'Exciting' to see UWindsor launch anti-Black racism course, professor says

For the first time, the University of Windsor is offering a course open to the public that explores race and anti-Black racism.

In a news release Tuesday, the university said the course, The Fundamentals of Race and Anti-Black Racism, will teach students about race issues, anti-Black racism and the "construct of whiteness."

The 18-hour course is not part of a degree program. Students and community members can enrol through the university's Continuing Education office and those that complete it will receive a certificate. 

It's one of several initiatives the university is undertaking to tackle racism on campus and educate students about anti-Black racism. 

Its announcement comes after a number of recommendations were released in December 2021 from the school's Anti-Black Racism Task Force, a few of which asked for Black studies, education and training. 

"I think after the uprisings of 2020, there was a reckoning with race in North America and in Canada specifically," said Kaitlyn Ellsworth, who will be teaching the new course.  

"I hope for the participants [of this course] to take away a foundational understanding of the construct of race and racism ... and then build on that foundation to be able to recognize when they are experiencing or are the perpetrator of micro-aggressions." 

She added that it will be a discussion-based, virtual class that will encourage people to share their own experiences, identify systemic oppressions and dig into the history of racism. 

Ellsworth is a Black student support coordinator at the university and has been an advocate for Black curriculum to be implemented at the school. She said bringing this education to the school is "exciting." 

"It's building off my own education and my advocacy work in the education realm, it's been kind of a surreal experience to see that type of advocacy in this realm come to fruition," she said. 

Mohamed Elmi, the director of research at Ryerson University's Diversity Institute, told CBC News that it's important for the school to offer courses like this, though he would have liked to see it come sooner. 

"I think it should have been available a while ago, we've known these issues for a very long time. The issues of racism and anti-racism didn't start in 2020 with the murder of George Floyd, but it's never too late to do the right thing," Elmi said. 

He added that he'd like to see this course grow and this type of race and anti-Black racism education be available to all students, across different programs. 

"Racism, anti-Black racism, Indigenization of courses needs to be embedded in the entire curriculum, entire program of study for students and not just an elective or an optional course that students may want to take," he said.