Canada’s Racism Problem Exists but Lurks below the Surface

Last Sunday, some sick-o deliberately ran over four members of a family waiting to cross the street because they were Muslim. It happened in London. Not London, England; London, Ontario. Sadly, it’s only the most recent example of a series of hate attacks in this country targeting not only Muslims but Asians, blacks and other minorities.

Yet, the myth about racism and racial discrimination existing in Canada somehow persists. Thankfully, events like the London attack remain utterly abhorrent to the vast, vast majority of Canadians. Canada’s racism problem is far more subtle; regrettably, it’s no less pernicious.

In a recent poll, 84% of Canadians said they don’t think they’re racists. And I’ll bet everyone one of those respondents was being truthful. The problem is that racism and discrimination is often authored by good people who don’t even recognize what they’re doing. It gets perpetuated not by violent acts of hatred but stereotypes and assumptions that poison different aspects of public life, including the workplace.

HR directors can play a pivotal role in recognizing and rooting out hidden discrimination within their own organizations. The starting point is to identify internal policies, procedures and practices that may constitute systemic discrimination.