Anti-Racism: It’s Not a Grey Area
RRC Polytech is embarking on a mission to recognize the truth about racism in our institution.
Because anti-racism is not a grey area – to make the reconciliatory change we want to see, we must confront the truth, past and present.
Regular features on our Diversity blog will explore various aspects of the College through the lens of anti-racism and through historical contexts.
As Manitoba’s leading provider of applied education and research, RRC Polytech graduates students into a wide range of industries, equipping them with advanced skills and values that emphasize teamwork and inclusiveness. We believe that the College’s identity should be shaped by the people who learn, teach, and work here. We want to empower students, faculty and staff to carry that identity with them in the workplace and greater community.
To ensure all people thrive at the College, we continuously identify and address racism in our systems and attitudes. Whatever the mechanism – policy change, for example – education always follows. Because a policy to advance anti-racism is nothing without a concerted effort to inform College community members why the change was made and how it will make our community more open to all.
This process of re-education is itself a response to the historical framework of post-secondary education – one that has created disparities of opportunity along the lines of race in institutions such as RRC Polytech for generations.
True systemic change begins with education.
Communicating why practices in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) are important shifts the way we think about anti-racism. It’s more than just ‘not being racist.’
Safety and respect are critical to success in educational and professional settings. Many people navigate institutions that were not designed with their realities in mind, and as a result, they may face microaggressions, discrimination, or a lack of culturally responsive support systems. When we don’t actively consider these experiences, we risk maintaining an environment where some students and faculty don’t feel respected and struggle to thrive.
RRC Polytech must take an active role in not only addressing its internal systems, but communicating why practices in Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) are important so we can shift the way we think about anti-racism. It’s more than just ‘not being racist.’
Many organizational structures that we see in Canada today were designed to benefit western European settlers, which created policies and cultural norms that excluded Indigenous, Black, and other racialized communities from equitable access to the same resources. Because of this, educational institutions have overlooked the histories, contributions, and knowledge systems of many cultures and peoples.
In our commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, we learn, discuss and reflect about the wrongdoings that have been perpetrated against Indigenous Peoples since the time of contact and the ongoing impacts – this is Truth. Recognizing those wrongdoings enables us to take action in ways that can better support Indigenous people, families, and communities – and this is Reconciliation.
The same approach is one RRC Polytech is committed to making towards anti-racism; knowing the truth is recognizing that racism is not a thing of the past and ‘not being racist’ is not enough to make the change we want to see. Taking action to reconcile is making goals using the information we have to better support our community and ensuring that everyone has equitable opportunities to succeed.
By prioritizing anti-racist learning, we can make RRC Polytech, in and of itself, demonstrative of the values we hold. The students who come through our doors can become agents of change in creating organizations that are reflective of the people for which they provide.
We have come a long way since our founding as the Industrial Vocational Education Centre in 1938 – we have introduced International Education, the Centre for Newcomer Integration, the School of Indigenous Education, Indigenous Strategy, Research and Business Development, and many more initiatives and policies in EDIA. We explain why we have these and what the benefits are for the people for whom they’re designed, but we don’t always explicitly articulate the historical context that creates the need for these specialized areas in the first place.
And the truth is, these contexts are deeply rooted in discrimination, racism, and colonialism. Future anti-racism features on the Diversity blog will delve into the histories that prompted the development of these areas, policies, and practices, and the impact that they’ve had in making safe and respectful learning and working environments for the people for whom they’re designed.
Visit the Anti-Racism section on our website and subscribe to the Diversity Blog for the latest updates on RRC Polytech’s exploration in anti-racism, and remember: it’s not a grey area.
Jay Scott is an instructor at RRC Polytech’s ACE Project Space and chairs the Neurodiversity Working Group, working to promote awareness and support for neurodivergent people. Before teaching, he worked in software development, building electronic medical records at Varian Medical Systems and later programming within game engines and tools at Ubisoft Winnipeg. Diagnosed with ADHD in 2022 and autism last year, Jay spent a long time wondering why certain tasks felt impossible to start, both at work and at home. Medication was a game-changer—it made directing focus so much easier, particularly on work that isn’t exciting or urgent. 
Janine is currently an Acting Chair for the School of Continuing Education, and was previously the Educational Developer who primarily supported the School of Indigenous Education. 
Emma Duffy (She/Her) is a Workforce Solutions Lead at the Sinneave Family Foundation. She has a Bachelors in Community Rehabilitation & Disability Studies and a Masters in Management, along with 8 years of experience working with non-profits. Emma plays a lead role in ensuring the success of the NEUROinclusive Workforce Solutions service and is passionate about supporting employers and teams in learning more about how to be a neuroinclusive workplace. 
Sarah Darrell (She/Her) is an Inclusive Workforce Specialist at the Sinneave Family Foundation. Through her Bachelors of Arts in Sociology, minor in Business, experience in the public and private sector and lived experience, Sarah has strong foundational knowledge of diversity, equity and inclusion and its role in business. She focuses on creating ways to share knowledge with employers and related stakeholders about the need for and value of neuroinclusion in work and learning environments. 
