Video October 5, 2021

The Problem of Anti-Racist Discourse in Canada & US

Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

In 'Visitor: My Life in Canada,' Anthony Stewart explores the lack of a recognizable Black anti-racist discourse in Canada and why Canada's lack of expression and commitment to Black anti-racism led him to give up his full professorship at Dalhousie University to move to a small college in the USA.

Join Anthony in conversation with Vershawn Young, Professor of Communication Arts and English, University of Waterloo, and author of 'Your Average Nigga: Performing Race, Literacy, and Masculinity.' Anthony unpacks the differences in the discourses of anti-racism in Canada and USA and the differential effects of those discourses both on himself, as a Black man, and on Black peoples in both countries.

This conversation occurred on Oct 5, 2021 and was co-sponsored by Edmonton Public Library, Milton Public Library, Thunder Bay Public Library, Toronto Public Library, and Vancouver Public Library.

Standing Up for What You Are: A Guide for a Positive Response to Provincial Demands

Alberta library staff and boards face a serious dilemma. How should their libraries respond to the provincial government's unprecedented steps to override a long and unblemished tradition of local governance of Alberta’s public libraries which began 119 years ago?

A Positive Option for Alberta Public Libraries: Stand Up for What You Are

It’s decision time. The Alberta government is directing you to abandon what has made your public library what it is today – locally governed, with collections based on the needs and interests of your community, local policies, and competent staff to ensure that everyone in your community finds material that is of interest to them.

Alberta Orders Censorship in All Public Libraries: What Are Libraries’ Options?

The government of Alberta has imposed unprecedented censorship on all public libraries in the province – a first in Canadian history. In May, the government pushed through Bill 28, giving the Minister of Municipal Affairs virtually unlimited authority over almost all aspects of all Alberta public libraries – an extreme and unwarranted attack on the province’s public library boards, staff, and administration that a recent poll found were trusted by 82% of Albertans.