Black Canadians have battled systemic racism and police brutality for centuries. It started with slavery
‘The association between Blackness and criminality was established even before policing was formalized’
Black Life: Untold Stories reframes the rich and complex histories of Black people in Canada, dispelling commonly accepted myths and celebrating the contributions of both famous and lesser-known individuals. The eight-part series spans more than 400 years with an eye toward contemporary issues, culture, politics, music, art and sports.
The myth of a kinder, gentler Canada is shattered in "Justice Denied," the seventh episode of the CBC docuseries Black Life: Untold Stories.
In the documentary, scholars and activists analyze the historic criminalization of Black Canadians and its effects on policing from the 1700s through to the present.
"I think it's really important to trace the policing of Black people in Canada, and in the Americas more broadly, to the initial kidnapping of Africans from the western shores of Africa and being brought, of course, to what was called the New World," author Robyn Maynard said in "Justice Denied."
"Any Black person moving freely through public space could be understood as a possible runaway. So in that way, the association between Blackness and criminality was established even before policing was formalized."
Historian Barrington Walker connects the emergence of policing and criminal law with the abolition of slavery in Canada in 1834. In fact, Toronto established the first police force in Upper Canada a year later based on England's Metropolitan Police Act.
WATCH: "Justice Denied" director Duane Crichton on his moment of wondering if he was the right person to tell this story:
"It was a civic duty, the civic responsibility of non-enslaved people, to make sure that people who were enslaved remained in the places where they were supposed to be," Walker said.
"Justice Denied" traces Black Canadians' centuries-long struggle with systemic racism and police brutality. The episode also highlights the unjust portrayal of Black Canadians by the mainstream media and the normalization of violence against Black people across the country.
Interviewees include:
- Ricky Atkinson.
- David Austin.
- Walter Borden.
- Heather Campbell.
- Sandy Hudson.
- Nyalinglat Latjor.
- Robyn Maynard.
- Isaac Saney.
- Rinaldo Walcott.
- Barrington Walker.
About the director
Director Duane Crichton was born in St. Lucia and moved to Toronto when he was four. He is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University's radio and television arts program. He started his career directing music videos, which led to two MuchMusic Video Awards. He won the Young Director Award in Cannes in 2005 and has directed three short films and one feature, Saving God, starring Ving Rhames. His most recent short film, Swimmer, was shown at the New York Shorts International Film Festival last year.
Watch "Justice Denied" Wednesday, Dec. 6, at 9 p.m. (9:30 p.m. NT) on CBC-TV and anytime on CBC Gem.
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from features on anti-Black racism to success stories from 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.
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