Last February 27, 2004, precisely at Trane Studio, 964 Bathrust St, another giant step was taken in our struggle to Anti ? racism in Canada. It will be remembered as the evening which Professor George J. Sefa Dei, who "The Toronto Star" newspaper recently called a "Champion of Race Relations" launched ?Playing the Race Card: Exposing White Power and Privilege?
The launching was attended by faculty students, staff of the University of Toronto, media and other community members. The room was filled to capacity that most of the guests stood up through out the programme. It is equally important to mention that all the boxes of the books brought for launching was sold out that day. This feat drives home the importance and usefulness of Anti-Racism education.
The must-read book, which was co-authored by Drs. George J. Sefa Dei, Leeno Luke Karumanchery and Nisha Karumanchery-Luik, exposes the racial card that is always played in a society that puts much premium on skin colour.
The cover of the book has eye-catching inscriptions such as: ?Don?t be so sensitive?; ?I am not racist ... some of my friends are Blacks?; ?I don?t see colour- I am colour blind; ?that is reverse racism?; ?you have a chip on your shoulders?; ?they steal our job? and ?you only see racism because you are looking for one?. These words describe our daily encounters with racism and things we often hear when we openly complain as victims. One of the strengths of the book is that it weaves through race, gender and class analysis.
The timely book coincides with an era when racism continuous to be played out in different forms. Like the head of Lernaean Hydra in the second labour of Hercules, any head cut off two disturbing new heads grow up in place. Blackness is being equated to criminality and people of colour are continuously scapegoated when things go wrong in our society.
The authors, having been familiar with racism and injustice in our society, wrote the book in the hopes that it could make a difference in people's lives.
A part from questioning and troubling privilege and oppression the book also highlights these three salient points:
That racism specifically, and oppression in general, are not just about cross burning and the criminalization of Black and minority youth. Though, they are part of it, but the real insidious work of racism happens internally within the racially subordinated. Part of the power and privilege that comes with being in a dominant position is not having to see it that way. This book looks to open up that discussion. By looking at the social construction of race and racism the book opens up spaces in which the oppressed can start to develop a new world view in which ?they or we? are not deviant.
Secondly, the book takes a step away from systemic encounters with racism and anti-racism to look at how the oppressed might better understand their oppression. For example we can argue that little can come out of policies if the people who have to practice it do not buy into the changes. This book works to help racial minorities understand the social pathology that encircles us and frames our lives.
Last but not the least, in stepping away from doing work that would validate the experience of racism for the dominant, this text looks specifically to help people of colour and other oppressed peoples understand their pain - why they were disengaged from their schooling experience and why they have always felt like they were "too sensitive", and always feel uncomfortable when people asked "Where are you from?" This text is a tool to develop the critical consciousness of the oppressed. But more than that, it is framed to be a guide of sorts that would hopefully support the oppressed throughout that journey.
The book, no doubts, gives us important messages on society that we should acknowledge our differential and collective responsibilities and fight against racism and injustice
During the launching, the various authors made some comments which attracted applause from the audience. Prof. Dei, for example, while arguing that Race is more than skin colour also noted that Whiteness is a pigmentary passport of privilege. Even within our schools, colleges and universities, whiteness and white privilege continue to masquerade as ?excellence?.
Warning us against complacency while we celebrate Black History month, Professor Dei added, "It is important we celebrate our relevance and at the same time be mindful and cautious that there is more work to be done." Indeed there are still unfinished business and we, as community members cannot rest on our oars while the tide is still blowing against us.
For his part, Dr. Leeno Karumanchery, Anti- Racism Coordinator of the Hamilton Children?s Aid Society, and a former student of Professor Dei at the University of Toronto, recalled his first meeting with the Professor. He initially wanted to concentrate his work on how to educate ?White kids on racism", but Prof. Dei advised him to rather concentrate on how to assist ?Asians kids? to live with racism. Dr. Karumanchery was full of praise to Prof. Dei who he claimed was not afraid to push other people to climb the social and academic ladder in this challenging environment. Dr. Karumanchery concluded that his closer working with Prof. Dei has shown him, the latter "does not only do the talking but walk the talk."
Adding her voice, Nisha Karumanchery - a brother of Leeno and a graduate student of Univeristy of Toronto - who now teaches at McMaster University, also explained what motivated her to take part in this work. Nisha though knew racism exists, but thought has graduated from the level of name ?calling, use of slurs and stereotyping until she experienced it. She was more surprise, when her own two- year- old child referred to a ten- year-old child of colour as ?Paki?. She reprimanded the child and asked him to apologize, which he did. She still could not believe a child, at that level, could correctly identify a person with such term. This made her believe that racism continuous to exist in more profound way and a need to fight it.
The audience, really appreciated the insights of these three authors, especially Professor George Sefa Dei and the yeoman role he continuous to play in the Black community. The community is keenly waiting for the launching of his next two books:
Sole-authored? ?Schooling in Africa: The Case of Ghana? and The edited book with Gurpreet Johal ?Critical Issues in Anti-Racist Research Methodologies? For those who claim that minorities enjoy playing the victim role, we would like to borrow the words of Professor Dei "Stop victimizing us and we will stop becoming victims."
