Resources For Combatting Racism & Hate
Hate, discrimination, and racism have no place at Algonquin College. Our Combating Hate policy outlines our commitment to fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all. This page provides key definitions to help understand the policy, as well as resources for those who have experienced or witnessed acts of hate. Whether you need support, guidance, or information on how to take action, we are here to help. Together, we can build a culture of caring, learning, integrity, and respect.
Definitions
The below lexicon is meant as a guide to help your understanding on some common words and terminologies you will hear in the space for diversity, equity and inclusion. These are not legal definitions.
- Anti-Black Racism
- Anti-Indigenous Racism
- Antisemitism
- Discrimination
- Hate Speech
- Islamophobia
- Reprisals or Retaliation
Anti-Black racism is prejudice, attitudes, beliefs, stereotyping and discrimination that is directed at people of African descent and is rooted in their unique history and experience of enslavement and its legacy. Anti-Black racism is deeply entrenched in Canadian institutions, policies and practices, to the extent that anti-Black racism is either functionally normalized or rendered invisible to the larger White society. Anti-Black racism is manifest in the current social, economic, and political marginalization of African Canadians, which includes unequal opportunities, lower socio-economic status, higher unemployment, significant poverty rates and overrepresentation in the criminal justice system.
Anti-Indigenous racism is the ongoing race-based discrimination, negative stereotyping, and injustice experienced by Indigenous Peoples within Canada. It includes ideas and practices that establish, maintain and perpetuate power imbalances, systemic barriers, and inequitable outcomes that stem from the legacy of colonial policies and practices in Canada. Systemic anti-Indigenous racism is evident in discriminatory federal policies such as the Indian Act and the residential school system. It is also manifest in the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in provincial criminal justice and child welfare systems, as well as inequitable outcomes in education, well-being, and health. Individual lived experiences of Anti Indigenous racism can be seen in the rise in acts of hostility and violence directed at Indigenous people.
Antisemitism: is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.
Discrimination: One or a series of action(s) or behaviour(s) related to one or more of the prohibited grounds, as defined by the Ontario Human Rights Code (“the Code”), that results in unfavourable or adverse treatment which negatively affects or could negatively affect the employment status of an employee or the status of a student.
Hate Speech: The use of extreme language or a form of communication that expresses detestation for or vilifies an individual or group of individuals based on colour, ethnicity, place of origin, race, creed, gender, or sexual orientation, among other grounds of discrimination under Ontario’s Human Rights Code. Hatred is often rooted in anti-Black, anti-Asian and anti-Indigenous racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, antisemitism, Islamophobia and white supremacy.
Islamophobia is racism, stereotypes, prejudice, fear, or acts of hostility directed towards individual Muslims or followers of Islam in general. In addition to individual acts of intolerance and racial profiling, Islamophobia can lead to viewing and treating Muslims as a greater security threat on an institutional, systemic, and societal level.
Adverse action taken against an individual for invoking this policy or for participating or cooperating in an investigation under this policy or for associating with someone who has invoked this policy or participated in the policy’s procedures.
Resources
Algonquin College Security
Contact Algonquin College Security Services by visiting the following website.
https://www.algonquincollege.com/safety-security-services/security-services-home/
9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline:
A safe space to talk, 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Call or Text 9-8-8
If you or someone you know is dealing with thought of suicide 9-8-8 will help you/them cope by listening judgment free and provide resources.
Assaulted Women’s Helpline:
Get 24/7 crisis counselling and referrals to shelters, legal advice and other help. Support is available in over 200 different languages, including 17 Indigenous languages.
1-866-863-0511 or TTY 1-866-863-7868
Crisis Line:
The Local Crisis Team responds quickly to phone calls and within 24 hours to see someone face-to-face.
Within Ottawa
613-722-6914
Outside Ottawa
1-866-996-0991
Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region:
Working within the continuum of mental health services, the Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region contributes to a healthier and safer community by providing suicide prevention, crisis intervention, psychological stabilization, emotional support, information, referral, and education services without judgment, to individuals in need.
Hope For Wellness Helpline:
Immediate mental health counselling and crisis intervention for all Indigenous peoples across Canada (available in some Indigenous languages).
Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre:
The Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre (ORCC) offers support for people who have experienced sexual and/or gender-based violence in the Ottawa region. We do this by offering individual and group trauma counselling, service navigation, psychoeducation, crisis support as well as advocacy for clients and broader systemic change.
Call 24/7
1-877-544-6424
Additional Resources
TELUS Health:
All Algonquin College full-time and part-time employees have access to live and virtual chat consultations/counselling and resources/support materials on the EFAP.
This includes many articles and supportive information on a variety of topics including career advice, grieving, relationship concerns, family issues and a variety of perks.
https://algonquin-college-network.lifeworks.com/
Talk4healing (for Indigenous women):
Tel: Toll-free and text: 1-855-554-4325
Indigenous women can get help, support, and resources seven days a week, 24 hours a day, with services in 14 languages.
Black Health Alliance:
Web: www.blackhealthalliance.ca
The Black Health Alliance is a community-led registered charity working to improve the health and well-being of Black communities in Canada.
Across Boundaries:
Tel: (416) 787-3007
Web: www.acrossboundaries.ca/
Across Boundaries has a holistic approach to mental health care includes many of the same services offered by other mental health agencies, but is also anchored in an anti-racist, anti-Black racism and anti-oppression framework.
Further Learning Resources:
Canadian Human Rights Commission – Systemic Racism Paper
https://www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca/resources/publications/discussion-paper-systemic-racism
The Canadian Human Rights Commission’s Discussion Paper on Systemic Racism explores how racism is embedded in Canadian society and its institutions. It highlights the inequalities faced by Indigenous, Black, and other racialized communities in areas like employment, housing, health, and justice. The paper explains racism at multiple levels—individual, institutional, and structural—emphasizing that these systems create and sustain discrimination. The Commission calls for action to address these inequities and promote anti-racist policies. Staff can read the full paper on the Canadian Human Rights Commission website.
Canadian Human Rights Commission – Systemic and Structural Racism
https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/epdf/10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01394
The Health Affairs article Systemic and Structural Racism: Definitions, Examples, Health Damages, and Approaches to Dismantling explores how racism is embedded in institutions and society, leading to inequities in housing, education, employment, and healthcare. It highlights the negative health impacts on marginalized communities and calls for policy changes, community engagement, and education to address these disparities. Read the full article on the Health Affairs website.
Dealing with Islamophobia in the Workplace Infographic:
The Islamophobia in the Workplace document from Queen’s University explores how Islamophobia appears in professional settings, including discrimination, bias, exclusion, and failure to accommodate religious practices. It provides key statistics, real-world examples, and guidance on creating an inclusive workplace. Read the full document here.
Pride at Work: Knowing your Rights:
https://prideatwork.ca/know-your-rights/
Every worker has the right to be free from discrimination in the workplace. This resource is a guide for 2SLGBTQIA+ workers who are seeking information about their rights in the workplace, are uncertain whether they have experienced discrimination at work, or are looking for ways to hold accountability.