Music plays as an animated slate shows a map unfolding. The name of the show reads "That TVOKids Show from home."

Laura sits inside her blanket fort. She's in her twenties, with long brown hair in ponytails and bangs. She's wearing a pink sweater.

She waves and says HEY, TVOKIDS.
WELCOME TO THE BLANKET FORT.
IT'S LAURA HERE.
THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL
EDITION OF
THAT TVOKIDS SHOW'S
HELP ZONE.
TODAY'S
HELP ZONE
IS ALL ABOUT RACISM.
NOW, YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON
IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT MIGHT MAKE YOU
FEEL WORRIED, OR ANGRY,
OR IT MIGHT MAKE YOU HAVE
A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
BUT FIRST OFF, I JUST WANT
YOU TO KNOW THAT AT TVOKIDS
WE ARE HERE FOR YOU.
WE ARE HERE TO LISTEN TO YOU
AND TO SUPPORT YOU.
AND ON THAT NOTE,
YOU TVOKIDS SENT IN A LOT
OF REALLY POWERFUL WORDS
AND STATEMENTS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO START OFF
BY READING SOME OF THOSE TO YOU.
SO, CHECK IT OUT.
SENT IN FROM A TVOKID.
THIS TVOKID SAYS,
"I DON'T KNOW HOW PEOPLE
FORGOT THAT WE ARE EQUAL."
ANOTHER TVOKID SAID,
"THIS RACISM SHOULD STOP."
AND FINALLY,
ANOTHER TVOKID SAID,
"MY FAMILY KEEPS TALKING
ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME,
BUT I STILL
DON'T KNOW MY ANSWERS."
NOW, ON TOP OF
THESE REALLY POWERFUL WORDS,
YOU TVOKIDS ALSO SENT IN
SO MANY GREAT QUESTIONS.
SO, TO HELP ANSWER SOME OF THOSE
QUESTIONS TODAY, WE HAVE DUANE.
DUANE IS A CHILD COUNSELLOR.
HEY, DUANE, HOW'S IT GOING?

The screen splits in two and Duane appears on it. He's in his twenties, clean-shaven, with side-parted black hair. He's wearing a striped polo shirt.

He says I'M DOING WELL, LAURA.
HOW ARE YOU?

Laura says I'M GOOD.
THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR JOINING ME TODAY.
AS YOU KNOW, ALL OVER
THE WORLD THERE'S BEEN PROTESTS
AND MARCHES TO TRY
TO PUT AN END TO RACISM.
SO I THINK
TO START OFF THIS
HELP ZONE,
WE SHOULD ANSWER THIS QUESTION,
WHICH A LOT
OF TVOKIDS HAVE SENT IN.
AND THAT QUESTION IS:
WHAT IS RACISM?

A caption appears on screen. It reads "Duane. Child Counsellor."

Duane says IT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
AND THERE ARE KIND OF
TWO PARTS TO THE ANSWER.
FIRST OF ALL,
ANY TIME SOMEONE IS PREJUDICED,
OR THEY DISCRIMINATE
AGAINST A RACE,
ESPECIALLY WITH THE BELIEF THAT
ONE RACE IS BETTER THAN ANOTHER,
THEN THAT'S
AN EXAMPLE OF RACISM.
THE OTHER PART IS ANY TIME THAT
WE ASSOCIATE A CERTAIN ABILITY
OR CHARACTERISTIC
TO A CERTAIN RACE.
AND AGAIN, THE BELIEF IS THAT
ONE RACE IS BETTER
THAN THE OTHER,
THEN THAT'S ANOTHER
EXAMPLE OF RACISM.
SO EXAMPLES OF THAT
IS PUTTING SOMEONE DOWN
FOR THE COLOUR OF THEIR SKIN,
OR MAYBE SUGGESTING THAT ONE
RACE IS BETTER IN SCHOOL
THAN ANOTHER RACE,
OR ONE RACE IS BETTER
AT SPORTS THAN ANOTHER RACE.
THOSE ARE EXAMPLES OF RACISM.

Laura says RIGHT, OKAY.
SO THIS NEXT QUESTION
FROM A TVOKID IS:
WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE RACIST?

Duane says YOU KNOW,
WE TEND TO JUDGE PEOPLE,
AND WE ALSO TEND TO BLAME
PROBLEMS ON OTHER PEOPLE.
AND THAT'S US AS INDIVIDUALS.
WELL, YOU CAN IMAGINE, TVOKIDS,
THAT PEOPLE IN A COMMUNITY
WOULD ALSO VIEW THEMSELVES
AS A COMMUNITY,
AS INTERESTED IN BLAMING
PROBLEMS ON OTHER COMMUNITIES,
OR EVEN JUDGING
OTHER COMMUNITIES.
SO, WHEN WE TALK
ABOUT THAT COMMUNITY
BEING A PERSON
OF A PARTICULAR RACE,
A PERSON FROM
A PARTICULAR HERITAGE,
OR CULTURAL BACKGROUND,
IF WE'RE JUDGING AND
DISCRIMINATING ANOTHER CULTURE,
OR DISCRIMINATING ANOTHER RACE,
THEN THOSE
ARE EXAMPLES OF RACISM.

Laura says THIS IS ANOTHER QUESTION
THAT CAME IN FROM A TVOKID.
THEY ASK: WHY DON'T PEOPLE
LIKE PEOPLE OF COLOUR?
HOW CAN WE CHANGE RIGHT NOW?
WHAT DO YOU THINK, DUANE?

Duane says WELL, TO ANSWER
THE FIRST QUESTION,
I THINK WE WOULD
HAVE TO ASK SOMEBODY
WHO DOESN'T
LIKE A PERSON OF ANOTHER RACE,
"WHY IS IT THAT YOU HAVE
A PROBLEM WITH THAT PERSON?"
"WHY DON'T YOU LIKE
THAT PERSON?"
AND HAVE THEM
EXPLAIN IT FOR THEMSELVES.
IT'D BE VERY INTERESTING, LAURA,
TO HEAR EVERYONE'S ANSWER.
I THINK A LOT OF THIS GOES TO,
YOU KNOW, WHO YOU'RE AROUND,
AND WHAT ARE THEIR VIEWS.
MAYBE WE START
TO ABSORB SOME OF THAT
IF WE DON'T QUITE HAVE OUR OWN.
YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T GO THROUGH
THE PROCESS OF GETTING EDUCATED
AND LEARNING THINGS, LAURA,
IT'S JUST EASIER
TO ASSOCIATE OUR THOUGHTS
WITH WHAT THE PEOPLE
AROUND US MIGHT THINK.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT
I THINK THAT SOMETIMES
PEOPLE MIGHT OVERLOOK
OR OVERSEE SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT THEY'RE HEARING.
AND SO IF THEY REPEAT IT,
THEY MAY NOT KNOW.
"WAIT."
"THERE'S RACISM
INVOLVED IN THAT."
SO SOMETIMES
WHEN PEOPLE SAY CERTAIN JOKES,
OR THEY MAKE CERTAIN COMMENTS,
THEY MAY JUST BE JOKES
OR COMMENTS THAT THEY'VE HEARD
BEFORE THAT HAVE GOTTEN
THE REACTION THAT THEY LIKED.
SO THEY THINK, "WELL, IF I USE
THAT JOKE, OR THAT COMMENT,
MAYBE I'LL GET
A REACTION THAT I LIKE TOO."
NOT KNOWING THAT WHAT THEY'RE
SAYING OR SUGGESTING IS RACIST.

Laura says RIGHT, SO SOMETIMES PEOPLE
MIGHT NOT ACTUALLY KNOW.
SO IT'S ALL ABOUT REALLY
LEARNING AND EDUCATING
AND TEACHING OURSELVES
ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS.

Duane says WELL SAID, YEAH.

Laura says NOW, THE SECOND PART
OF THAT QUESTION,
"HOW CAN WE CHANGE RIGHT NOW?"
WHAT DO YOU THINK, DUANE?

Duane says WELL, AND I'M REALLY GLAD THAT
TVOKIDS ARE THINKING ABOUT THAT
AND ASKING THE QUESTION
AND YOU MENTIONED
SOME OF THE PROTESTING
THAT WE'RE SEEING, LAURA.
A LOT OF THAT IS PEACEFUL
PROTESTING TO RAISE AWARENESS.
AND TVOKIDS, THINK ABOUT THIS.
I SAY THIS ALL THE TIME.
EVERY TIME THAT WE TALK,
I SAY WHAT YOU THINK
AND FEEL IS VALID.
AND YOU DESERVE
AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY
WHAT PEACEFUL PROTESTS ARE.
AND I THINK
THAT ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT,
WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING
SOME SORT OF CHANGE,
OR BRINGING ABOUT SOME CHANGE,
IS: WHAT CAN WE DO?
THE NEXT TIME SOMEONE
SAYS SOMETHING RACIAL
OR SAYS A RACIAL JOKE,
MAYBE WE DON'T LAUGH.
AND MAYBE WE SAY,
"YOU KNOW WHAT?
THAT JOKE IS NOT APPROPRIATE
'CAUSE IT'S RACIST.
THAT COMMENT IS NOT APPROPRIATE
'CAUSE IT'S RACIST."
AND, I THINK, LAURA,
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES
THAT WE ALL HAVE TO ACCEPT IS,
I WISH THAT RACISM
WAS LIKE A TAP
THAT I JUST HAD TO TURN OFF
AND THEN IT STOPPED.
THE TRUTH IS IT'S GONNA TAKE
THE EFFORTS
OF EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
WE ALL NEED TO BE INFORMED.
WE ALL NEED TO BE AWARE.
AND WE ALL NEED TO TAKE A STEP.
AND IF WE HAD
A THOUSAND PIECE PUZZLE
AND EVERYBODY HAD
ONE PIECE OF THAT PUZZLE,
THEN IT TAKES
ALL OF US COMING TOGETHER
TO COMPLETE THAT PUZZLE.
WELL, RACISM,
IF WE LOOK AT IT AS A PUZZLE
AND ASSUME
THAT WE ALL HAVE A PIECE,
WE NEED TO ALL COME TOGETHER
TO MAKE SURE THAT RACISM
DOESN'T HAPPEN ANYMORE.

Laura says RIGHT, I REALLY LOVE THAT
PICTURE OF IT BEING A BIG PUZZLE
AND ALL OF US PLAYING
A PART IN PUTTING AN END TO IT.
SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
I'M EXCITED
TO WELCOME OUR NEXT GUEST
JOINING US ON THIS
HELP ZONE.
IT'S THE HONOURABLE
AHMED HUSSEN,
MINISTER OF FAMILIES, CHILDREN,
AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.
MINISTER HUSSEN IS THE FIRST
SOMALI-CANADIAN CABINET MINISTER
AND HE ALSO WANTS TO PUT
AN END TO RACISM IN CANADA.

The screen splits in three and Ahmed pops up. He's in his forties, clean-shaven and bald. He's wearing a black suit, white shirt and red tie.

Laura says HELLO, MR. HUSSEN.
HOW ARE YOU?

Ahmed says VERY GOOD.
HOW ARE YOU?
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

Laura says THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN GETTING
SOME REALLY GREAT QUESTIONS
FROM TVOKIDS.
I WANT TO ASK YOU THIS ONE
FROM A TVOKID.
IS RACISM
ONLY ABOUT BLACK CULTURE,
OR CAN IT HAPPEN TO ANY CULTURE?

A caption appears on screen. It reads "Ahmed Hussen. Minister of Families, Children, and Social Development."

Ahmed says THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR THAT QUESTION
AND I REALLY WANT
TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE.
RACISM IS NOT
JUST ABOUT UNFAIR TREATMENT
GIVEN TO BLACK PEOPLE.
RACISM IS ABOUT
ANY OPPRESSION,
OR UNFAIR TREATMENT,
OR DISCRIMINATION,
BY ONE POWERFUL GROUP
OVER ANOTHER GROUP.
WE HAVE SEEN RACISM
AND UNFAIR TREATMENT AND ATTACKS
AGAINST ASIAN-CANADIANS.
WE HAVE RECENTLY
BEEN REMINDED ONCE AGAIN
ABOUT THE SYSTEMIC RACISM THAT
IS FACED BY BLACK CANADIANS.
WE KNOW THAT RACISM IS...
THAT INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
IN CANADA
HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED
TO RACIST BEHAVIOUR OVER DECADES
AND CONTINUE TO FACE
SYSTEMIC RACISM.
SO, RACISM IS NOT
LIMITED TO BLACK CANADIANS,
BUT IT IS SOMETHING
THAT WE ALL NEED TO GET RID OF,
BECAUSE IT'S A NEGATIVE THING.
IT AFFECTS
PEOPLE NEGATIVELY.
IT HOLDS THEM BACK
AND IT IS UNFAIR.

Laura says MM, IT'S UNFAIR, ABSOLUTELY.
NOW, MINISTER HUSSEN,
THIS QUESTION WAS SENT IN
FROM SIMRIT, AGE EIGHT.
AND SIMRIT ASKS:
WHY ARE BLACK PEOPLE TREATED
DIFFERENTLY FROM WHITE PEOPLE?

Ahmed says WHAT YOU ARE
DESCRIBING IS RACISM.
AND RACISM,
WE ARE NOT BORN RACISTS.
EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING
IS BORN WITH LOVE
AND WITH AN ABILITY
TO LOVE EVERYONE
AND TO SEE EVERYONE
AS A FELLOW HUMAN BEING.
RACISM IS LEARNED.
PEOPLE WHO TREAT OTHER
PEOPLE UNFAIRLY OR DISCRIMINATE
AGAINST OTHER PEOPLE,
SUCH AS BLACK CANADIANS,
AS YOUR QUESTION ASKED.
IT'S SIMPLY BECAUSE
THEY'RE IGNORANT
AND THEY NEED TO BE EDUCATED
AND THEY NEED TO BE SHOWN
THAT EVERYONE IS A HUMAN BEING.
EVERYONE DESERVES TO BE TREATED
WITH RESPECT AND WITH DIGNITY.
AND EVERYONE
DESERVES FAIR TREATMENT.
AND RACISM IS AGAINST ALL OF
THOSE THINGS THAT I HAVE SAID.
SO WE NEED TO FIGHT
AGAINST RACISM.
AND ALL OF US
HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY.
SO IF YOU SEE YOUR CLASSMATES
AND YOUR FRIENDS,
SOME OF WHOM MAY BE MEMBERS
OF A RACIALIZED COMMUNITY,
BEING TREATED BADLY,
OR UNFAIRLY,
BY OTHER STUDENTS,
DON'T BE QUIET.
PLEASE SPEAK UP.
STAND UP FOR THEM.
SAY THAT IT IS WRONG.
RACISM IS WRONG.
AND IF THEY DON'T LISTEN
TO YOU, TELL YOUR TEACHERS.
WE ALL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY.

Laura says ABSOLUTELY.
SPEAK UP.
TALK TO AN ADULT YOU TRUST.
A HUNDRED PERCENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR THAT, MINISTER HUSSEN.
NEXT, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME
OUR FINAL GUEST, AMARA.
AMARA'S A TVOKID AND
SHE HAS SOME QUESTIONS AS WELL.

The screen splits in four and Amara pops up. She has long black hair and wears a white sweater.

Laura says HEY, AMARA.

Amara says HELLO.

Ahmed says HI, AMARA.

Laura says SO, AMARA,
WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION?

Amara says OKAY, MINISTER HUSSEN,
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CHILDREN
AND THEIR FAMILIES.
BLACK AND INDIGENOUS KIDS
GET POLICED AND TREATED HARSHLY
IN SCHOOLS AND
IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
IN TORONTO, BLACK STUDENTS
ARE MORE THAN TWICE AS LIKELY
TO GET PUNISHED
THAN A WHITE STUDENT,
EVEN FOR THE SAME THING.
BLACK AND INDIGENOUS YOUTH
ARE ALSO MORE LIKELY
TO GET SENT TO PRISON.
UM, DO YOU
UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS,
I, AND MY GENERATION,
HAVE ON THESE ISSUES?
AND EXACTLY HOW
DO YOU PLAN TO RESOLVE THEM?

Ahmed says AMARA, YOU ARE VERY COURAGEOUS.
AND YOU ARE POINTING
TO SOMETHING
THAT WE ARE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT.
YOU CARE ABOUT CHILDREN
IN SCHOOL AND IN HOSPITALS
AND IN OTHER PLACES
BECAUSE YOU WANT THEM
TO GET THE SAME TREATMENT.
YOU WANT THEM TO BE
RESPECTED AND TREATED FAIRLY.
AND WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT,
THE EXAMPLE YOU GAVE ME
IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT EXAMPLE.
THANK YOU
FOR BRINGING THAT FORWARD.
I CAN TELL YOU
THAT NOT EVERY CHILD,
OR NOT EVERYONE WHO,
UM, NEEDS SERVICES,
FROM THE DIFFERENT PUBLIC
INSTITUTIONS IN OUR COUNTRY
GETS THE SAME SERVICES.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RACISM,
RACISM IS NOT JUST ABOUT,
IT DOESN'T SHOW UP IN
JUST PERSONAL INTERACTIONS
OR SOMEONE MAKING RACIST JOKES.
RACISM CAN ALSO BE SEEN
IN A SYSTEMATIC WAY.
UM, WHEN YOU GO TO SCHOOL,
OR WHEN KIDS GO TO SCHOOL,
OR WHEN ADULTS USE THE HOSPITALS
AND THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM,
OR THEY MEET A POLICE OFFICER,
EVERY ONE OF US EXPECTS
TO GET THE SAME TREATMENT,
A FAIR TREATMENT,
TO BE TREATED WITH RESPECT.
BUT, YOUR QUESTION
POINTS OUT THE REALITY,
THAT NOT EVERYONE
IS TREATED FAIRLY
AND WE HAVE TO FIGHT THAT.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT RACISM DOES.
IT TREATS A CERTAIN GROUP OF
PEOPLE WORSE THAN OTHER PEOPLE.
IT TREATS PEOPLE UNFAIRLY.
IT HOLDS THEM BACK.
IT DENIES THEM
FAIR TREATMENT AND SERVICES.
SO, THANK YOU
FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB
AS A GOVERNMENT TO MAKE SURE
THAT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM
IS FAIR FOR EVERYBODY.
THAT OUR HOSPITALS TREAT
EVERYONE THE SAME,
AND THAT POLICE TREAT EVERYONE
WITH RESPECT AND COURTESY
AND THAT SOME POLICE OFFICERS
WHO MAY BE RACIST
ARE DISCIPLINED AND ARE TRAINED
TO BE BETTER POLICE OFFICERS,
AND TREAT CANADIANS OF ALL
BACKGROUNDS IN A BETTER FASHION.

Laura says ABSOLUTELY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR THAT, MINISTER HUSSEN.
AND THANK YOU
FOR THOSE QUESTIONS, AMARA.
WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME, AMARA.
WE ARE COMING TO THE END
OF THIS
HELP ZONE.
AND I JUST WANTED
TO FINISH IT OFF REALLY QUICKLY
WITH ONE LAST QUESTION
FOR YOU, DUANE.
THIS WAS SENT IN
FROM NYLAH, AGE EIGHT.
AND NYLAH ASKS:
I WANT TO KNOW
WHY I WAS INVOLVED
EVEN THOUGH I'M JUST A KID.
WHAT DO YOU THINK, DUANE?

Duane says THAT IS AN EXTREMELY
POWERFUL QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S
SOMETHING I WOULD TELL NYLAH
AND ALL TVOKIDS IS:
WE'RE ALL A PART OF THIS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE A MEMBER OF
THE MOST IMPORTANT RACE.
I REMEMBER READING THIS
WHEN I WAS A TVOKID.
THE MOST IMPORTANT RACE
IS THE HUMAN RACE.
AND ANY TIME WE KNOW
THAT SOMEONE ELSE
IS BEING MISTREATED,
OR SOMEONE
IS USING DISCRIMINATION,
OR ANY TYPE
OF NEGATIVE TREATMENT
TOWARDS ANOTHER PERSON
BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE,
THEN WE ALL PLAY
A ROLE IN MAKING SURE
THAT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
AND, TVOKIDS
ARE INVOLVED IN THAT.
ADULTS ARE INVOLVED IN THAT.
AND WE ALL NEED
TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE
THAT PEOPLE GET TREATED WITH
RESPECT, AND THE DIGNITY,
AND THE EQUALITY,
THAT SHOULD EXIST EVERYWHERE.

A caption appears on screen. It reads "TVOkids.com"

Laura says ABSOLUTELY.
SO, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
REMEMBER,
YOU CAN GO TO TVOKIDS.COM
AND CHECK OUT OUR BOOKLIST
WHERE YOU CAN READ
A WHOLE BUNCH OF BOOKS
THAT HELP YOU LEARN ABOUT
HOW YOU CAN STAND UP TO RACISM
AND HELP STOP IT.
AND REMEMBER, TVOKIDS, YOU
CAN ALSO CALL KIDS HELP PHONE
IF YOU EVER FEEL LIKE
YOU NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO.

The caption changes to "Kids Help Phone, 1-800-668-6868."

Laura says YOU CAN CALL THIS NUMBER 24
HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
AND THANKS
FOR TUNING IN, TVOKIDS.

Music plays as an animated slate shows a map unfolding. The name of the show reads "That TVOKids Show from home."