Equity is teaching and learning that is centered on justice, liberation, truth, and freedom, and is free of bias and favouritism. You cannot talk about true justice, liberation, truth, and freedom without talking about anti-racism.”—Dr. Gholdy Muhammad “Unearthing Joy”1
Dr. Gholdy Muhammad’s ground-breaking work in laying the foundation for a Culturally and Historically Responsive teaching and Learning Literacy Framework is creating a major shift in how educators understand equity in education today.
According to Dr. Muhammad, true equity work requires focusing on five pursuits: Identity, Skill Development, Intellectualism, Criticality, and Joy. Equity work should not be confined to just “reading a multicultural book to the classroom or providing access to something educationally good or sound. Doing that does not ensure that children will learn about their identities and histories, nor the liberation of themselves and others.”2
Education is changing, it always has and always must. This is a requirement, as our society does the same. We must, as educators, be committed to the development of our own knowledge and understanding as well as to unlearning that which impedes our ability to facilitate fair and equitable treatment of all our students under our care. We are required to be anti-racist and anti-oppressive educators who work alongside others to dismantle the systemic racism, marginalizations and oppressions which have been rampant across Canadian governmental agencies including in education.
It is our job to support students in the process of being lifelong learners. We are expected to teach them the critical thinking skills they require to engage with the world around them, be mindful of their own, and others’ biases, and equip them with the tools to become lifelong learners. As educators we do not have infinite knowledge, nor should this be an expectation. In fact, there is an expectation that we learn and unlearn alongside our students and colleagues, in order to prepare our students “for a complex and unpredictable future with rapidly changing political, social, economic, technological, and ecological landscapes.”3
Unfortunately, systemic racism, oppression and marginalization continue to impact many communities today. Anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, anti-Palestinian racism as well as antisemitism, Islamophobia, Transphobia, Queerphobia, and anti-Asian hate remain a national problem in 2024. While we have an obligation to address and dismantle all forms of racism, we (as Palestinian educators) have observed and felt a significant rise in anti-Palestinian racism in schools since October 7th 2023. There has been a great deal of silencing and labelling when Palestinians and their allies have tried to speak out about the atrocities happening in Palestine or shed light on the struggle for freedom and liberation of Palestinians. And although the world witnessed horrendous violence on October 7, the subsequent actions of aggression inflicted on the civilians of Gaza and what the International Court of Justice has called a “plausible genocide”, woke the collective consciousness of Western society.
This pivotal moment, though not defined by a single event, encapsulates a series of transformative occurrences that are reshaping global perspectives and ideologies. Whether it be unlearning historical milestones, exploring Palestinian cultural values, witnessing steadfast bravery with student encampments, or mobilising social media platforms, we as educators can agree that there is a shift in societal paradigms. It serves as a reminder of the power of pivotal moments to challenge ingrained beliefs, inspire new movements, and foster a greater sense of unity and understanding among individuals.
It also serves as a reminder for us as educators, about the importance of facilitating a learning environment for students to question, challenge, advocate and critically think through events happening around them. And to do that, educators need to stay abreast of the factual and accurate historical information about Palestinian identity—not only to enhance educators’ ability to impart knowledge, but also to ensure they provide students with accurate and relevant information.
This is why Dr. Muhammad vital Culturally and Historically Responsive teaching and Learning Literacy Framework is so pivotal today. Educators must focus on the five pursuits—Identity, Skills, Intellect, Criticality and Joy—in order to engage and reach all learners. But how can we do so while being silenced by the powers of systemic racism still prevalent around us?
We must Learn and Unlearn about Palestine, and Palestinians’ histories and narratives. We must do all we can to undo the many years of indoctrination we have undergone as a society that dehumanizes Palestinians and erases their lived experiences and narratives. Students must be able to proudly name who they are and share their experiences, histories and joys with their classmates in order to fully develop into those critical thinkers mandated in the global competencies by the Council of Ministers of Education. We must dismantle our biases and preconceived ideas and push back against those who continue to silence Palestinian voices. Finally, we must affirm students’ identities and lived experiences so they may be able to build on these pursuits throughout their lives well beyond their time in our K-12 schools.
Because of this, we were compelled to work with the unlearn team. We began this process together in August of 2022 by creating a resource called Affirming the Palestinian Identity in Education.
Understanding the much misunderstood history of Palestine and its people had to be our starting point. Without this, student identity, which is the first of Dr. Muhammad’s 5 Pursuits, would not be available to ensure equity for Palestinian students.
The course is organized around 4 big ideas: 1. What is Palestine? 2. Who is a Palestinian? 3. How Palestinians face anti-Palestinian Racism and 4. Why should we support Palestinian students?
In one of the chapters of the course, the iceberg analogy is used to shed light on the years of confining the Palestinian struggle in western society to “Gaza/WestBank”, “Jerusalem” and the “Religious conflict” narrative.
In fact, the struggle for Palestinian liberation should also encapsulate contexts of “Historic Palestine”, “Settler-colonialism”, “Illegal settlements and Military Occupation”, “Apartheid” and more.
The course also explores evidence of forms of repressions and silencing experienced by Palestinians and their allies. For example, a report by Independent Jewish Voices in October of 2022, “documents the impact of reprisals, harassment, and intimidation faced by Canadian activists, faculty, students, and organisations in relation to scholarship and activism in solidarity with the struggle for Palestinian human rights.”4 The report demonstrates the massive silencing campaign against Palestinian rights, identities, lived experiences, history and narratives. According to the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association, “anti-Palestinian racism is a form of anti-Arab racism that silences, excludes, erases, stereotypes, defames or dehumanizes Palestinians or their narratives.”5
Unfortunately, forms of silencing and defaming have been inflicted by power structures in our educational institutions for quite some time. For example, Stephen Lecce, the former Minister of Education in Ontario, ordered an Ontario school board to “reverse their decision and leave politics outside of the classroom” in response to this school board’s recognition of “Nakba Remembrance Day” on their Days of Significance calendar. Apparently, Lecce “made his expectations clear to all school boards that there is no room for politics or the influence of personal opinions in Ontario classrooms.”6
Politics? The commemoration of the Nakba is not politics, it is a vital part of the lived experience and catastrophic outcome of 76 years of settler-colonialism, ethnic cleansing and apartheid of the Palestinian people. To call the discussion and commemoration of the Nakba political fails to meet the expectation of dismantling of racism and oppression in education. We heard this loud and clear from students, parents and community members in the classrooms and public delegations. The notion of “No place for Politics in schools” fails to acknowledge the suffering and outcry from the Palestinian students and educators (whom the Minister of Education is the guardian of) for upholding their human rights, justice and equality. Silencing and marginalization not only perpetuates injustice but also obstructs the path to understanding and resolution.
We teach students about the important contributions of Nelson Mandela and the dismantling of Apartheid in South Africa, as we should. We teach students about Martin Luther King Jr. and his role in the dismantling of “Jim Crow” and the Civil Rights Movement, as we should. We teach students about the atrocity of the Holocaust on the Jewish people and other genocides, as we should. We teach about the impact of settler-colonialism on Indigenous people of Turtle Island and our journey as settlers on the path of Truth and Reconciliation, as we should. However, educators are silenced and often reprimanded when we teach about the injustices happening in Palestine such as the apartheid system imposed by Israel or the history of Nakba.
It is an expectation that students of all identities advocate for their own rights as well as the rights of others. But when our students are advocating for Palestinian rights, they are often silenced, sometimes disciplined and told that these discussions are “too political”. When a school board in Ontario recognizes the Nakba, as they all should, including the trauma and lived experience that goes along with it, they are pressured to remove it from their Days of Significance. Teachers, students and family members are consistently silenced and erased which are explicit examples of anti-Palestinian racism.
One example is the case of Selina Robinson, at the time the B.C Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills who, in February 2024, stated, during an online event, that Palestine was a “crappy piece of land with nothing on it”. This is surely a sign that more education around Palestine and anti-Palestinian racism is required in our country, and the world.7
Dr. Muhammad’s Framework also includes joy, skills and identity and we felt the need to highlight the crucial role culture plays in defining the Palestinian identity. Culture encompasses a diverse tapestry of customs, art, cuisine, music, and language, all of which serve as pillars upholding our collective identity in the face of ongoing challenges. It serves not only as a means of preserving heritage but also as a form of resistance against attempts to erase or diminish our existence.
As educators, you will likely encounter many diasporic Palestinian students in your classroom. Culture connects Palestinians across geographical boundaries and fosters a sense of pride, affirmation and empowerment to maintain a steadfast connection to their land and history amidst adversity.
We currently live in a time where people all over the world are demanding change. We are living in a time where governments are acknowledging Palestinian experiences and their peoplehood. We are living in a time where a few members of our own Canadian government are lobbying for change to anti-racist policies and balanced education around Palestine including the Nakba. We are living in a time that supports our desire to continue the deconstruction of the imbalance of power in our societal systems including, but not limited to, education.
We understand that sometimes it feels like change is an impossible task; that dismantling the system-wide problems is hopeless. We push, we teach, we have difficult conversations, we feel discomfort and we fight, all to take three steps forward and two steps back. We mustn’t give up and we mustn’t yield to the naysayers and those whose power is jeopardised by our actions. The practices, policies and processes must be changed. It is a slow undertaking, but we must remain steadfast, resilient and determined. We must continue to be brave, courageous and resolute. We must press on!
