Blackness in Canada

This event is hosted by the 50 - 30 Challenge Fanshawe College Hub, in collaboration with CICan.

Presented by Justin Nathaniel, this talk will address the recurrent problem of Blackness and belonging in Canada. According to its predominant national narratives, Canada is a nation premised on the ideals of democracy, diversity, inclusion. Yet, this self-conception is much belied by the realities faced by Black and other racialized Canadians, who are continuously marginalized, erased and alienated from the national body. Indeed, the production of the Canadian nation state is a colonial settler project which necessarily excludes Black and Indigenous forms of humanity and renders their voices silent. Despite its reputation as a “friendly” nation, amidst hollow claims of “multiculturalism,” Black Canadians in particular, are routinely denied their place within the stories the nation tells about itself. The result is the circulation and maintenance of latent forms of cultural racism, which exert an invisible hegemonic effect without drawing attention to itself. Within the context of systematic and persistent anti-black racism then, this presentation invites you to examine the location of blackness within the Canadian national identity and consider the ways in which black histories are an integral part of a larger Canadian narrative.

Learning Outcomes:

1) Contextualize the history of Black Canada and locate the nation as part of a colonial system that is necessarily implicated in the continuous social degradation of Black and Indigenous peoples.

2) Critically examine and dismantle predominant national narratives about Canada which often erase and marginalize the presence of Black people.

3) Enhance understanding and appreciation of cross-cultural perspectives on historical, political and aesthetic impact of African diasporic communities in Canada.

4) Develop awareness of historical and contemporary anti-Black racism in Canada and consider how interventions on multiple levels that might dismantle systemic barriers and ameliorate disparities in opportunity and outcome.

Speaker Bio:

Justin Nathaniel is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Humanities at York University and an Instructor at Conestoga College. His research examines the ways in which racial meaning is constructed, transformed and reimagined across dominant and resistive discursive spaces. In addition, his work explores the constitutive role of mass media in reifying essentialist notions of race, class and gender and further, seeks to unsettle and interrogate conventional narratives that inform and animate discriminatory practices. As a second-generation Canadian of Trinidadian descent, Justin’s approach extends beyond the confines of theoretical frameworks, actively engaging in the praxis of applying and reflecting upon these discourses and representations in a profoundly personal way. In addition to his academic pursuits, Justin is a devoted father, raising his young daughter with a commitment to instilling values of inclusivity and critical thinking.

CICan is a proud Ecosystem partner of the 50 - 30 Challenge.