Additional Concerns Identified in Final Report on Discrimination at Human Rights Museum

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A pattern of gendered racism against racialized men, particularly Black men, exists at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, says the final report of an external reviewer looking into complaints of discrimination and systemic racism.

The report, by Winnipeg lawyer Laurelle Harris, noted the pattern takes the form of “sexualizing and fetishizing of certain Black and racialized men and stereotyping Black men as ‘dangerous’ and ‘predatory.’”

Her 81-page report, published on the museum’s website this week, also notes the failure to provide formal sexual harassment training to all employees prior to the fall of 2020 and “inadequate treatment” of sexual harassment claims within the museum.

The report also notes:

• People within the museum have experienced sexism and gendered racism.
• LGBTQ content has been omitted or hidden and museum tours have avoided content relating to women’s rights in general and abortion rights in particular. 
• Members of LGBTQ communities have been under-represented in mid-level and executive management.

The museum has been acting on recommendations in a first report by Harris, who called progress thus far “generally satisfactory.”

“These efforts must continue as the hard personal work to disrupt racism within oneself, the museum and our broader society will never be done,” it says.

The report, based on interviews with employees at all levels, includes 16 recommendations, including anti-racism training for all staff. 

Source: Canadian Museum for Human Rights