Listen and Learn has from the beginning been about Settler educators examining our positionality, privledge and complicity in colonial education settings while simultaneously attempting to undo those practices to better serve Indigenous students and bring the Truth to Settler students. Another hat I wear in my life is of an instructor at OISE, where I often teach a course on Anti-Discrimination in Education, where one of the topics is how anti-Black racism is pervasive throughout our education system.
There are many places where these two sets of knowledges come together but this week I've also been reflecting on the fact that they are separate too, that we cannot conflate Indigenous resistance with the drive to justice for Black Lives.
What we can do in service to both of these things is to continuously confront White Supremacy in ourselves. It is a process that is ongoing. I want to credit the work of Robyn Maynard, Policing Black Lives (Social Studies & Histories teachers of all grades, I highly recommend this book!) and most recently Layla Saad's work, Me and White Supremacy, for being crucial on my journey.