• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Lifestyle
Black Parents speak out against racism experienced by Black students in Alberta thumbnail

Black Parents speak out against racism experienced by Black students in Alberta

July 26, 2020
Republicans Fear Abortion Ruling Will 'Bail the Dems Out' in 2024, Midterms thumbnail

Republicans Fear Abortion Ruling Will ‘Bail the Dems Out’ in 2024, Midterms

June 26, 2022
Google memo on end of Roe v. Wade says employees may apply to relocate 'without justification' thumbnail

Google memo on end of Roe v. Wade says employees may apply to relocate ‘without justification’

June 26, 2022
Report: Stashed 2020 Boston Celtics draft prospect Yam Madar to skip Las Vegas Summer League thumbnail

Report: Stashed 2020 Boston Celtics draft prospect Yam Madar to skip Las Vegas Summer League

June 25, 2022
Why the US Army wants an ‘aerial tier network’ for better communications thumbnail

Why the US Army wants an ‘aerial tier network’ for better communications

June 25, 2022
Early Liver Disease Detection Linked to Subsequent Lifestyle Improvements thumbnail

Early Liver Disease Detection Linked to Subsequent Lifestyle Improvements

June 25, 2022
Jupiter scientists need your help hunting for storms in stunning photos thumbnail

Jupiter scientists need your help hunting for storms in stunning photos

June 25, 2022
Ex-Trump aides say six House Republicans sought pardons after Jan. 6 thumbnail

Ex-Trump aides say six House Republicans sought pardons after Jan. 6

June 24, 2022
Oil CEOs come to Washington as Biden looks to shift blame for gas prices thumbnail

Oil CEOs come to Washington as Biden looks to shift blame for gas prices

June 24, 2022
Why Biden can't bring gas prices down thumbnail

Why Biden can’t bring gas prices down

June 24, 2022
Proposed insulin price cap poses test for Dems thumbnail

Proposed insulin price cap poses test for Dems

June 24, 2022
Senators release bill targeting insulin prices thumbnail

Senators release bill targeting insulin prices

June 23, 2022
The US Economy Is Headed for a Hard Landing thumbnail

The US Economy Is Headed for a Hard Landing

June 23, 2022
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
  • Donate
Sunday, June 26, 2022
66 °f
Wellfleet
58 ° Tue
63 ° Wed
68 ° Thu
61 ° Fri
  • Login
  • Register
FREE Cape Cod News
DONATE
  • FREE Cape Cod News
  • News
    • News
    • Cape Cod News
    • Massachusetts
    • Breaking News
    • Cape Cod Weather
    • Storm Watch
    • Environment
  • Politics
    • democrats
    • republicans
  • Business
    • business
    • cryptocurrency
    • economy
    • money
    • Real Estate
    • Tech
  • World
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Photos
    • Orleans
    • Eastham
    • Wellfleet
    • Truro
    • Provincetown
    • Brewster
    • Chatham
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
Free Cape Cod News
No Result
View All Result
  • FREE Cape Cod News
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • World
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Photos
  • Videos
Home News

Black Parents speak out against racism experienced by Black students in Alberta

FREE Cape Cod News by FREE Cape Cod News
July 26, 2020
in News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Donate
0
Black Parents speak out against racism experienced by Black students in Alberta thumbnail
633
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on TwitterShare on Facebook

Author of the article:

Lisa Johnson

Publishing date:

Jul 25, 2020  •   •  2 minute read

Dieudonné Bessasse speaks during a rally on Saturday, July 25, 2020 held by the Black Parents Association of Alberta (BPAA) at the Alberta Legislature against racism experienced by Black students and parents in Alberta schools.
Dieudonné Bessasse speaks during a rally on Saturday, July 25, 2020 held by the Black Parents Association of Alberta (BPAA) at the Alberta Legislature. Greg Southam/Postmedia
More parents need to add their voice to the chorus calling on Alberta schools to better address racism experienced by Black students, advocates said at the legislature Saturday.

Speakers at the Black Parents Association of Alberta rally of about two dozen people said Black students are mistreated, disrespected and insulted in Alberta schools. They called on school boards to collect racial data tracking schools’ disciplinary actions, to hire and support a diverse pool of teachers, and overhaul curriculums to include more Black history.

Association co-ordinator Dieudonné Bessasse said that every Black parent and student has experienced discrimination in the school system, but more need to speak up and share their stories to create systemic change.

“Parents, students, children are talking about it. We felt it was the right time to actually voice it, to let the schools know about the pain we are going through,” Bessasse told reporters, adding problems are not isolated to one school district.

The rally comes after advocates drew attention to the experience of Emmell Summerville, a student at Christ the King Elementary, who was told to remove his durag because it was a gang symbol late last year. In May, Edmonton Catholic Schools apologized for what started the dispute.

His mother, Una Momolu, who said her son was racially profiled, was banned from the school for a year after the principal alleged she was aggressive in a subsequent meeting about the incident, which led to the school being put on lockdown and the police called. The district said it recognized it is inappropriate to associate durags with gang affiliation without there being any other indication of gang affiliation.

Momolu spoke at the rally, saying the confrontation spoke to the need for a better understanding of Black history, culture and spiritual symbols. She called on parents to acknowledge what their kids experience, and to be advocates.

“You guys need to listen to your children,” she said.

Hazelyn Williams said when her son, now 28, was 13 and attending an Edmonton school, he was singled out while playing with another student and traumatized by a physical altercation with a teacher, she said.

She’s heard from many other parents who were too intimidated to speak publicly, but said after the rally it was important to “gather the data to fight this,” she said.

Associate professor Temitope Oriola spoke at the Black Parents Association of Alberta (BPAA) rally at the Alberta Legislature against racism experienced by Black students and parents in Alberta schools on Saturday, July 25, 2020 in Edmonton.
Associate professor Temitope Oriola spoke at the Black Parents Association of Alberta (BPAA) rally at the Alberta Legislature against racism experienced by Black students and parents in Alberta schools on Saturday, July 25, 2020 in Edmonton. Greg Southam

Temitope Oriola, associate professor of criminology at the University of Alberta, shared his own experience of micro-aggressions — indirect, subtle, or unintentional incidents of discrimination — in academia. Having low expectations imposed on Black and Indigenous kids, especially by people in positions of authority, stifles students’ potential, he said.

“(It’s) a virus, and it kills destinies,” he said at the rally. That discrimination includes streaming black children into non-academic programs, he said.

Anecdotal evidence also shows Black students are more likely to be suspended or expelled, and parents feel like their kids are unfairly punished, but there is a lack of statistical data, he said.

“We say to our allies, including many, many teachers, that when you observe unfair treatment in schools, please speak out,” he said.

He called on highly educated Black people in Edmonton to support and advocate for the community. “We can no longer simply retreat to the suburbs. It’s time to get involved.”

lijohnson@postmedia.com

twitter.com/reportrix

Read More

FREE Digital Newspaper Subscription!
Sign up for your free digital subscription. The FREE Cape Cod News

Unsubscribe
FREE Cape Cod News

FREE Cape Cod News

Free Cape Cod News is what's happening in the Cape Cod, U.S and World & what people are talking about right now. Local newspaper. Stay in the know. Subscribe to get notified about our latest news.

Related Posts

Republicans Fear Abortion Ruling Will 'Bail the Dems Out' in 2024, Midterms thumbnail
News

Republicans Fear Abortion Ruling Will ‘Bail the Dems Out’ in 2024, Midterms

by FREE Cape Cod News
June 26, 2022
Google memo on end of Roe v. Wade says employees may apply to relocate 'without justification' thumbnail
News

Google memo on end of Roe v. Wade says employees may apply to relocate ‘without justification’

by FREE Cape Cod News
June 26, 2022
Report: Stashed 2020 Boston Celtics draft prospect Yam Madar to skip Las Vegas Summer League thumbnail
News

Report: Stashed 2020 Boston Celtics draft prospect Yam Madar to skip Las Vegas Summer League

by FREE Cape Cod News
June 25, 2022
Why the US Army wants an ‘aerial tier network’ for better communications thumbnail
News

Why the US Army wants an ‘aerial tier network’ for better communications

by FREE Cape Cod News
June 25, 2022
Load More
Please login to join discussion

Follow Us on Twitter

FREE Cape Cod News - Your source for local Cape Cod news, latest breaking U.S. and World news. Every day, all day. Subscribe for your favorite categories.

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Ex-Trump aides say six House Republicans sought pardons after Jan. 6 thumbnail

Ex-Trump aides say six House Republicans sought pardons after Jan. 6

June 24, 2022
Ranked: The Top Ten Best Beaches in The Cape Cod. FREE Cape Cod News.

Top 10 Cape Cod Beaches ( with PHOTOS )

August 21, 2020
Great White Shark Devouring Seal at Beach, First Sighting of Season thumbnail

Great White Shark Devouring Seal at Beach, First Sighting of Season

June 1, 2022
Republicans Fear Abortion Ruling Will 'Bail the Dems Out' in 2024, Midterms thumbnail

Republicans Fear Abortion Ruling Will ‘Bail the Dems Out’ in 2024, Midterms

June 26, 2022
Google memo on end of Roe v. Wade says employees may apply to relocate 'without justification' thumbnail

Google memo on end of Roe v. Wade says employees may apply to relocate ‘without justification’

June 26, 2022
Report: Stashed 2020 Boston Celtics draft prospect Yam Madar to skip Las Vegas Summer League thumbnail

Report: Stashed 2020 Boston Celtics draft prospect Yam Madar to skip Las Vegas Summer League

June 25, 2022
Support Local News, Make a Donation Support Local News, Make a Donation Support Local News, Make a Donation

FREE Cape Cod News On Twitter

Today’s News

  • Republicans Fear Abortion Ruling Will ‘Bail the Dems Out’ in 2024, Midterms June 26, 2022
  • Google memo on end of Roe v. Wade says employees may apply to relocate ‘without justification’ June 25, 2022
  • Report: Stashed 2020 Boston Celtics draft prospect Yam Madar to skip Las Vegas Summer League June 25, 2022
  • Why the US Army wants an ‘aerial tier network’ for better communications June 24, 2022
  • Early Liver Disease Detection Linked to Subsequent Lifestyle Improvements June 24, 2022
FREE Cape Cod News

Copyright © 2022 Free Cape Cod News

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
  • Donate

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • FREE Cape Cod News
  • News
    • News
    • Cape Cod News
    • Massachusetts
    • Breaking News
    • Cape Cod Weather
    • Storm Watch
    • Environment
  • Politics
    • democrats
    • republicans
  • Business
    • business
    • cryptocurrency
    • economy
    • money
    • Real Estate
    • Tech
  • World
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Photos
    • Orleans
    • Eastham
    • Wellfleet
    • Truro
    • Provincetown
    • Brewster
    • Chatham
  • Videos
  • Login
  • Sign Up

Copyright © 2022 Free Cape Cod News

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist