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Excluded from the Academy: Systemic Inequities and Intersectional Barriers for Black Students in Canada

From the 2024-25 Knowledge Forum

Dr. Tracy-Ann Johnson-Myers - Nov 13, 2025

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This is from the 2024-25 edition of the Knowledge Forum. 

A magazine cover with a colorful illustrated monsterIntroduction

Black students remain under represented in Canadian higher education, reflecting enduring systemic inequities. Historical legacies of anti-Black racism, from segregation to ongoing biases, have created an unequal playing field that persists today (Aladejebi, 2021; Maynard, 2017; Walker, 1985; Winks, 1969). Although Black Canadians comprise roughly four percent of the national population, they account for only about three percent of bachelor’s degree holders (Statistics Canada, 2022). Despite strong aspirations, they are also less likely to believe they can attend university (Statistics Canada, 2022). This gap points to structural barriers that hinder access and success.

Historical and Structural Inequities

Canada's History of enslavement and segregated schooling continues to shape Black communities’ educational opportunities. In Nova Scotia and Ontario, Black learners attended separate, poorly resourced schools well into the late 20th century (Black Learners Advisory Committee, 1994; Aladejebi, 2021; McLaren, 2003). Many children had no access to publicly funded education and relied on schools built by Black churches. Ontario’s last segregated school closed in 1965; Nova Scotia’s in 1983 (Henry-Dixon, 2021). In the aftermath of formal school segregation in Canada, particularly in provinces like Ontario and Nova Scotia, Black students continued to face systemic barriers through new, more covert forms of educational segregation. Black students, especially those with disabilities, are more likely to be disproportionately placed in special education programs (Adjei, 2016; Artiles & Trent, 1994). These placements were often based on culturally biased IQ tests and narrow behavioural expectations rooted in middle-class White norms, which failed to recognize the cultural, linguistic, and experiential diversity of Black students. In many cases, these programs functioned as “educational dead ends,” reinforcing social stratification rather than promoting inclusion.

Systemic Racism from K–12 to University Access

Systemic racism in K-12 schooling hinders Black students’ pathways to university. Stereotypes frequently cast Black students as threats or discipline problems, leading to disproportionate suspensions and expulsions (Codjoe, 2006; Toronto District School Board, 2017). Parekh and Brown (2014) found that Black students are overrepresented among students labeled with behavioral issues, intellectual disability, and developmental disability. Only 53% of Black high school students are enrolled in academic programs, compared to over 80% of White and other racialized peers (James & Turner, 2017). Streaming and biased disciplinary practices contribute to “second-generation segregation” (Maynard, 2017). Upon reaching university, Black students encounter “privileged, predominantly white spaces” that reinforce exclusion (Henry et al., 2017; Codjoe, 2006). They report microaggressions, isolation, and a lack of institutional support (Raza, 2022; Tomlinson et al., 2021; Caxaj et al., 2021). Black international students also face linguistic and cultural challenges. Faculty diversity remains low; fewer than one percent of McGill’s professors are Black (McGill University, 2020), and nationally, Black professors make up only two percent of faculty, facing the highest unemployment rates (CAUT, 2018). Black women academics experience even greater barriers (Newton, 2022).

Intersectional Barriers: Race, Class, and Gender and Disability

The intersection of race, class, gender, and disability amplifies the systemic barriers faced by Black students in educational settings. These overlapping identities expose Black learners, particularly those with disabilities and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, to compounded forms of discrimination, marginalization, and exclusion. As a result, they are more likely to be over-surveilled, misidentified, and streamed into lower academic tracks or special education programs, where access to inclusive, high-quality learning opportunities is often limited. Black Canadians are twice as likely to live in low-income households, complicating access to higher education due to high tuition, limited scholarships, and the necessity of part-time work (Statistics Canada, 2020). Black male students face harsh disciplinary practices that push them into the school-to-prison pipeline. Black women students, although more likely to enroll in university, contend with racism, sexism, and caregiving responsibilities that impact academic achievement (Statistics Canada, 2022; Newton, 2022). Disability significantly impacts Black students in Canada, often compounding existing systemic inequities and leading to disproportionate placement in special education programs. Race and disability intersect to create unique challenges for Black students. educational systems often pathologize Black students’ behaviors and abilities, leading to their marginalization within special education settings (Erevelles, 2015).

Analysis and Conclusion

The underrepresentation of black students in Canadian higher education is not coincidental but the result of systemic inequities that begin in early childhood and persist throughout the education system. Although Black Canadians make up 4% of the population, they hold only 3% of bachelor’s degrees—a gap shaped by historical and ongoing anti-Black racism (Statistics Canada, 2022). Canada’s legacy of Black enslavement and segregated schooling laid the groundwork for educational exclusion. Today, covert forms of segregation persist through biased streaming, disciplinary practices, and special education placements rooted in White, middle-class norms. These practices marginalize Black students and limit their access to academic tracks and university pathways. At the postsecondary level, Black students continue to face exclusion through microaggressions, institutional neglect, and a severe lack of Black faculty, particularly Black women. Intersecting factors such as race, class, gender, and disability intensify these barriers. Black students with disabilities are often pathologized and placed in low-expectation tracks, while financial hardship and caregiving responsibilities further constrain access and success. These overlapping challenges reflect how structural oppression continues to disadvantage Black students at every stage of their educational journey.

References

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