Despite the impacts of slavery that still permeate today, the richness of Black history deserves to be platformed and taught
As a Black person, when I was younger, I never questioned who we were before slavery. However, I had a general understanding that most people, including myself, saw Black history largely through the lens of slavery, its repercussions and the decades of institutionalized and systemic racism that followed.
As I grew older, I began to question this narrative and way of thinking, especially as I became increasingly drained by the constant stream of racist content and controversial debates in the news and on social media.
These debates often force people to relive and explain the pain they’ve endured to ignorant audiences who refuse to understand that we don’t want to live with this reality. Yet, we are forced to learn it, endure it and overcome it, only to explain it again and again.
Even when it wasn’t blatant racism, the ongoing discussions about issues like racial disparities in health care, beauty industries or employment felt exhausting. While extremely important, I felt these conversations would continue to go in circles without addressing the root issue: education about Black history, or rather, the lack thereof.
Education boards and universities must reflect the crucial perspectives that only Black people or people of colour can provide. If an educational institution is to adequately deliver education about marginalized communities, it is essential that it includes marginalized voices.
Misunderstandings and a lack of awareness of Black history highlight an education system that overlooks these vital topics in primary, secondary and post-secondary education. Correcting misrepresented history and integrating accurate, comprehensive accounts of Black and BIPOC experiences could shift these often polarizing debates toward a more informed, constructive dialogue that fosters understanding and empathy.
Many Western countries profited from slavery and to this day profit from the work of immigrants. The enduring consequences have left other countries economically disadvantaged following the era of colonialism. Yet, the knowledge of how our ancestors survived before these traumatic events is rarely discussed or acknowledged. Why is this important history so often left out of mainstream conversations?
Black history, both before and after slavery, is vast. Its influence continues to shape the world today in countless ways.
Including Black history before slavery in education could help humanize Black communities by shifting the narrative from one of pity to one of strength and depth. It would show just how devastating the impact of slavery was, highlighting the rich cultures and histories that were interrupted.
Including Black history before slavery in education could help humanize Black communities by shifting the narrative from one of pity to one of strength and depth.
The more Black history is omitted from education, the more I question whether there is genuine intent to create change. Black history should not be confined to Black people; it is part of the broader history of humanity and must be taught to everyone. A country that profits off a community’s culture and boasts diversity should teach the full history.
Black history should not be confined to Black people; it is part of the broader history of humanity and must be taught to everyone.
Including this history would help us better understand concepts like cultural appropriation versus cultural appreciation. It would create a space for other BIPOC communities to also share their histories. Canada, as a diverse nation, is home to vastly different lived experiences based on race, and this diversity is not accurately reflected in the education system.
History is essential because it shapes our present. Without understanding our history—its beliefs, systems and laws—we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes. Slavery and colonization left deep scars on BIPOC communities, dismantling Black culture in profound ways—economically, systemically and culturally.
But what was taken from us? How did our ancestors live before slavery? What were the beauty standards? What religions did we practice? How was wealth measured, and who was considered wealthy?
These questions should be explored in more classrooms at all levels of education—not only in Black history courses but across various disciplines. This is not just to uplift or educate Black students, but to offer a new perspective to non-Black communities and highlight the beauty of Black cultures that existed before they were nearly erased by the colonial period.
It is time to make these discussions more productive and less divisive.
On Cuddling: Loved to Death in the Racial Embrace is a new collection of essays and poetry by professor, activist, and McMaster alumnus Phanuel Antwi
The On Cuddling: Loved to Death in the Racial Embrace book launch will be held at the Art Gallery of Hamilton on Mar. 14 from 7-9:30 p.m.. This event is co-presented by the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Big Brother House and Pluto Press, with the support of local bookstore Epic Books.
Author Phanuel Antwi uses the concept of cuddling in essays and poems to explore the suffering of Black people at the hands of state violence and racial capitalism, as well as to address how racial violence occurs through intimacy.
Antwi is the Canada Research Chair in Black Arts and Epistemologies. He is a McMaster University alumnus and a current curator, activist and associate professor at the University of British Columbia.
He started writing this book during a peak of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2014 when there were massive protests against racial violence from police. In his book, Antwi recalled the killing of Eric Garner, an unarmed Black man who was choked to death by a police officer in 2014.
By connecting cuddling, an action that people typically enjoy, to racial violence and to the Black Lives Matter movement, he wanted to make people rethink what they may take for granted.
“A lot of folks would now pause to think about cuddling, not as an innocent practice, but also as a practice that can also be used as a weapon to actually end someone's life. And at the same time, it is also a practice that gives joy, ” said Antwi.
Antwi aims to portray cuddling as a philosophical idea that has different meanings depending on the situation while relating it back to issues that are important to him and wants to bring awareness to.
“It means a lot that I can use [cuddling] to have conversations with many people about Black lives, about something that really matters to me, which is, "How do we actually think about Black lives in a very robust way?"" explained Antwi.
It means a lot that I can use [cuddling] to have conversations with many people about Black lives, about something that really matters to me, which is, "How do we actually think about Black lives in a very robust way?"
Phanuel Antwi, On Cuddling, Author
Antwi hopes that his readers can feel like they are being cuddled after reading this book. Pre-registration is recommended for the event.
C/O Jessica Yang
This is where societal change to fight racism in academia begins
If there is any hope to overcome racial prejudice in modern society, it is important to gauge the nature of discrimination and stereotyping. Questions that come to mind revolve around the roots of systemic issues that create these seemingly unavoidable circumstances for racialized groups — especially Black individuals.
Early twentieth century America successfully manipulated the general public into believing that African Americans were “mentally inferior” and “simple-minded” through various media ventures. Today, society is excellent at wrongfully labelling Black individuals using terms such as aggressive, violent, lazy and disrespectful.
Centuries after the abolishment of slavery, one look at the political and professional workforce will tell you that society is still not fully capable of looking past the colour line — let alone acknowledging it.
Though racial equity gaps are not all rooted in education barriers, these barriers serve as a vehicle to ensure the persistence of these gaps through time. In a society where the allocation of opportunities is becoming more and more dependent on knowledge and education, individuals who lack access to it are at a great disadvantage.
This is merely one of the many reasons racism and discrimination against Black people are systemic. Until root causes such as education barriers aren’t addressed, the white politician’s call for diversity, public statements on racism and renaming streets will serve as nothing more than political stunts.
Standardized test scores have shown gaps in educational achievements between White and non-Asian minority students, but the primary debate we face is interpreting these results.
The foolish presumption that guides these discussions is that equal opportunities exist for pursuing education. Therefore, any gaps must be a function of a deliberate lack of effort and disregard for learning.
Here’s an idea: instead of blaming a child’s unwillingness to learn, try examining the (intersectional) barriers that may prevent that child from having access to an adequate education. Socioeconomic status shouldn’t determine students’ opportunities or disrupt efforts for equal opportunities, but we find ourselves in a world where it very much does.
The relative lack of Black people in the professional workforce sheds light on the socioeconomic inequalities faced by many Black communities.
Within these communities, you will find barriers that include a lack of access to learning materials, resources, connections, skilled teachers, study environments and of course, active discrimination.
Many education systems still thrive off racial and ethnic inequities within academic achievements, whether it’s disproportionately streamlining Black youth into lower education tracks, perpetuating racial stereotypes through their behaviour or treating Black children as threats inside education settings.
Now here’s where the cycle begins (yet another insight into the systemic nature).
One may presume that a lack of Black representation in influential sectors of society implies that it’s dominated by privileged non-racialized groups — and this is completely true. When these elitist academics dominate their fields of study, minorities are expected to embrace inferiority to comfort white fragility.
A power imbalance exists that favours whiteness and ultimately, Black students may find it impossible to create their own identities because they have been conditioned to see themselves as an extension of whiteness, rather than individuals. They are conditioned to accept and remain within their cycle of educational detriment, creating the same circumstances for future Black generations.
As much as society loves to gloat about the progression of racial discrimination, in many ways, it is stuck.
The obvious solution seems to be simply not to look past colour and not see it at all. The problem with this is that it creates a colourblind system where the struggles and inequalities of Black people aren’t acknowledged. How can you, therefore, expect to arrive at solutions for problems that are a symptom of said inequalities?
Instead, an equitable approach where these barriers are acknowledged and steps are being taken to alleviate them may be more helpful.
For higher education institutions, this may look like introducing more programs such as the McMaster Black Student Success Centre, where specialized help is provided in the form of scholarships and bursaries, mental health resources and events that bring the community together.
Creating more opportunities for Black students to enter the workforce at a professional level can help break the cycle for future Black generations as well. A systemic issue can only be solved through systemic solutions.
If only society put more emphasis on that instead of renaming statues and pancake syrups.
