School program: Pass the Mic: Let's Talk About Racism (Grades 5 to 8)

Program length: 75 minutes

Photo on the left – A biracial man dressed in drag. He is wearing a black headpiece, black leather gloves, a black leather dress and and black and white sweater. Photo in the centre – a Black woman wearing black and red Athletic gear, jumping. She has blonde braids. Photo on the right – a Sikh-Canadian man, smiling, wearing a black and white striped sweater, blue and brown pants, boots, and an orange turban, in the snow in front of a cabin. Partially obscured.

Credit: Dimitri Nana-Côté, Rachel Turner, Christian Kuntz Photography

School program details

We all have a role to play in creating an anti‐racist society. During the Pass the Mic: Let’s Talk About Racism program, students will consider their relationship with racism and, in turn, learn about how to be anti‐racist. They will learn about bias, microaggressions, intersectionality, identity and allyship, and making all spaces safe for their marginalized peers. Finally, they will challenge themselves to take a stand for anti‐racism in their communities.

Program Messages:

  • We all have a role to play in creating an anti‐racist society.
  • We all have an identity made up of multiple components.
  • People from racialized communities have different lived experiences and need to be given space to speak about their story.
  • Acceptance and allyship are key elements of anti‐racism.
  • We all have the ability to learn about micro‐aggressions and bias and to unlearn or call out harmful behaviours.

Teacher Guide

Paired with the program is a teacher’s guide to support educators in guiding safe and meaningful dialogue around racism. The guide also includes activities and lessons linked to video conversations with three activists, Dawn Richardson‐Wilson, Gurdeep Pandher, and Dimitri Nana‐Côté.

A Sikh-Canadian man, smiling, wearing a green sweater, blue and brown pants, boots, and an orange turban, leaning against a cabin with a crescent moon.

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