For Black parents, racist video seen as painful reminder and a teachable moment

A racist video of two West Island teens being shared widely online has served as a cruel reminder for Black parents of the challenges their children still face.

The videois a minute long, heavily edited and shows the teenagegirls dancing in blackface to a song that uses racial slurs to describe Black people,including repeated use ofthe N-word.

Itwas posted online and spread quicklyMonday.

Sabi Hinkson, a teacher and mother of two Black daughters, saw it thatmorning while working from home.

"Everything about me hurt to see something like this, especially during a time like this," Hinkson said, referring to the international anti-racist civil rights movement sparked by the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by Minneapolis police.

"It is painful; it is psychologically damaging; it is a very dangerous thing when you involve race in bullying, and I think we're not dealing with it appropriately."

Growing up in Montreal, Hinkson saidshe experienced racism. She was hoping things would improve for her children.

"It seems to be getting worse," she said.

The girls in the video, who attendLester B. Pearson School Board's John Rennie High School, are not being named by CBC News.

They were the subject of a police investigation, but Montreal police spokesperonRaphal Bergeronsaid Tuesday there were not enough elements to lay charges.

'Wake-up call' for school board

The chair of the Pearson board, Noel Burke, said the video was not made recentlyand that it resurfaced online.

Burke saidthe video is "appalling" but that it's a symptom of a larger societal problem.

"It's a wake-up call for us as a board," he said.

Although the board has a policy on bullying of all types, Burke said he foresees the creation of a specific policy on racism in the short term.

In the long term, he said, the board will review curricula and literature to ensure inclusiveness is part of students' education.

The board hasn't decided whether to expel the students in the video. The decision, he said, will be based onwhat is safest for them and the school community.

"Before we act impulsively on that, we need to understand the act behind it," he said.

John Rennie High School, for its part,issued a statement on its Facebook page Monday, saying the administration immediately reported the video to authorities and is co-operating with the investigation.

The video was produced outside of school activities, the statement says, but "nonetheless, we wish to emphatically underscore that this video is completely in contradiction to the values shared by our students, staff and our school community."

As of Tuesday afternoon, 7,000 people hadsigned a petition calling for the two students to be expelled.

A time to talk to your kids about racism

The school's Facebook page is filled with comments, some calling on school officials to discipline the girls or host anti-racist workshops.

Allison Saunders, a Black mother who co-organized an anti-racismprotest in Pointe-Claire last weekend, said focusing on punishing the girls misses the point.

"Instead of looking at those kids, look at your kids," she said. "Have a conversation. Why is it not OKto make a video like this?"

Parents, she said,should use this moment to talk to their childrenabout racism.

"Our community is hurting. Our kids are hurting, and our adults are sitting around online passing this video around and calling for justice. It's not their place," Saunders said.

"What we do have control of is our own family and how we behave in the world."

WATCH: Black teens hope racist video leads to education, understanding

Black teens hope racist video sparks education, understanding

4 years ago

Duration 1:52

A racist video by two Montreal-area teens has sparked outrage. While some are threatening retribution, some teenagers in the Black community hope it becomes an opportunity for education about racism and white privilege.