A cold rainfall could not dampen the enthusiasm at a Friday afternoon rally against racism as approximately 80 people stood their ground until the skies turned blue, hoping that was a metaphor to come for the cause they are fighting.
The Safety in Schools Rally at Meridian Place drew parents, educators, kids and others who listened to speakers share their stories of racism within schools in Simcoe County.
The event was sparked, in part, by the recent story of Natasha Shakespeare, whose daughter had been given racially-charged, threatening letters at the start of this school year.
The Midhurst mom had already filed a civil lawsuit against the Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB), which alleges the board was negligent in their duty to protect her daughter from racist bullying during her time at Ardagh Bluffs Public School in south-end Barrie.
Ramona Deane, a designated early childhood educator at the SCDSB, who works alongside a Kindergarten teacher in the classroom, spoke at the rally. She told BarrieToday after the rally that she has had to take mental health leave to deal with “racist and discriminatory practices” that she has had to deal with since working at schools within the board.
“All my attempts to deal with the issues were negated and met with suggestions that didn’t work. I don’t want to fight with people, I want to build with people,” said Deane. “I don’t want to rectify things the way the white man does, I’m Afro-Indigenous and I want to do it the way my people have always historically done it and that is through reconciliation and healing.”
Hayden Jittens and his family attended the rally to stand up to racism toward kids; he and his family have experienced it firsthand.
“All my kids are mixed and have absolutely seen racism within the Barrie schools they go to,” said Jittens. “It is frustrating to see it keep happening, but the real frustration is trying to get people educated about racism, where it came from and where it started.
"I think that's the real issue, is addressing the root causes and beginning the education from there.”
Deane said there are many other school boards going through lawsuits due to discrimination. She said she hoped Simcoe County school boards would have acted quicker to address the issues.
“You would think that the Simcoe County District School Board would have been smart and made sure it didn’t happen to their board, that they would have been proactive and changed the way it is,” said Deane.
“Let's ask Black people what they feel needs to be changed and provide a group for them to have a safe place to go, or the Black students have a safe place to go and report issues. But there is nothing," said Deanne.
The organizations UPlift Black, Parents Against Racism-Simcoe County and Parent’s of Black Children have compiled Calls To Action:
- Reform the Education Act;
- Decolonize the curriculum;
- Implement graduation coaches;
- Conduct equity audits for school boards;
- Replace police with mental health workers;
- Develop and mandate AR/ABR/AO training;
- Collect race-based achievement and discipline data;
- Provide funding for system navigators;
- Hold teachers/staff accountable; and
- Hire staff from within equity-seeking groups
