The Revival of Anti-Racism: Considerations for Social Work Education

The declining prominence of anti-racist practice in social work education is a cause for concern in a profession premised upon pursuing social justice and serving humanity. This need calls for a revival of anti-racism education within the curriculum of social work education. This paper begins with an exploration of anti-racism discourse and guiding theory and examines the shift from anti-racism to anti-oppressive practice (AOP) in social work education and associated critiques and implications. Challenges to pursuing anti-racism education are identified as it pertains to implementing anti-racism education standards, and the teaching and learning of anti-racism from the perspectives of both educators and students. Finally, recommendations for policy revision and opportunities to engage faculty and students in anti-racism practice in social work education programs are proposed. Though predominately focused on the Canadian context, this exploration holds relevant and critical implications for the wider global context