Important to talk about race early, organizer of anti-racist camp in Saskatoon says

Helen Vangool hopes a new anti-racist camp will help create a more equitable world. 

Vangool is one of the organizers behind Good Trouble, an anti-racist day camp for eight to 12 year olds. As a Black woman who grew up in Saskatchewan, Vangool said she thinks her life would be different if she'd had an anti-racist education at their age. 

"Growing up we didn't really talk much about race or racism," Vangool told Saskatoon Morning. "It kind of went 'decide to be colourblind' and 'treat everyone the same,' even though we actually weren't being treated the same."

Thinking back, Vangool was raised with what she said is a "white lens" of life. One example she shared is while reading books, she pictures a white hero even though she is Black. If she'd received an anti-racist education, Vangool said that ingrained whiteness might not be there.

"I think I wouldn't have internalized so much anti-Blackness growing up," Vangool said. "I wouldn't have so much of a white gaze and maybe I would have been a lot more confident in myself and my ability, and more proud of my blackness."

Eight to 12 not too early to start anti-racist training: Vangool 

Vangool said it's important to normalize conversations about race and have children talk about it when they are young. She said this leads to adults who see the inequities that exist and advocate and support one another. 

"Research shows that kids as young as three and four are already recognizing the racial differences that are present in society. And by age five, they're already making choices based on race, on who to play with," Vangool said. 

"It's so important that we talk about race so that kids, they're more aware of why they're doing what they're doing."

Vangool said she faced microaggressions when she was a child, such as comments about her skin, hair, clothing and more. At the camp, kids will be taught to recognize microaggressions and to not judge the person, but the actions. 

"So trying to recognize the action and then talking to the aggressor about how they could have done things better."

Carla Fehr said she was thrilled about the camp and wants her eight-year-old son to learn from two community leaders. Fehr said it's important he learn about his privilege and how to be an ally in pushing for societal change.

"My son's two best buddies at school are Black and we're a white family. And I often think about, you know, if they remain friends through high school and beyond, what will he do when his friends face racism or they face barriers?" Fehr said.

"I would love for my children to understand the patterns and the policies in our society that are built to benefit them, to benefit whiteness. And I love for them to understand so much earlier in life."

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.