Subject Guides: African/Black Nova Scotian Resources: Anti-Black Racism and Black Lives Matter

Anti-Black Racism

Anti-Black Racism
Black Lives Matter

Anti-Black racism includes attitudes, beliefs, stereotyping, discrimination and prejudices that is directed at people of African descent and is rooted in their unique history and experience of enslavement.

Anti-Black racism is built into many Canadian systems, rules, and ways of doing things, and is normalized or rendered invisible by Canadian society. Anti-Black racism is "manifested in the legacy of the current social, economic and political marginalization of Black people in Canada" (Government of Canada, 2025).

Reference

Government of Canada. (2025). Addressing anti-Black racism. https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/black-history-month/anti-black-racism.html

No. 2 Construction Battalion and the Fight to Fight
In 1916, thousands of Canadians lay dead in Europe’s Great War. In Canada, thousands more signed up to help out their brothers and sisters. But one group of men was turned away almost every time. They were fit to fight — but the Canadian Army rejected them.
Prime Minister delivers apology to descendants of No. 2 Construction Battalion
Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and the Minister of National Defence, Anita Anand, delivered an apology on behalf of the Government of Canada for the systemic anti-Black racism that members of No. 2 Construction Battalion endured before, during, and long after the First World War.
Black Canadian National Survey 2023 Report
Researchers at York University released early findings from a national survey examining how Black Canadians experience race and racism across social spheres.
Black Canadian Studies Resources
Comprehensive list of resources on Black Canadian culture, art, and history.
The Black Pulse Project
The Black Pulse project aims to promote diversity and inclusion, and in turn counter online hate. Black Canadian youth will have improved capacity to address racism and discrimination in their communities.
Canadian Education Is Steeped in Anti-Black Racism
For many Black youth, schools can be places of degradation, harm, and psychological violence
How 3 Canadians are fighting anti-Black racism in education
Against that backdrop, as well as a pandemic that has disproportionately affected predominantly Black and brown communities, some Black parents and educators are working within the system to support Black students in improving their academic achievements and to dispel racism in education.
The Pervasive Reality of Anti-Black Racism in Canada
A new review and compilation of the available data by BCG and CivicAction demonstrate the depth and pervasiveness of anti-Black racism in Canada, and how systemic racism against Black individuals appears across their full lifecycle in areas like education, employment, healthcare, and policing.
Shining a Light on Mental Health in Black Communities
Historically, the Black community has been placed at a disadvantage when it comes to their mental health,

eBook: Black Fatigue : How Racism Erodes the Mind, Body, and Spirit by Mary-Frances Winters
This is the first book to define and explore Black fatigue, the intergenerational impact of systemic racism on the physical and psychological health of Black people--and explain why and how society needs to collectively do more to combat its pernicious effects.

Fighting Racism and Discrimination. 2019. CBC Curio.
(W# and password required)
This collection looks at the fight against discrimination and racism in Canada. It includes examples of ongoing efforts across the country to remove barriers to equity, diversity and inclusion and to reduce inequities in all sectors of society.

Fighting Racism and Discrimination

"Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives" (Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc, n.d.)

Reference

Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc. (n.d.). About. https://blacklivesmatter.com/about/

11 Things You Can Do To Help Black Lives Matter End Police Violence
There are things all of us can do to support Black Lives Matter and fight for racial justice, we just need to go out and do it. Here are a few good places to start.
Black Lives Matter
Includes news, videos, and other resources.
Black Lives Matter and COVID-19
Antiracist activists and organizers from around the country describe what Black Lives Matter means in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Black Organizations And Anti-Racist Groups Canadians Can Support Now
How you can help fight anti-Black racism and police brutality here in Canada too.
Health Association of African-Canadians
The Health Association of African Canadians (HAAC) was formed in 2000 to address African Canadian health issues and the system inequities affecting health.
History of Juneteenth
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
Social Determinants and Inequities in Health for Black Canadians: A Snapshot
Anti-Black Racism as a Determinant of Health: This snapshot aims to highlight how Anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination are key drivers of health inequalities faced by diverse Black Canadian communities.

eBook: Amazing Black Atlantic Canadians : Inspiring Stories of Courage and Achievement by Lindsay Ruck, James Bentley
This fascinating, full-colour illustrated book features over 50 amazing Black people from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, sharing their incredible stories and accomplishments, past and present.
eBook: As Black as Resistance by William C. Anderson, Zoé Samudzi
This refreshingly savvy book charts a course for the Black Lives Matter generation.
eBook: Stay Woke: : A People's Guide to Making All Black Lives Matter by Tehama Lopez Bunyasi, Candis Watts Smith
The essential guide to understanding how racism works and how racial inequality shapes black lives, ultimately offering a road-map for resistance for racial justice advocates and antiracists.

CBC. (2021, February 26). What the Black Lives Matter movement looks like in 2021 [Video]. https://youtu.be/UpHbhVE1yTU

Activists say it is time to put pressure on politicians and businesses that made promises last year to take quantifiable action toward permanently changing Canada’s policies, systems and spaces that maintain anti-Black racism.

Harvard Business School. (2021, June 16). The importance of Juneteenth [Video]. https://youtu.be/OShpcTev_6A

Senior Lecturer Henry McGee and recent graduate Caleb Bradford talk about Juneteenth: what it is and why it’s important.

Halifax Declaration

The Halifax Declaration is the first collective, grassroots record of the state of being a Black Canadian today and the solutions needed across policy, legislation, research and investment to achieve real change that not only benefits the Black community but every Canadian.

Scarborough Charter

NSCC is the first college in Atlantic Canada to sign the Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education. The Scarborough Charter was spearheaded by the University of Toronto Scarborough with input and collaboration from students, employees, relevant organizations and Black political and civic leaders. It reflects a shared recognition of the realities of anti-Black racism and provides post-secondary institutions with concrete principles, actions and accountability measures to follow for a more inclusive future.

Scarborough Charter on Anti-Black Racism and Black Inclusion in Canadian Higher Education (PDF 6.6 MB)