Diversité d’Abord : A COCo project highlighting racism in Quebec’s community sector.

Diversité d’Abord is a large-scale research project launched by COCo, since 2017. Its aim has been to target the impacts of racism within the non-profit sector in Quebec. From this project comes the research report, which seeks to divulge data and testimonies from those most affected by this problem, and to suggest solutions capable of concretely transforming practices within the nonprofit sector. The Diversité d’Abord project was made possible in part by the Government of Canada, the Government of Quebec and the Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon. 

For several years, COCo has been listening to stories and personal experiences that reveal a widespread systemic problem. To explore the issue further and gather data, the project began with two confidential surveys: One on “Community Workers’ Experiences” to understand the place of race and racism in their own experiences; and the other on “Organizational Profile” aimed at taking stock of the sector, as well as probing the field to better understand how race interacts with hiring and recruitment processes. In addition to these two online surveys, focus groups were organized for racialized members of the community sector.

The data collection process enabled us to receive 252 individual responses to our surveys from members of non-profit organizations, and 55 responses containing information on organizational interventions in the face of racial discrimination. It also allowed us to hear the experiences of 20 focus group participants. All the information gathered in the surveys and focus groups was used, in May 2017, in a public forum on racism and colonialism in the community sector in Quebec. This information was also used to produce a research report, and to develop a series of tools on how to address racism more effectively in organizations.

 

 

The research report

The preliminary results of the research were presented to over 250 leading figures in the non-profit and social economy sectors. The results highlighted the systemic barriers within Quebec’s community sector that individuals and communities face as a result of their race.

The comprehensive results are presented in the research report, which is the result of the various research activities carried out by COCo as part of the project. This partial report, which we are publishing today, is structured around three introductions and two chapters, all available at the end of this article. 

From this report, it can be seen that 26% of racialized workers said they had witnessed a racialized worker leaving in the past year due to racial harassment or an unwelcoming environment for racialized workers. It also shows that disciplinary policies (e.g. dress codes or lateness policies) are disproportionately applied to racialized workers (particularly women), while similar offenses are ignored by their white peers.

Furthermore, it is confirmed that the lack of honest conversations about racism and colonialism is one of the biggest obstacles to racial justice in the community sector.

 

What COCo has learned since working on this research project …

• COCo has recruited and integrated full-time staff members to reach a majority of racialized, Black and LGBTQIA+ people.
• We are proud to say that our executive coordinating circle is made up of a majority of racialized, Black and LGBTQIA+ women.
• We have increased budgets for professional development and psychological support for the COCo team to support our well-being in light of the complex anti-oppression and anti-racism work carried out on a daily basis.
• A review of our hiring processes in 2020, and again in 2024, enables us to better implement our principles and values of equity and anti-oppression.
• An ongoing review of our internal policies to be in constant touch with the realities of the staff team, and at the same time, thinking of concrete ways to make our benefits more accessible to employees while improving workloads and working conditions (extra weeks of vacation, increased break time, dental coverage, etc.). 
• COCo is working to make all positions permanent in order to offer job security and stability for all of its team members.
• In 2023, COCo embarked on a process of aligning our internal practices with our anti-oppressive values by collaborating with Create Forward. This US-based organization working in racial justice and empathetic leadership empowered us in identifying areas for growth, setting up a protocol for more complex conversations and supporting us in embodying our values.

Acknowledgements 

This research has been developed over several years, and has benefited from the input and expertise of many people. COCo would like to thank the partners, the participants in the various activities, the authors and collaborators, and all the external people who worked on this project and on the production of this report.

The authors : 

The lead researcher on this project was Emily Yee Clare.

The report was co-authored by Emily Yee Clare and Kira Page.

The lead data scientist was Alexandra Heggie.

The graphic designer for this project was Grace An.

Editing and sensitivity reading were carried out by Zina Mustafa.

Photographer for this project was Stacy Lee.

The members of the COCo team and Board of Directors who supported this work: 

Amaya Athill, Juniper Belshaw, Emil Briones, Parker Mah, Fabiola Mizero Ngirabatware, Jeneffer Ndahayo, Janie Janvier, Florencia Vallejo, Adjo Chevalier, Stéphanie Darbouze Lamarre, Cora-Lee Conway, Richenda Grazete, Miatta Gorvie, Julia Couture-Glassco, Homa Khairi.

External readers and supporters: 

Camilla Gordillo, Myriam Zaidi, Ainsley Jenicek, Kama La Mackerel, Régine Debrosse, Tiffany Ashoona, Kelly Schieder, Délice Mugabo, Pascale Brunet, Robyn Maynard, Shanice Yarde, Karine-Myrgianie Jean-François, Sunny Doyle, Edward Ou Jin Lee, Adrienne Piggot, et Paul Tshuma.

 

Download the individual chapters below 

Introduction 1. Presentation of the Research Diversité d’Abord

Introduction 2. Word Use and Methodology

Introduction 3. Demographics

Chapter 1. Understanding the Infographic: The Problem Woman of Colour in Nonprofits

Chapter 2.  Racialized Women in Quebec Nonprofits

 

Using This Research

Diversité d’Abord is covered by a Creative Commons license (attribution, non-commercial).

We appreciate it when others use our work, and we’d love to hear about it! Write to info@coco-net.org, add us and identify us in your sharing credits by citing the Centre for Community Organizations (COCo) and the research project https://coco-net.org/diversite-dabord. To cite our report in research or any other document, please follow this template:

The Centre for Community Organizations (COCo). July 2024. Diversité D’Abord Report. From the Diversité D’Abord project research from 2016 to 2024. Montreal, Canada.