Addressing Barriers to Modern Anti-Racist Work in Canada

Department of Sociology
2024 Speaker Series

Through this paper, I think through the issues that are particularly pertinent to the current social context within which antiracist work is occurring. In particular, systemic racism is now firmly on the antiracist agenda across many different factions of identity. Thus, I approached this paper with an understanding of racism that is especially attuned to the persistence and yet elusiveness of systemic racism, specificities of racisms against different groups, and intersectionality; that is, the complex ways that various systems of oppressions work together. With this in mind, I examine three sets of conditions or concerns and their impact on antiracist work: 1. Whiteness as a barrier to antiracist work (see Hughey, 2009; Lawrence and Dua, 2005; Srivastava, 2005; DiAngelo, 2018); 2. liberal multiculturalist discourse (Thobani, 2007; Chen, 2019) upholding racism in Canada; and 3. The myth of meritocracy (Gilmour et al. 2012), the model minority (Wu, 2013), and neoliberal interests hindering antiracist work.


Kristen Kowlessar
MA Social Justice Studies, HBA Psychology
PhD Sociology candidate
Past President, LU Social Justice Students


Tuesday, March 19
1 to 2:30 pm, ATAC 1010

Guests may also attend via ZOOM: https://lakeheadu.zoom.us/j/6730430832?pwd=SlVmQnRmczg3N0UvSEZJTGVKMS8yU...
Meeting ID: 673 043 0832 Passcode: 7777

Everyone welcome.