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RSS FeedToronto District School Board considers implementing race-based schools for black Canadian youth: Would education segregated by race be beneficial?
Results so far:
| No | 76% | 32 votes | Total: 42 votes | |
| Yes | 24% | 10 votes |
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Add to FavoritesI am scratching my head, in hopes that someone will please point out, why in the world we would do something so utterly stupid.
Let me first point out, that although I am a woman of a simple Canadian, Caucasian background, I am in love with a man of Afro-american culture, and my children have mixed ancestry. That said, I don't want any hate mail stating that I am a white supremacist or anything like that.
But, I thought Canada was a country that was built on equality, on integration, on multiculturalism?
Whe n we begin to divide our schools, by colour, or race, or creed, than we are teaching our children that you are different, if you are a different colour. That a black person, can't do well in a white school. What does that tell our children? Are we then going to segregate work places? Maybe a person of colour won't work so well in a white environment, or vice versa... We will accompany them?
Now, I know, I know. Ms. Harrow has said that this proposal is to teach the Ontario curriculum and "enrich" it with material that centers "around the positive contribution of black people to our society."
She tells us that this has absolutely nothing to do with segregation, and that any child who was interested in going to the "Afro-centric school" may do so.
So, then, what's the point of more of our tax dollars heading off to start up another school, that everyone can go to?
Why not just encourage the school board to come up with more ways to encourage children of different backgrounds to stay in school, and show the amazing contributions of people of every colour to our society?
Having a school that devotes it's time and energy trying to prove to ANY student that it is possible to succeed is not what makes a person actually succeed in school.
Having a solid family, with morals, and values, a good network of friends, and supportive relationship with your parents will take precedence over anything.
If we were calling out for a school, where we banned things such as fasting, or religious head gear, or black history month, so we would have more time to focus on positive things that white people have done for their community, there would be an outrage right now.
There would be people of all colours, picketing along the entire sidelines of the city, and it would only be right.
Last year, my sister was unable to cook a turkey on thanksgiving in her family studies class, because it was a fasting day for many other students. My sister didn't come home saying she wished her school was circled around her "white" culture. She accepted it, made the turkey the next day, and ate it with her multicultural friends.
Canada is built on freedom, and acceptance. We have worked long, and damn hard to get to where we are. Our ancestors have fought for generations to eliminate hatred, and indifference towards people.
If you can't accept that segregation is no longer acceptable, than maybe you are in the wrong country.
And ... just to play devils advocate on this one ... if you ask me ...
I think this idea almost positively STEMS from upper class WHITE society, trying to push for segregation, trying to promote seclusion within our school boards. If you ask me, this isn't about "enriching" any culture. It's about them doing something they wanted done so long ago.
It's about them doing exactly what our ancestors fought against.
But, that's just my opinion. I am quite sure though that Sir Martin Luther King, and Rosa Parks, are up there shaking their heads right now, wondering if their efforts were in vain...
Learn more about this author, Robin Bond.
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Yes
Segregation done the right way could be beneficial in educating minorities.
What happened in America after the Civil War was the "Idiot's Guide to Educating Black Youth". Southern lawmakers and educators pre-determined that freed blacks were stupid, incorrgible and incapable of understanding their ways. White Europeans assimilated Native Americans, Asians and Latinos. They did so with methods of cocerion, intimidation, force or friendship. These peoples learned to accept being "Americanized" as long as they learned to accept being second-class citizens. Black people weren't even given that choice.
When African slaves tried to educate themselves, their schools were burned. When African slaves tried to be Christians, their churches were burned. Slaveowners killed off the educated blacks so to keep their servants illiterate and docile. Slaveowners killed off black preachers to keep their servants from finding a "belonging" or kinship with one another. Southern whites incorporated fearsome images of Denmark Vesey and Nat Turner as "reasons" to deny blacks education and their humanity. They didn't want their "star pupils" to end up betraying them.
When Africans went North to find freedom, many emigrated to Canada. There were still Northern states that disliked the influx of runaway slaves or black refugees of Southern racism. Some of these states conspired with the Virginias, the Georgias, the Alabamas and Carolinas and sent black Freedmen back. Canada was the only safe haven because they lived by the laws of British Parliment. They banned slavery and granted blacks first-class citizenship.
Many black families have long resided in Toronto. They came from the high-crime and high unemployment of Detroit, Michigan. Toronto, Ontario has always been the most "American" of Canada's major cities. Our nation's three-year recession drove thousands of people to seek the province's tax-free shelter. Affordable education became a by-product of the exodus.
Black Canadians never experienced the Jim Crow segregation and Ku Klux Klan terror. They never had four, little girls blown to bits in a Baptist church. They never had their leaders shot dead by hidden assassins. They never had police and Klansmen in collusion to kidnap and kill civil rights workers. Canada accepted blacks for political and social asylum.
With the population increase, Toronto has dealt with high crime rates. It remained the most violent of Canada's major cities. Street gangs came over from places, like Detroit, Chicago and Philadelphia. Integration always had its disadvantages.
All-bl ack schools began their rich history following the Reconstruction Era. There was Fisk University in Cincinnati (Ohio). Others included Spelman, Clark and Morehouse College in Georgia and Bethune-Cookman in Florida. These instiutions helped produce cultural icons, like Nikki Giovanni and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. When implemented in the right way, all-black schools proved beneficial to shaping, black students for life.
It took centuries for America to educate African-Americans correctly. Canada shouldn't be pre-judged on our nation's past failures.
Learn more about this author, Marcus Brooks.
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