Anti-Racism Learning Framework
Anti-Racism Learning Framework is one component of UM's broader efforts to advance racial justice. It also complements and supports the Truth and Reconciliation Framework: Time for Action.
Our fundamental commitments, as outlined in MomentUM: Leading Change Together, UM’s 2024-2029 strategic plan, are:
- Advancing Reconciliation for Transformative Change
- Fostering a Vibrant Community
- Building a Sustainable Future
We walk together to advance Reconciliation by addressing the root causes of inequities, acknowledging the harms of colonial actions both past and present, and building respectful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples. This includes addressing anti-Indigenous racism and its impacts on Indigenous communities and peoples.
We work to cultivate a vibrant and accessible UM Community rooted in equity, diversity, human dignity, inclusivity, respect, well-being, and care for one another. This requires addressing underlying structures that exclude and create barriers to meaningful participation. Creating the conditions for all to thrive requires recognizing the many forms of racism that exist within the UM community and society, acknowledging the harmful impacts of racism, and working together to dismantle systemic racism.
The anti-racism journey and individual learning
The learning journey on racism and anti-racism varies for each member of the UM community — student, staff, and faculty. Some are early in that journey and others have long-standing engagement, community activism, and expertise in areas of racism and anti-racism.
UM is committed to providing learning and engagement that is meaningful for students, staff, and faculty at all stages of their learning. This requires ensuring learning opportunities are dynamic and engaged with current anti-racist research and practices, diverse community experiences and voices, and broader work at UM to advance Reconciliation and decolonization, as well as to advance equity, anti-oppression, and accessibility.
Individual anti-racism learning should include:
- learning about anti-Indigenous racism and how to incorporate anti-racist actions that further Reconciliation;
- learning about specific histories and manifestations of different racisms, including (but not limited to): antisemitism, anti-Black racism, Anti-Asian racism, and anti-Muslim racism;
- learning about diversity within racially marginalized communities and how systems of oppression intersect, along with learning that advances understanding of anti-oppression.
Mandatory annual anti-racism training for UM employees
As mandated by Government of Manitoba legislation, all public employees must complete annual anti-racism training. This includes all UM staff, faculty and student workers.
The University of Manitoba shares and supports the goal of ongoing anti-racism training for all government employees, and has integrated the Manitoba Government Anti-Racism module into our anti-racism learning strategy.
The course covers themes such as: how racism and bias result in unequal treatment of people based on ancestry or ethnicity; legal rights and obligations under The Human Rights Code; how implicit bias is unconscious and automatic; and how racism can be challenged.
The Anti-Racism Mandatory Training course is available on UM Learn. Find full information about the course on the UM Intranet in the Human Resources section, under "HR equity, diversity and inclusion strategy” in Workshops and training.
Shared fundamental anti-racism learning will enable academic and non-academic units across UM campuses to organise and participate in anti-racism learning for employees that addresses racism and anti-racism specific to their unit or academic disciplines. Central units will also scaffold anti-racism learning opportunities on the mandatory training to provide staff and faculty opportunities for anti-racism learning that continuously nuance and advance knowledge of different racism to promote anti-racist action.
UM-specific anti-racism learning opportunities
There are many learning opportunities on racism and anti-racism organized by units, groups and individuals across UM campuses.
Office of Equity Transformation
The Office of Equity Transformation (OET) provides strategic leadership on anti-racism and anti-racism learning at UM. OET coordinates various lecture series and public events that advance understanding of different racisms and development of anti-racist practices. OET also offers workshops for UM staff, students, and faculty.
- Public Classroom Initiative
- Data Justice Series
- Anti-Ableism Speakers Series
- OET Workshops:
- Intersectionality: Building Understanding and Application
- Anti-Oppression: Framework and Praxis
UM Indigenous
UM Indigenous provides a plethora of learning opportunities specific to anti-Indigenous racism and to advancing Reconciliation.
Central units
Several central units offering anti-racism learning opportunities:
Research centres and institutes
Research centres and institutes also provide programming and public talks related to anti-racism:
Faculties
Some faculties have dedicated offices with resources and learning opportunities specific to the field and disciplines.
Rady Faculty of Health Sciences' Office of Anti-Racism is committed to addressing the racial inequities that exist within our learning and work environments to close the profound gaps in professional education and health service delivery.
Faculties and academic units regularly incorporate anti-racism learning into their programming, shared committee learning, or retreats.
Considerations for unit and individual anti-racism learning
Strong learning and education on racism and that advances anti-racism will centre:
- Evidence-based research
- Knowledge and expertise in specific forms of racism and anti-racism
- Voices of racially marginalized people as appropriate for the event or topic, recognizing no one person speaks for an entire community or history, nor can a single talk, event, or series cover all viewpoints and perspectives
- Consideration of how racisms manifest in the specific field of work, profession, academic discipline
- Understanding of the harms of racisms
- Plan for supports and resources for those engaged in the learning
- Self-reflection