The Editor,
I’m a Grade 9 student at Philemon Wright high school. Hearing Premier Legault say that there is no systemic racism in Quebec angered me.
If Quebec was truly free of systemic racism, First Nations’ history in the context of Canada’s history of genocide would be a core part of our curriculum. I am lucky enough to have had a few teachers who are aware of the importance of this subject and take it upon themselves to give us this education.
It shouldn’t be about luck. Our current curriculum perpetuates Canadian myths of fairness, equality, and justice. I’ve been learning about the noble, heroic exploits of French explorers and settlers for three years now — my entire high school career thus far. If our government was truly serious about truth and reconciliation, about our genocidal history, it would be part of our education. How is this massive oversight in Quebec not a form of systemic racism?
Ila Bea Sanderson
Rupert, QC