Q&A with Dr. June Francis, Special Advisor to the President of Simon Fraser University on Anti-Racism and Board Chair of Hogan’s Alley Society
It’s 2025, yet the impact of racism and colonization remains deeply embedded in Canadian society. While some may claim that progress has erased these injustices, the lived experiences of marginalized communities tell a different story. Recent cutbacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the United States have raised concerns about the future of anti-racism efforts and organizational accountability. Two things remain certain: systemic racism and discrimination were never fully dismantled and there is still so much more work to be done.
Des’ree Isibor spoke with Dr. June Francis, Special Advisor to the President of Simon Fraser University on Anti-Racism and Board Chair of Hogan’s Alley Society, about systemic racism, decolonization and practical ways organizations can incorporate anti-racist and inclusive practices at all levels.
Here are the top actions that your organization can take now to implement real change in your workplace:
- Conduct frequent audits on hiring, promotion and retention practices to remove systemic barriers and prioritize equity
- Ensure there are people of colour in roles where they can directly influence decision-making and policies. Having representation is the bare minimum
- Embrace the perspectives of marginalized perspectives and reflect them into policies, decision-making and workplace culture
- Develop an action plan to address any identified gaps or inequities. Remain accountable and transparent with staff about findings and how leadership intends to tackle these issues.
Des’ree: You’ve been a strong advocate for systemic change in institutions. What are the most critical gaps in how organizations approach anti-racism and what steps should they take to make real progress?
Dr. Francis: The most critical misunderstanding or gap in the way that organizations are thinking about anti-racism is in merely implementing DEI programs or altogether not taking any steps at all. Organizations, especially senior management, need to recognize the root issue, which is systemic racism. Systemic racism may not be obvious to people, but it is the foundation on which some organizations have been built. When we look at the structure of capitalism, it is clear that one of the pillars that it functions with is through exploitation of people and resources and, in doing so, labelling people as inferior and elevating Eurocentric, white supremacist views around the world. For example, much of the wealth created in the U.S. were largely from the exploitation of labour through slave trade. Acknowledging the deeply entrenched foundations of racism and colonization that have birthed organizations and organizational culture is the first step.
Another issue is that organizations tend to approach anti-racism through an inter-personal point of view. The Human Resources (HR) team will create codes of conduct and policies about not “calling people of colour or a certain race derogatory names.” These are all very important to creating a safe and inclusive work culture. However, fundamentally, there must be change in core policies and processes.
Here are some questions worth asking [at the leadership level]:
- How are we hiring people?
- What are the criteria/credentials we require?
- Are there any obstacles in the way of advancing/promoting people of colour?
- How are people of colour getting rewarded and recognized?
- Are compensation and benefits fairly given?
Des’ree: “Decolonization” is often used in academic, corporate and institutional environments, but its meaning can be diluted. How do you define true decolonization in practice and what are the biggest challenges to achieving it?
Dr. Francis: The first thing to recognize is that colonization was founded on the appropriation and exploitation of other people’s resources and lands. The second basic principle besides exploiting lands and resources was particularly exploiting Black bodies. Black people became the workforce for White supremacists and our bodies were at their disposal. In the context of Canada, we see the injustice done to Indigenous peoples as their lands and cultural heritage were taken away from them.
We need to understand colonization from a global perspective. No matter where you go in the world, there are traces of colonization. Several big corporations today forcefully took natural resources like cocoa, oil and special minerals amongst other things from developing countries and made massive profits at the expense of the livelihood and development of the exploited countries. Indigenous people in Canada were de-industrialized and stripped of their resources.
Des’ree: Now that we have come to terms with colonization, what does it mean to decolonize?
Dr. Francis: Decolonization means acknowledging the lived experiences, world views, culture and existence of people of colour. It means not allowing Eurocentric views and practices to become the only and ‘superior’ way to run your organization. Does your work culture create a space where people of colour can thrive, share their ideas and simply exist without shrinking themselves? Individuals interpret and filter information through the schemas and perspectives we have developed over time. Be intentional about questioning the status quo and how your organization limits the full expression and value that BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) communities bring to the table.
A clear example can be seen in how immigrants are treated during recruitment processes. Certain credentials and degrees are considered superior and others inferior because they are not from European or North American institutions. Are there ways that systemic exclusion has affected your hiring process? Every organization is unique in the skills and expertise needed to run effectively and deliver value. It’s time for leaders to face their unconscious biases and open their minds to the possibilities and value outside Eurocentric beliefs and operations. The onus is on leaders to create an environment that is truly inclusive and equitable for all.
Des’ree: What are some effective ways organizations can measure the real impact of their anti-racism and decolonization initiatives, beyond diversity quotas or superficial metrics?
Dr. Francis: Effort does not equal output. It’s not about the amount of effort that you put in but the outcomes at the end. DEI trainings and workshops have become popular in corporate settings and they have their importance. However, participating in seminars and workshops alone leads nowhere. With the issue of diversity quotas, I’ll say representation is great. We want to see more BIPOC people represented in different organizations. Yet, representation alone is doing the bare minimum. If you bring people in and don’t give them space to thrive, then it is a revolving door. Real change starts from the top. Organizations should be intentional about having people of colour on boards and in senior leadership roles. Why? This is where they have some influence on decision making and policies. Beyond the colour of their skin, be strategic about the skills and expertise they bring to the table. Meritocracy should be dismantled.
Senior leadership should do frequent audits of their organization. In business, we tend to look at the numbers and percentages. Numbers may not tell the whole story. Conduct frequent surveys and one-on-one meetings and ask the right questions. The questions and metrics should be sensitive to those who may be the most impacted/vulnerable, such as the people of colour on your team. Avoid coming up with an “average,” especially if it is dominated by one perspective. An organization can be an amazing place for some and be a horrible place for racialized people.
Develop an action plan to address any identified gaps or inequities. Remain accountable and transparent with staff about findings and how leadership intends to tackle these issues. As a regular practice, establish a habit of consulting people of colour on any sensitive DEI campaign or themed celebration that pertains to them.
Des’ree: Mainstream media and advertising have historically reinforced colonial narratives. At Coast Comms, we help clients develop their key messaging and communications strategies. How can communicators work to reframe these narratives in ways that are both ethical and impactful?
Dr. Francis: The media is a very powerful tool. It was used to create false narratives and sell ideologies of racism. It taught the world who to value, whose perspective matters, who is representative of power, what beauty looks like and many other things. Knowing this, organizations should be careful about not reinforcing certain stereotypes. Most times, we keep using the same recycled narrative of how success, power, beauty should appear.
The most important thing is that organizations shouldn’t say or present themselves in a way that is not fundamentally true about who they are. Do not say, “we are equity-driven” when your practices do not reflect that. Beware of simply using racialized people’s images in tokenistic ways. Let your messaging and communication strategies organically stem from the real work you do to uplift marginalized voices and treat your BIPOC staff as valuable. There are several ads today that are not realistic and are tone deaf. Again, organizations should pause, learn and consult people with lived experiences on the authenticity and impact of the campaign or messaging.
Des’ree: With the recent cutbacks on DEI funding and programs in the United States, how should organizations in Canada approach their anti-racism efforts?
Dr. Francis: It’s important to recognize that there has been some progress and significant milestones in breaking stereotypes and giving room for BIPOC people to shine. We have become more confident and loud about our identity and received recognition for our hard work and excellence. This has somewhat threatened people.
My advice is that organizations should think long-term. Investing in their people long-term has a fantastic payoff. An inclusive workplace produces happier, more productive employees and a successful organization. Despite the changes in government, business leaders need to look beyond the present political whirlwinds and policies and determine what truly matters to them and the impact of their actions.
Anti-racism advocacy and decolonization efforts remain an ongoing commitment that individuals, organizations and governments have to take on. Real change requires more than surface-level commitments or performative gestures. Organizations must confront the deeply ingrained systems that have historically marginalized BIPOC communities and actively work to dismantle them. This means going beyond DEI checklists to re-examine hiring practices, leadership representation and workplace culture with a critical lens. Leaders should be open to hearing and incorporating different worldviews and create a welcoming and inclusive work culture.
DEI is not merely a trend for organizations to hop on or an ad hoc program; it should form the basis of every healthy, high-functioning organization.
About Dr. June Francis
Dr. June Francis is Co-Director of the Institute for Black and African Diaspora Research and Engagement, Cofounder of the Black Caucus at SFU and a Beedie Professor in the Beedie School of Business, and was the Special Advisor to the President of Simon Fraser University on Anti-Racism. She is also Board Chair of The Hogan’s Alley Society, an organization whose mission is to advance the economic and cultural well-being of people of African Descent. In 2022, Dr. Francis was appointed Chair of the Anti-Racism Data Committee by the Province of BC, which is mandated to collaborate with the Province on initiatives to help identify and eliminate systemic racism in the public sector. She is an advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion for racialized groups as well as human rights through her research, consulting, the media and as a volunteer.
As a Co-Founder of The Co-Laboratorio (CoLab /CoLab Advantage Ltd., June works with a wide range of organizations to audit and address structural barriers to the participation of Indigenous, Black , and other racialized groups – in workplace culture, marketing, supply-chains, policy, programs, partnerships, and service designs. She works with municipalities, school boards, and cross-sector bodies to address racism in education and for newcomers and immigrants.
Dr Francis was named to Vancouver Magazine’s 2022 and 2023 Power 50 lists “to recognize people with the power to move the dial…” in Vancouver. The City of Vancouver also recognized her for her contributions to education and to the City, and she is the recipient of the 2021 Rosemary Brown Award for her exemplary work to bring equality for girls and women and received the Service Award from the Beedie School of Business for her contributions to the community, and the 2023 SFU The Chancellor’s Distinguished Service Award for Co-founding the SFU Black Caucus. She has been recognized by the Province of British Columbia and the National Congress of Black Women as a Trailblazer. In 2024, June was awarded the King Charles Coronation medal for championing Anti-Racism initiatives and Leadership and was an honoree of the 100 Accomplished Black Women 2024, which recognized the accomplishments of Black Women in Canada.
Dr Francis’s research focuses on the intersection between racism and the academy and markets and marketing, diversity, inter-culturality, leadership and participatory engagement approaches and community impact, as well as the advancement of non-traditional intellectual property law, including traditional knowledge related to community well-being and cultural and human rights, Covid-19 with vulnerable and excluded groups. She has published influential papers on Black Lives Matter, Racism in the marketplace, Covid 19 from community, business and national perspectives, Community wellbeing, on cross sector collaborating for transformation and on Intellectual property Law. An award-winning professor, Her teaching pioneers Decolonization and Anti-racism in the context of Business and served on the Steering committee for the Beedie School EMBA in Indigenous Business Leadership program and has taught in the program since its inception.
She is frequently sought out as a thought leader and subject matter expert, serving and advising numerous committees and bodies and giving over 100 public lectures and media appearances and contributions over the past three years. She was born in colonial Jamaica, where her ancestors, stolen from their African homes, endured the inhumanity of enslavement and neocolonial oppressions. She serves as the Honorary Consul for Jamaica in Vancouver.
June earned her BSc (first class Honours from the University of the West Indies) and later moved to Canada where she earned her MBA (now Shulish School of Business, York University). June completed her PhD in the United States (University of Washington) later earning a LLB from the UK (BPP School of Law). June adores travel, Reggae music and participation in her church. A former netball player, she was named to the Jamaican national squad, captained her university team and has coached the BC netball team to the Canadian national tournament. She has three children and two adorable grandchildren.
