In the wake of the George Floyd protests, with Black Lives Matter erupting in America and spreading across the globe, Canadians are finding themselves falling into the trap of supporting this movement from the sidelines.
What I mean by that is the overwhelming focus of police reform and systemic racism through an American lens. Graphics circulating social media, news coverage and tweets – all focused on the atrocity that is the American police and justice system.
The Skin We’re In, by Canadian activist and journalist Desmond Cole, is one of those books every young Canadian needs to read. This powerful book serves as a wake-up call to those who believe that such atrocities do not, or even cannot take place in Canada. Above all, it uncovers white supremacy that is ingrained deep into our Canadian institutions, taking place in our own backyard.
In his book, Cole highlights the importance of critically analyzing the policies and statements put forth by our lawmakers, especially with regard to its effects on our most vulnerable – Black and Indigenous People of Colour (BIPOC).
In September 2016, a six-year-old Black girl was shackled and restrained by police officers at a school in the Peel District School Board, on account of being “extremely violent.” One does have to wonder how truly violent a 48-pound child could have been to cause such distress that the school felt it was appropriate to recruit the violence of police officers.
The school administration’s decision to call the police should not be overlooked. Instead of restraining the child and facing disciplinary actions, the teacher called the police, essentially transferring this responsibility to the police. And as Cole powerfully states, “the police enjoy a legal monopoly on violence.”
The public was not made aware of this atrocious incident by the PDSB or the Peel Regional Police until the girl’s mother risked her safety and mental health to call out this provincial violence and gain justice. As we know, our systems were not made to hold police and those in power accountable for their actions, so it is the efforts and energy of Black and Brown bodies who lead a battle that we should all be combatting together.
Cole challenges us to draw a deeper connection apart from being furious and heartbroken for this child, who will be left with the trauma of being criminalized from age six. He challenges us to recognize the outcomes of upholding policies which target BIPOC. In this example, he highlights the promise of a “zero tolerance” approach to violence and misbehaviour in public schools made by Ontario Conservative Premier Mike Harris and Education Minister Janet Ecker in 1999. If you have grown up in Ontario, this terminology of a zero tolerance to violence is not new. In fact, it may be something many of us have all grown up hearing, and not thinking much about it – or even praising it. Cole, however, brings awareness to the broadness of this act, specifically in the definition of what it means to “misbehave.” In other words, this act is incredibly broad, allowing the abuse of power by teachers and administration to target BIPOC, as we’ve seen in the previous example. The same little girl who was handcuffed, had also been suspended 4 times before junior kindergarten. She was 4 years old. Can you imagine that?
Of course, this issue is more nuanced and multi-layered than an article is able to cover. This is just one of the many incidents of injustice that have taken place right in our backyard.
And so, if you’re ready for a hard hitting, perspective-shifting and powerful read then The Skin We’re In does just that. Maybe you’ll learn something new about the place we call home – that Canada isn’t so different after all.
And so, Canadians we must ask, who, truly, are our laws made to protect?