B.C. school division copies Saskatoon’s anti-racism campaign

The City of Saskatoon’s controversial anti-racism campaign has inspired a similar effort by a rural British Columbia school district, which is also facing criticism.

The school district near Kamloops, B.C. took note of the City of Saskatoon’s multimedia campaign, which drew some complaints last year. Most of the ire was directed at a billboard featuring a middleaged white man next to the quote: “I have to acknowledge my own privilege and racist attitudes.”

Saskatoon’s I Am the Bridge campaign featured videos and other online content, but the billboards attracted the most attention. Some on city council praised the campaign for provoking difficult conversations, while others lamented that the controversy detracted from the goal.

Lynne Lacroix, the city’s director of recreation and community development, said in an email on Friday that the city was not contacted by the B.C. school district.

Administration in the B.C. Gold Trail school district created a campaign featuring administration members and their quotes on racism featured on posters placed in hallways and classrooms of district elementary and high schools.

The poster that has raised the most objections in B.C. features Teresa Downs, the superintendent of schools, using language similar to that on the Saskatoon billboards.

“I have unfairly benefited from the colour of my skin. White privilege is not acceptable,” the poster reads.

A Vancouver Sun story published Thursday said objections have been raised online over the campaign and that parents had no warning about it.

Although the Saskatoon billboards have come down, the city ’s anti-racism campaign continues through partnerships with other organizations.