Simcoe County parents call for action amid allegations of racism in schools

Barrie, Ont. -

A rally is planned for downtown Barrie Friday to draw attention to anti-Black racism in Simcoe County schools and push for a safer learning environment for all children.

Sarah Peart is mother to five Black children between the ages of one and 19. She says she has seen her kids regularly singled out because of the colour of their skin.

"My daughters have to straighten their hair to feel like it's not going to be touched, it's not going to be spoken about, it's not going to be ridiculed," Peart says. "There's been even being called Medusa when they wear their hair in braids."

They're microaggressions Peart says she can see teachers downplaying as run-of-the-mill schoolyard bullying, but she believes the problem runs much deeper.

"They're the small, subtle things that lead to the big damage," she notes.

Educators have also made her children feel alienated by asking for their input on a lesson about slavery and complimenting them daily on their hair.

"[The compliments are] a really beautiful gesture. I just don't think there's enough education and understanding on the impacts," Peart says.

As her children have aged, Peart has understood how common their experiences are in Simcoe County.

According to the 2016 Census, 29.3 per cent of Ontario residents identified themselves as being members of a visible minority. In Simcoe County, that figure was only 6.6 per cent.

Natasha Shakespeare was motivated to advocate on behalf of local Black children after her daughter shrugged off being called the 'n-word' at school, convinced nothing would or could be done.

"You're 12-years-old or 11-years-old, and you already think this doesn't matter and it's not important. And I thought, 'but your voice does matter, you are important, and it should be handled and addressed," Shakespeare says.

She has pulled her daughter out of school because she felt it wasn't safe. She describes threats, taunts, and having items thrown at her.

"Hearing the 'n-word' at recess commonly, with kids using it in a TikTok, or singing it in a song or asking for the 'n-word' pass," Shakespeare says.

The Simcoe County District School Board and Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board both insist they take acts of racism seriously.

The public board meets regularly with the Parents Against Racism Simcoe County and is in the process of establishing an advisory committee with a mandate to review, implement and monitor equity-related policies.

The Catholic board's Superintendent of schools feels it's important to meet the problem head-on.

"There is systemic racism in our schools, and we can't ignore it," Christine Monteiro-Almeida says.

She says the board will listen to the experiences of Black families to help every family feel safe.

Parents Against Racism is calling for changes at the local and provincial levels.

The group's demands include:

• Extending a Black grad coach program
• Hiring more racialized teachers
• Swapping police officers in schools for mental health workers and re-examining what students are taught

"[We have to make sure] that we're decolonizing the curriculum both from Indigenous and the Black point of view," says the group's co-chair Gillian Scobie.

We've got to be a little more honest about the history of things, and it's time that everyone's admitted it. So now, admitting it's not good enough. We also have to do better."

Friday's Call to Action rally is scheduled for 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Meridian Place in Barrie.