Skate Canada: Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

[gsk8]

Press Release:

On June 2, 2020 Skate Canada released a statement on anti-racism. This statement expressed our commitment to anti-racism and to leading by example within the sport community. Over the last months we have taken time to start educating ourselves and lay the foundation to listen to Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) voices and to be able to bring positive change to our sport.

We have a responsibility to take decisive action to acknowledge and address systemic racism and to create a safe and welcoming environment for all individuals to embrace the joy of skating. We know that we need to do more to accomplish that vision and are actively working to make Skate Canada as diverse and inclusive as possible.

To further improve equity, diversity and inclusion in our sport, Skate Canada is taking the following actions:

1. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Working Group: Skate Canada has created an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group, comprised of members of the skating community and experts in EDI. The EDI working group follows a social justice model and engages in ongoing self-education, develops educational plans, creates and/or sources resource materials for our community, identifies areas for change, and develops strategies for diverse voices to be heard in skating. The EDI working group was enacted by the Skate Canada Board of Directors per its bylaws and makes its recommendations to the organization via the President, Board of Directors, and CEO.

The EDI working group has been meeting weekly since July. Members include: Elladj Baldé (Skate Canada Digital Host, President of the Figure Skating Diversity and Inclusion Alliance (FSDIA), and Skate Global Founder) Emma Bowie (Skate Canada staff – Director, Safe Sport and Strategic Communications), Patrick Chan (Three-time Olympic medallist and Skate Canada coach), Tina Chen (Distinguished professor, University of Manitoba and Skate Canada coach), Patty Klein (Skate Canada board member and official), Paul Poirier (Olympian and current National Team member), Eric Radford (Three-time Olympic medallist and Skate Canada board member), Khorana Séa-Alphonse (Skate Canada staff – NextGen Coordinator), Kaitlyn Weaver (Three-time world medallist and Olympian), and Dr. Shae Zukiwsky (Skate Canada staff – Senior Director, Performance Excellence).

1. Education: Review and recommend educational training and resources for our community to establish and nurture an inclusive environment. The first priority is education on anti-racism, including education on Black and Indigenous inclusion in sport. The educational process has already begun with the board of directors and senior management and will be available to the greater community later this Fall.
2. Community Outreach: Recognizing the need to have open conversations about race, to listen to BIPOC voices, and to engage our community, a Talking About Race in Skating Panel is being organized for later this Fall. The virtual panel will feature BIPOC voices in skating discussing why talking about race will make our skating community stronger. It will be available for all community members to watch. In addition, a series of open dialogue virtual chats will also be produced to inspire our members to engage in transformational self-education and dialogue.
3. Policy & Terminology: A new equity, diversity and inclusion policy and strategy is being developed to help ensure that individuals of all races, genders, sexual orientations, and abilities feel welcome in Skate Canada programs and events. An active review of terminology in our sport is underway, with a focus on decolonizing of the terminology.
4. Marketing & Communications: A campaign titled Talking About Race is being developed. This campaign will highlight BIPOC individuals in our community having conversations about race, with the goal to generate further dialogue in our community. In addition, clear and visible statements about diversity and inclusion will be incorporated on our corporate website and marketing materials.

Skate Canada recognizes that the actions above are just the beginning. We are committed to anti-racism and promotion of equity, diversity, and inclusion as ongoing processes. We look forward to working with all members of our community and to broadening membership in Skate Canada programs so that together we make Skate Canada a leader for positive change in sport, with the goal that truly everyone can embrace the joy of skating.

 

[silver.blades]

I thought people might be interested to know that Skate Canada is renamed the Mohawk and the Choctaw to the C-Step and S-Step respectively (sorry, I can't find an official announcement, not sure they'll make one) as part of their steps to make skating more inclusive. While I understand and appreciate the initiative, it's going to be really hard to rewire my brain with the new terminology.

As far as I know, they are the only federation who is taking the active step to remove racist temonology from the sport, but I'd be interested to know if I'm wrong and these types of initiatives are being taken elsewhere.

 

[silver.blades]

I will say, that unlike other organizations (sports and otherwise), Skate Canada has already began to make changes (at the most basic level, with the easy stuff, which is still a start), so kudos to them. They appear to be taking this seriously.

 

[gopatrick]

I thought people might be interested to know that Skate Canada is renamed the Mohawk and the Choctaw to the C-Step and S-Step respectively (sorry, I can't find an official announcement, not sure they'll make one) as part of their steps to make skating more inclusive. While I understand and appreciate the initiative, it's going to be really hard to rewire my brain with the new terminology.

As far as I know, they are the only federation who is taking the active step to remove racist temonology from the sport, but I'd be interested to know if I'm wrong and these types of initiatives are being taken elsewhere.

This reminds me about our national anthem, it doesn't sound right with the music to me after changing the words. Words were changed, so what, violences against women in the country are still on the rise and the system did nothing about it. Political correctness is only literally these days that sometimes it works against its objectives.

 

[Mathman]

I thought people might be interested to know that Skate Canada is renamed the Mohawk and the Choctaw to the C-Step and S-Step respectively.

I wonder how the preople of the Mohawk and Chocktaw nations feel about this issue.

In the U.S. many college sports teams are named after American Indian groups. Sometimes there is a disparaging element -- like when the Cleveland Indians professional baseball team had an offensive cartoon caricature as afficial mascot, or when the Washington, D.C., NFL football team was called the "Redskins." (Now they don't have a name, they are just the "Washington Football Team.")

On the other hand here in Michigan one of our local college teams is the Hurons, and the real Hurons seem to like it just fine. The name evokes the idea of a mighty warrior, which is not inappropriate for a sports team. They should schedule a game against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame or the Indiana University Hoosiers (hillbillies).

 

[silver.blades]

I wonder how the preople of the Mohawk and Chocktaw nations feel about this issue.

In the U.S. many college sports teams are named after American Indian groups. Sometimes there is a disparaging element -- like when the Cleveland Indians professional baseball team had an offensive cartoon caricature as afficial mascot, or when the Washington, D.C., NFL football team was called the "Redskins." (Now they don't have a name, they are just the "Washington Football Team.")

On the other hand here in Michigan one of our local college teams is the Hurons, and the real Hurons seem to like it just fine. The name evokes the idea of a mighty warrior, which is not inappropriate for a sports team. They should schedule a game against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame or the Indiana University Hoosiers (hillbillies).

I would assume that like anything, there are members of each Nation who it doesn't bother and others who it does. I think the reality is that most Mohawk and Choctaw people have no idea that these are terms used in skating as they are obscure steps (to a general audience).

Whether or not the peoples of these Nations care or not (maybe they'd overall be cool with us keeping the terms), the important thing here is that Skate Canada is putting their money where their mouth is unlike so many other organizations. Yes this is a small change to make, but it does show that as an organization they are looking at the sport and assessing how they can be more inclusive.

They did a similar with when they rolled out the new ice dance testing pathways. They no longer refer to the male and female parts. Instead it's the lead and the follow part and anyone (regardless of gender identity) can skate and test either part. The official competion guidelines (at least at the STAR levels) also allow every skater to skate in the event that best fits their gender identity.

They have a long way to go and what they have in place isn't perfect, at least they are making an actual effort.

 

[Skatesocs]

Instead it's the lead and the follow part and anyone (regardless of gender identity) can skate and test either part.

Ahaha, so maybe we will see Male/Male or Female/Female pairs in ID soon? Probably not in official competition, but would be cool if someone did a gala like that.

 

[Flying Feijoa]

Easy fixes like terminology are good, as long as they don't just pat themselves on the back, stop at that and ignore more important stuff.

Didn't Asher Hill get a dismissive response for complaining about racial discrimination at a club he worked in? I don't know much apart from the online petition filed by Elladj on Asher's behalf, but it sounds like it wasn't handled very sensitively. Maybe 'disciplinary action' isn't within the scope of the EDI (it's not mentioned in the statement above) but I hope they create more effective avenues for reporting racial discrimination/harassment and outline clear punishments for offenders. Perhaps have a disciplinary committee with minority representation to evaluate complaints.

Although this may be a weak analogy since since my ethnic group is comparatively less disadvantaged, I slightly mind terms like 'Chinese whispers' (addressed by 'Policy and Terminology'), am more annoyed by stereotypes like teachers advising my easy-going parents not to hothouse their kids (could be addressed by 'Education'), but people making bat slurs and telling me to go back to a country I've never lived in is on another level. Combating the latter is the most important.

 

[NaVi]

I'm completely fine with changing the name of Mohawk and Chocktaw only because C-Step and S-Step would be more mnemonic.

 

[karne]

Easy fixes like terminology are good, as long as they don't just pat themselves on the back, stop at that and ignore more important stuff.

This is the key point.

Both of these things can be true:

- That this was an absolutely necessary change that needed to happen

- That this feels incredibly performative from Skate Canada and glossing over the fundamental problems, particularly given that as far as I know, they still haven't apologised to Asher Hill.

 

[silver.blades]

Ahaha, so maybe we will see Male/Male or Female/Female pairs in ID soon? Probably not in official competition, but would be cool if someone did a gala like that.

Not sure about competition, but female/female pairs are quite common at the lower testing level and have been in Canada for awhile. The only reason we don't have many male/male partners is because there aren't a lot of guys. I did my first few dance tests with a female partner.

Easy fixes like terminology are good, as long as they don't just pat themselves on the back, stop at that and ignore more important stuff.

I agree, but this is an encouraging start and is something that, to my knowledge, no other organization has done. Skate Canada has a lot of work to do. I've been involved in skating in this country for almost 30 years and there is a lot of work to be done. A lot of it depends on the club and the willingness of the individual administrations to deal with it on their own. The club I used to be at had all kinds of terrible things that the administration let slide. And that was without the racial factor because that club was as white as it gets. I can only imagine how much worse it could get for BIPOC. It was the most toxic place I have ever been in my life. Bullying, threats and harassment were common and anyone who pushed back was pushed out or fired. Skate Canada was no help. The club I'm at now is the opposite. The administration is very careful about who they hire and any harassment is dealt with quickly and people have been fired for instigating it.

I'm probably overly optimistic, but I'm encouraged that I can actually see some progress from the higher ups, even if it very much is baby steps. Whether they fully follow through remains to be seen.