity can be a mitigating factor to the hardships, which is not extended to the black body. Their blackness does not become mitigating factor. So we need to understand these issues

09:27 - and these, things, right? We, because currently, right? One of the things we see is that there's this whole thing about the, the conservative assault on public education that when we teach about these issues is indoctrination. I don't know how these issues become indoctrination. It is talking about our histories. It's talking about oppressions, it's talking about our complicities.

09:56 - It's talking about our responsibilities and our roles in creating a socially just society. So to be working, to be a awake to these histories to be, are working to the contemporary challenges to be, are working to how goods and services of society are distributed in order to create fairness and justice. It's not indoctrination. We teach history, not just simply for what we want to know.

10:36 - We teach history also for what we should know. And we cannot put history in the closet is about a bad, and the good is about the lessons and how we learn from those lessons and bring it to the present and be able to project onto the future. His is also about creating an awareness of our roles, the hiss of our ancestors, the struggles, the challenges that paved the way for us to be where we are today.

11:15 - And the importance of continuing the struggle to open doors to make a more just and fair society and critical race, anti-racism. It's also talking about communities, how we build communities. We don't plug communities from the sky. We build them one brick at a time. We create them one brick at a time. We make communities just as we make features. You know, as somebody who has an African ancestry,

11:56 - I always talk about people, you see how people talk about it takes a village to raise a child. I'm sure you've heard that scene. It takes a village to raise a child. Of course it takes a village to raise a child, but I don't think people really understand it. You must create the village in the first place to be able to raise a child. So we must create communities. We don't create communities when we are in inheritance about

12:20 - who is smart, who is dumb, who has power, who doesn't. We create committees. When we value, when we acknowledge, when we respect, when we deal with power, when we deal with inequity issues, when we deal with oppression, when we deal with violence. That's how we create communities so that everybody feels a sense of belonging, a sense that they matter, a sense that they have something to offer our world and our communities. And these things are very important

12:49 - because this is how we create ethical learning subjects. So these are very important. These, these questions are very important in the way we talk about the issues, right? You know, not, we hear about this and being, to me, to be anti woke as others. I've also said it's also to be anti-black, because being woke is to be aware of these histories, the histories of injustices,

13:26 - and to learn from that so that we create a more fair injustice society. I think when we talk about being a woke is to be a woke to what is happening to the environment, the environmental crisis, the climate crisis, to be aok to injustices in the law, criminal justice system to be aok to the me injustices in media. How we have conversations that are not contextualized and not rooted so people don't have a full understanding of the challenges we are dealing with

14:11 - because we want to go with soundbites. So history and context becomes very important in these conversations, but also it's very important to talk about it in terms of how we talk about successes. That there are successes that we can speak about in multiple ways, and that if you wanna talk about community, let's look at success and how we create them in collective ways. I, I don't think success is just simply true

14:54 - individual work. It's also about the conditions in which we operate. It's also about the community that is around us, all those who helped us in achieving that success. That means we bring a very broad definition to success, that it is collectively produced. That my success is our success. And by the same way, my failure is our failure. And if you have that mindset, it helps to create a fair and just society.

15:37 - Not say, this is their problems. They have to deal with it. It is our problem. Let's all deal with it. Let's see how we are implicated. Let's see how we become complicated. Let's see how we acknowledge where we are, the land on which we are, the issues that bring us that land and the teachings of that land. And some of the teachings of the land are about building relationships, reciprocity, sharing mutual interdependence,

16:09 - and acknowledging the worth of each and every one of us. First of all, I mean, I, I, I talk about, we have to define what we mean by inclusion, right? Inclusion is not just simply adding to what already exists. Because if you do that, you're only reproducing it. And then also you can be included while you still exist on the margins, right? And so to me, inclusion is about centering. Centering each learner, each person

16:44 - so that they can read the world from their eyes, from their history, and be able to make connections. Because our history are connected, they're intertwined, but increasing is also about acknowledging the multiple knowledges that we each bring, right? There are people who talk about, see the most dangerous of all delusions, right? Is to think that your experience, your reality, your knowledge is the only one worth discussing.

17:24 - We have to talk about the multiple centers, how we bring multiple experiences, multiple histories, multiple knowledges to the classroom, to the space. And we engage learning through that process. And part of that is also acknowledging the history of colonialism, because this work, critical race work, anti-racist work has to acknowledge questions of colonization and by extension, decolonization.

18:01 - And by that, what I mean is that we have to recognize that for some, for for, for example, from where I sit, the black experience did not begin with 1492. There was Europe is not The advent of human history as adults have talked about. And recognizing as others have also talked about is not our only story. We have to look at our indigenous communities, the bodies of knowledge, the resistances, the fact

18:36 - that there was a world before Europeans came to the actual. And to recognize that. And that is also very, very important in our discussions, right? So inclusion to me is creating a new space where everyone feels a sense of belonging, a sense that they have a stick, a sense that they have rights, a sense that they have responsibilities because you can't have rights without responsibilities. A sense that they are part of a community.

19:09 - The whole idea of committee of learners to create committees of learners, that's about inclusion, that's about seeing schooling as a community increasing is dealing with power in, you can't talk about increasing without dealing with the question of power. Because the curriculum, the school curriculum itself is power saturated. We have to ask questions about who constructs it. How is this constructed?

19:37 - Whose knowledges count and increasing? I don't see how you can talk about increasing and claim to be for liberty. When you are banning books, you cannot ban books and say you are for liberty. Increasing is to be made aware of the different knowledges, the different histories, the different experiences that we have, and to deal with the power implications of that. We are talking about, questions of race, racism

20:14 - and the, the place in our society and how we deal with it, right? I think it's very important that we don't see these issues as special interests. They're not special interests. There are issues for everyone, right? There are issues for everyone because we want a better world for everyone. It's also very important that we acknowledge our individual and collective responsibilities

20:45 - as we talk about these issues. It's also very important that we recognize that if you want change, you have to fight for it. In that words, we cannot just simply talk about it. And this is why anti-racist work, kids got racist work. It's about action, what we do, because speaking about these issues, that's not mean. You are doing the work. It's about

21:25 - what we do in our communities, how we build committees in our own spaces. It's about how we engage in action. To bring about change. Part of it is about consciousness, having a critical consciousness. But as Fanon talked about, having a critical consciousness is not enough. It must be backed by action. And this is why for me, I talk about this question of identity, right?

21:54 - There are others who speak about identity as political, right? And there's an African addict that says it is not so much how one is called. That is important. Of course, it is important how one is called because there's a power in naming. But it is what you respond to that's most important. So when you are called, what do you respond to when

22:21 - you are called, you respond to the child to fight for justice. Social justice is about liberation. It's about freeing the mind. It's about acknowledging the power of the mind to work and bring about change. It's so important for us to deal with this, that sometimes what happens is that we have learners in our classrooms who may be very good on the test course. They may get a's and a plus,

23:04 - but they're very lousy when it comes to interpersonal relations, right? If you are good academically, how do you put your success at a service and are the betterment of those who have challenges, right? That's so important in this regard. Otherwise, we create a society of hierarchies and we need to break the colonial hierarchies. We need to think in circles

23:40 - rather than think in hierarchies. We need to Acknowledge that success, while it demands hard work, also demands creating the conditions for people to achieve it.

Faculti AI can make mistakes