Abstract
For many, multiculturalism and inclusion have long been regarded as integral parts of Canada’s national identity. However, in Policing Black Lives, Robyn Maynard asserts that multiculturalism is a myth that conceals the endemic culture of anti-blackness and state-sanctioned injustices against people of color. These injustices, Maynard says, stem from the systemic pathologization of blackness and the persistent denigration of black personhood through state-sanctioned acts that continue unabashed from slavery to this day. For Maynard, this systematic vilification and sabotage of people of color are the product of the intersection between anti-blackness and other forms of oppression such as sexism, ethnocentrism, economic discrimination, homophobic and/or transphobic stigma, and ableism, which leaves all black lives vulnerable to an inordinate amount of mistreatment and exploitation. In the midst of this adversity, Maynard believes in the power and necessity of the “Black radical imagination” to resist and transform the existing oppressive social and political conditions that were designed to oppress them (p. 230). After all, it is through courage and resilience that people of color can continue to strive toward resisting and dismantling systems and institutions that seek to criminalize and subdue them.
In Policing Black Lives, Maynard identifies slavery as the source of today’s continued practices of dehumanization and hostility toward people of color. Maynard also highlights the gaps in Canada’s educational curriculum on the history of slavery and anti-blackness. As a result, Maynard states that, when mentioned today, slavery is often incorrectly described as being “benign and short-lived” (p. 18). Furthermore, the careless handling of the history of slavery in Canada has produced a form of “social amnesia” that severely hinders many people’s ability to understand the true scope of anti-blackness in Canada’s past and present (p.19). As a result, perceived notions of black inferiority persist today as evidenced by consistent, intergenerational patterns of racialized social and economic disadvantages and disparities.
Additionally, Maynard asserts that the “state” is complicit in perpetuating harm to people of color. The “state” is defined as federal and provincial governments, as well as government-funded programs such as law enforcement, schools, and social and child welfare service agencies. Maynard asserts that these entities often enact policies and practices that are not neutral, although they are presented as legitimate in the legal and cultural spheres. These acts include, but are not limited to, excessive surveillance (by police and by social service agents), over-criminalization, mass incarceration, and over-disciplining in schools. For Maynard, these policies and practices are acts of violence that bear witness to the fact that there are undeniable fissures in Canada’s cultural mosaic. With this book, Maynard unveils the systemic patterns of discrimination and oppression and ensures that the history of black subjugation and anti-blackness in Canada no longer go unspoken. Moreover, by exposing the true nature of anti-blackness in Canada, Maynard delivers a truly scathing critique of the myth of multiculturalism in Canadian society.
All in all, Policing Black Lives is a critical and timely addition to the flourishing body of literature on feminism and critical race theory. This thoroughly researched and well-written book is accessible to a diverse audience of readers and will undoubtedly provide insight into an understudied part of Canadian history. This book also may serve as validation for some readers and as a stern rebuke for others. Finally, for social service providers, such as social workers who may work in state agencies, this book opens the door for continued discourse on ethical and culturally competent practices in our agencies. Policing Black Lives should remind us of the importance of critically examining our own biases and our levels of sensitivity to the needs, values, and beliefs of the communities we serve. As we continuously acknowledge the breadth and complexity of experiences that affect our clients’ lives, it is my hope that our assessment and intervention processes will integrate intersectional perspectives that promote dignity and social justice.
