ARIE Research: A Review of the Anti-Racism Data Act One Year Later
The BC Demographic Survey Household Roster, one of the first data collection initiatives of the Anti-Racism Data Act and an attempt to identify and address systemic racism in government programs/services, is now open. More than a year after the act became law, what does the progress look like, and what’s to come?
On May 2, 2022, the British Columbia (BC) Government released the Anti-Racism Data Act, which became law a month later. The act is aimed at addressing systemic racism by addressing the lack of data collected on racialized groups, especially related to IBPOC groups accessing services, and feelings of safety when accessing services. The need for demographic data on diversity was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic; the different ways communities were experiencing the pandemic and access to care became apparent. These experiences and others exposed the lack of data pertaining to racialized groups' access to different systems of care and government services. The Anti-Racism Data Act is meant to begin addressing such systemic injustices.
Specific goals of the act focus on four key areas:
“Continued collaboration with Indigenous Peoples in a way that recognizes the unique identity of First Nations and Métis communities in BC;
Working with racialized communities in implementing the legislation. This includes the creation of a provincial anti-racism data committee to collaborate with government on how data is collected and used;
Increasing transparency and accountability while preventing and reducing harms to Indigenous Peoples and racialized communities; [and]
Requiring government to release data on an annual basis, and to periodically review the act.” (BC Government, 2023)
The Anti-Racism Data Committee is an important part of this. The committee is composed of 11 individuals from across BC with different backgrounds. Their role is to inform initiatives based on lived racialized experiences, ensuring that they focus the work on identifying and eliminating systemic racism within the government. The Anti-Racism Data Act and related initiatives are one of the first steps in the government holding themselves accountable for implicit and explicit bias and racism; the hope is this legislation will reduce harm to IPBOC communities, specifically in relation to government services.
With the act coming into effect over a year ago, the committee and government are still in the beginning stages of identifying specific barriers and discriminatory components of social and institutional services. The BC Government is beginning to document intersectional demographic data starting this summer (2023); the first component is the BC Demographic Survey, a voluntary population survey which runs until September 30, 2023.
Since the implementation of the act, the BC Government has worked with Indigenous Peoples, racialized communities, and the committee to develop research priorities for the next two years (2023-2025). The priorities were developed collaboratively. The priorities fall under sector-based research priorities from Indigenous Peoples, additional Indigenous priorities, and research priorities from the Anti-Racism Data Committee. The priority areas address Indigenous data sovereignty, and in particular, include health and education outcomes, social determinants of safety, commitment to the Declaration Act Action Plan, and a distinctions-based approach to research. Priority areas for the Anti-Racism Data Committee itself include diversity in the Public Sector, interactions with the justice system, health outcomes, access and use of education supports, youth and family wellness, economic inclusion, and homelessness.
The act has guidelines which require multiple reports to be released yearly: information related to systemic racism and racial equity must be released yearly, while research priorities must be released every two years. The importance of beginning the work by creating strong relationships is highlighted in the BC Government’s 2023 Anti-Racism Data Act Progress Report. People for Education’s 2023 progress report on anti-racism policy notes that the focus within the first year of the act has, as the BC Government highlights, mainly been on creating strong relationships between governments and racialized communities; the authors highlight that this is a necessary step if any meaningful work is to move forward. One of the ways in which these relationships are being built is through monthly meetings with government and Indigenous leaders, where all parties are updated on data related questions and activities. An agreement has also been made with Indigenous leaders for full transparency of the use of data, and an understanding that any data taken is under full control of the people it was submitted by.
The Anti-Racism Data Committee members are working closely with the BC Government to ensure racialized experiences are at the forefront of legislation. One committee goal for the upcoming 2023-2024 year is to create standards and guidelines for the collection and use of demographic data. The Ant-Racism in Education (ARIE) project hopes that our research can work to fill some of the demographic disparities highlighted by the new anti-racism legislation. For example, a main project purpose is to understand what information and resources are missing from educational spaces for IBPOC students, and how this lack of accessibility affects racialized students' lives, interactions with teachers, staff, and peers, and educational experiences. The act and committee development are beneficial in that they set a path and goal for other initiatives important to ARIE, such as BC’s Anti-Racism Action Plan. The action plan is helpful to ARIE in providing specific educational context that can help inform actions or changes that could be taken to improve racialized student educational experiences.
The Anti-Racism Data Act, the committee, and BC’s Action Plan, are all in the initial stages of planning and relationship-building; therefore, keeping an eye on the demographic analysis, progress reports, and committee activity will be crucial to ensure the new policies and legislation are effective. We hope they will support the anti-racism work that the ARIE project is working to complete in schools.
The project is funded by the Government of Canada.
Links:
A Progress Report on Anti-Racism Policy Across Canada
Anti-Racism Action Plan Launches for B.C. K-12 Students
Anti-Racism Data Act: Research priorities for 2023 to 2025
Anti-racism Data Legislation Becomes Law
Anti-Racism Data Act Progress Report
Common Questions About the BC Demographic Survey