An Examination of the Irreconcilability of Liberalism and Anti-Black Racism in Canada

Abstract

Undoubtedly, liberalism has a vast anthology, yet there remains limited research on how this ideology interacts with anti-Black racism on a macro-scale, and particularly how a Western liberal democratic capitalist society like Canada has dealt with anti-Black racism. Although Canada is a country that prides itself on multiculturalism, diversity, and tolerance, evidence reveals that anti-Black racism is endemic and woven into the fabric of its institutions and policies. In this article, the author exposes the vestiges of discrimination and examines the irreconcilability between anti-Black racism and liberalism. By questioning the prevailing ideology in Canada, the author concludes that liberalism maintains anti-Black racism and the systemic subjugation of Black people. Addressing anti-Black racism cannot be achieved solely through perfunctory policy change, but by dismantling the inherent power dynamics between Black and white people. On this basis alone, anti-Black racism and any discourse around discrimination would provoke the pillars of liberalism and disrupt the order of things.