Anti-racism learning hub

Training and resources to help Defence Team members better understand and respond to systemic barriers that discriminate against individuals who are Indigenous, Black, and racialized. Each of us has a role to play.

On this page

• Training courses
• Educational resources
  • Books
  • Educational videos
  • Articles
  • Websites
  • Podcasts

Training courses

The Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have partnered with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) to provide free training and professional development opportunities for all Defence Team members.

To participate:

• First, register with CCDI by creating an account with your forces.gc.ca email address. Note: CAF members enrolled at the Canadian Forces College, Royal Military College, or OSSIDE Institute and Collège Militaire Royale may register with their CFC, RMC or CMRJS extensions.
• Once registered, you will have access to active courses, such as webinars.
  • CCDI events
  • CCDI webinars
  • CCDI education and inclusion guides

Find links to a wide range of conduct and culture training and education resources, courses, and training resources for Canadian Armed Forces members and Department of National Defence employees. Each resource helps to develop the skills to create positive and supportive work environment.

The Canada School of Public Service offers an anti-racism series of multiple online tools, courses, videos, and podcasts about systemic barriers that marginalize racialized groups in Canada, and strengthening diversity and employment equity in the workplace.

Additionally, find the course you’re looking for by searching the learning catalogue using the following course codes:

• INC108 Understanding the Employment Equity Act
• INC110 Leading Diversity
• INC116 Advancing the Conversation on Systemic Racism: Self-Assessment
• INC117 Advancing the Conversation on Systemic Racism
• INC118 Fostering an Inclusive Workplace
• INC119 Call It Out; Racism, Racial Discrimination, and Human Rights
• INC121 Becoming an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Ally and Agent for Change
• INC122 Adopting an Inclusive Mindset at Work
• INC123 Moving from Bias to Inclusion
• INC124 Workplace Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Action
• INC133 Responding to Unconscious Bias
• IRA101 Reflecting on Cultural Bias: Indigenous Perspectives
• IRA140 KAIROS Blanket Exercise
• IRA141 Reconciliation Begins with Me
• IRA142 Cultural Competency: Indigenous Perspectives
• IRA143 An Introduction to Canada’s Colonial History
• IRA144 Making a Difference in Supporting the Careers of Indigenous Employees
• IRA171 Supporting Indigenous Talent
• IRA1-V02 What does Indigenous Mean?
• IRA1-V07 Beyond the Duty to Consult: Indigenous Perspectives
• COR120 Inclusive Hiring Practices for a Diverse Workforce
• INC1-V09 Understanding Anti-Black Racism and How to Be an Ally
• INC1-V10 Understanding Anti-Black Racism and How to Be an Ally: Addressing Anti-Black Racism in the Federal Public Service
• INC1-V11 Understanding Anti-Black Racism and How to Be an Ally: Allyship
• INC1-V29 Moving from Not-Racist to Anti-Racist: Spotlight on Anti-Black Racism
• INC1-V54 Symposium on the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service
• IRA1-V40 Call to Action 57: A Duty of Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples for All Public Servants
• INC1-V52 Leadership Series: Embodied Leadership for Anti-Racism, Equity and Inclusion
• INC1-V58 The Anti-Racism Framework for the Government of Canada

Educational resources

Whether completely new to the topic of anti-racism or very aware, you can consult a collection of books, videos, articles, websites, and podcasts to continue growing on your path to learning and un-learning. A list of suggested resources are provided below.

Books

• Cole, Desmond. 2020. The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power. London, England: Doubleday.
• Cooper, Afua. The hanging of Angélique: The Untold Story of Canadian Slavery and the Burning of Old Montréal.
• Davis, A. Y. 1983. Women, Race & Class. Vintage.
• Dere, W. G. W. 2019. Being Chinese in Canada: The Struggle for Identity, Redress and Belonging. Douglas & McIntyre.
• Dereen, S. 2022. The Anti-Racist Organization: Dismantling Systemic Racism in the Workplace. Wiley.
• Diverlus, Rodney; Hudson, Sandy; Ware, Syrus Marcus. 2020. Until we are free: Reflections on Black Lives Matter in Canada. Regina, Canada: University of Regina Press.
• Eberhardt, J. L. 2019. Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do. Penguin Books.
• Habib, S. 2019. We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir. Viking.
• Hasford, Julian. Dominant cultural narratives, racism, and resistance in the workplace: A Study of the experiences of young Black Canadians. American Journal of Community Psychology 57, no. 1-2 (2016): 158-70. doi:10.1002/ajcp.12024.
• Jewel, T. 2020. This Book is Anti-Racist: 20 Lessons on How to Wake Up, Take Action, and Do the Work. Volume 1. Frances Lincoln Children’s Books.
• Kanapé Fontaine, Natasha; Béchard, Deni Ellis. Kuei, My Friend: A Conversation On Racism and Reconciliation. 2018. Talonbooks. (French only)
• Kappler, Maija. Meanwhile in Canada, We Don’t Want to Face Up to Our Own Racism. HuffPost Canada, June 1, 2020.
• Kendi, Ibram. How to Be an Anti-Racist. 2019. New York: One World.
• Kendi, Ibram. Comment devenir anti-raciste. 2020. Montréal : Les Éditions de L’Homme.
• Maynard, Robyn. 2018. Noires sous surveillance : esclavage, répression, violence d’État au Canada. Montréal : Mémoire d’Encrier.
• Mensah, Joseph. Black Canadians: History, experiences, social conditions. 2002. Black Point, Canada. Fernwood Publishing.
• Nadeau, C, and Zaazaa, A. 2019. 11 brefs essais contre le racisme : pour une lutte systémique. Publisher: Somme Toute.
• Racine, Michel, and Yves Hallée. 2018. Les diversités en milieux de travail: Discrimination, égalité des chances et inclusion. Québec City: Presses de l’Université Laval. (French only)
• Reynolds, Graham. 2016. Viola Desmond’s Canada: A History of Blacks and Racial Segregation in the Promised Land. Winnipeg: Fernwood Publishing.
• Thomas, R. Roosevelt, and Marjorie I. Woodruff. 1999. Building a House for Diversity: A Fable about a Giraffe & an Elephant Offers New Strategies for Today’s Workforce. New York City: AMACOM Books.
• United Library. Racisme et antiracisme: Une brève introduction – Comprendre la fragilité (blanche) et devenir un allie. 2021. United Library.

Educational videos

1. How studying privilege systems can strengthen compassion (YouTube video)
2. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable (Ted talk)
3. How to get serious about diversity and inclusion in the workplace (Ted talk)
4. How diversity makes teams more innovative (Ted talk)
5. The world needs all kinds of minds (Ted talk)

Articles

1. Racism in Canada is ever-present, but we have a long history of denial
2. Comment l’inclusion et la diversité peuvent améliorer votre entreprise (French only)
3. Gestion de la diversité, de l’équité et de l’inclusion (GÉDI) (French only)
4. 11 Anti-Racist Actions You Can Take at Work – Today and Every Day
5. Comment éviter d’etre auteur-ice de microaggressions (French only)
6. Comment agir lorsqu’on est témoin de microagressions (French only)
7. Comment agir lorsqu’on identifie des microaggressions (French only)
8. Anti-Racism & Organizational Change: A Guide for Employers

Websites

1. Harvard Implicit Bias Test
2. Georgetown University’s Anti-Racism Toolkit Glossary
3. LinkedIn Learning – learn the practical skills you need to excel in your career (for example, anti-racism)
4. LinkedIn Learning – learn the practical skills you need to excel in your career (for example, diversity, inclusion and belonging)
5. Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion / Centre canadien pour la diversité et l’inclusion - Centre that traces how people identify alongside demographic trends within the Canadian workplace to move employers from diversity to inclusion
6. Government of Canada Diversity and Inclusion Conference Web Resources - Web Resources Focused on Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion
7. Statistics Canada: Gender, Diversity, and Inclusion Statistics - Statistics covering the population of Canada from children and youth to the various employment seeking groups
8. Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy 2024-2028
9. Mental Health for Everyone – Devenir Antiraciste – Ressources pour comprendre le racisme and devenir antiraciste
10. PSAC – Anti-Racism Resources

Podcasts

• Colour Code – Hosted by Denise Balkissoon and Hannah Sung
• The little told history of Canadians as slave owners, not just slave rescuers – Hosted by Charmaine Nelson, CBC Radio
• Diversités – Racisme systémique : quelles solutions? (in French only) – Hosted by Alexis De Lancer, Radio-Canada
• Chants de liberté (in French only) – Hosted by Stanley Péan and André Champagne, Radio-Canada
• Code Switch from NPR – Weekly conversations about race – Hosted by Shereen Marisol Meraji and Gene Demby – English podcast
• The History of People of African Descent in Canada by Isaac Saney (INC1-PO1; English; 5 minutes)
• Kiffe ta race (in French only) - Hosted by Rokhaya Diallo and Grace Ly

Back to top