Reparations in Social Work: A Progressive Model for Change
Presented by the UBC School of Social Work and the UN Association of Canada (BC branch)
The UBC School of Social Work was honoured to be joined by Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard for the Dr. Richard B. Splane Lecture in Social Policy.
Black Canadians are owed reparations for the harms endured during enslavement and the harmful impacts that continue to haunt Black Communities. In this lecture, Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard addressed the often-asked question “How do we engage in meaningful reparations?”
In 2020, the Canadian Association of Social Workers collaborated with the Association of Black Social Workers to conduct an in-depth study of the issue, guided by three pillars set out by the United Nations Decade for People of African Descent. A model of seven recommendations was developed; Senator Bernard explored ways this model of enacting reparations may be used in other professions that have historically harmed Black Canadians.
Special thanks to Patsy George, Sameer Esmail, Miu Chung Yan and moderator Tim Stainton for their participation in the lecture. Thanks to Hollim Lei for the technical support.
