Moving towards collective liberation: Municipal government, BLM, and the racial contract

Abstract

The call for Municipalities to address systemic racism has been amplified by the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement since 2020. Municipalities have taken up this call albeit the impact of their actions has not been given robust academic attention. This article examines municipal response to the BLM movement and what role municipal governments have played. Located in Alberta, Canada this research includes a document analysis, participant-observation, and interviews conducted through the lens of a racially liberatory pedagogy framework. The findings suggest that while the Municipal government may recognize their role in anti-racism, the response to BLM upholds the racial contract, does little to raise critical consciousness. A number of recommendations are outlined for municipalities who are committed to responding to BLM and to addressing racism including examining the ways in which their institution and systems perpetuate racism and begin to work towards collective liberation.