All students have the right to an education free from discrimination, harassment, racism, and hate. Notwithstanding, Black students, administrators, and educators are facing a crisis in Ontario’s education system. Anti-Black racism remains deeply entrenched within Canadian institutions. Spanning several decades, many efforts have been made to address and combat anti-Black racism in education. In Ontario’s publicly funded education system, this discrimination has not only persisted but has been further exposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the George Floyd uprising. The impacts of those pandemics have laid bare the challenges for education professionals, students, their families, and Black communities.

Recognizing the urgent need for change, the OHRC took action. In April 2023, OHRC held a two-day roundtable (April 27 – April 28, 2023) with duty-holders and students to develop concrete solutions to tackle anti-Black racism in Ontario’s education system.

This report summarizes key points and insights from the discussions. Attending the roundtable were education professionals, administrators, academics, researchers, the Human Rights Legal Support Centre, and representatives from the Ministry of Education. The discussions were structured to encourage open dialogue around eight topics. The OHRC consulted extensively with its Anti-Black Racism in Education Advisory Group created specifically to provide advice.

The aim of the roundtable was to determine recommendations and actions needed to address anti-Black racism and its manifestations in schools. By fostering a spirit of partnership and dialogue, the OHRC sought to create an environment where all stakeholders can contribute to the collective goal of tackling anti-Black racism in Ontario’s education system.

This report is an account of the roundtable and testifies to the ongoing struggles of anti-Black racism in Ontario’s education system. It seeks to provide a foundation for meaningful and transformative dialogue for our work going forward. It is a call to action for all stakeholders to actively engage in the collective effort to create an inclusive and equitable education system. The roundtables are the beginning of a much broader and ongoing project to develop a comprehensive Action Plan with recommendations targeted to key duty-holders.

Warning: This report deals with topics that may cause trauma to some readers. It includes references to the mistreatment of Black students, educators, and communities and includes references to racial violence. Please engage in self-care as you read this material. There are many resources available if you need additional support, including on the OHRC website under List of Supports.