Does anti-racist education need to rely so heavily on feelings of anxiety, anger, or guilt? Can comedy, and more specifically, African American "race comics," help us rethink our approach to anti-racist education?
At a time when critical race theory is under attack, the need for new approaches to anti-racist education is urgent. Unthinkable Laughter addresses this need, highlighting the power of humour and race comedy as valuable alternative strategies. Drawing on her experiences in politics – as a former member of Provincial Parliament in Ontario, anti-racism critic for the province, and chair of Ontario’s first-ever Black Caucus – Laura Mae Lindo offers a fresh perspective on rethinking anti-racism work in educational settings.
The book applies critical race theory and culturally relevant pedagogies to Canadian experiences in education and politics, addressing a significant representational gap that often fosters the misleading belief that racism in education is a problem unique to the United States. By introducing this theoretical framework to Canadian contexts, Lindo offers a more inclusive, global perspective on both critical race theory and culturally relevant pedagogies in education. Ultimately, Unthinkable Laughter calls for a shift in how we approach anti-racist education, urging the exploration of humour and race comedy as powerful and effective alternative strategies.
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Introduction
1. A Critical Reality: Race, Racism, and Canadian Schooling
2. What Comedy Made Them Do (A.K.A., the Student Teacher’s Story)
3. The Power of Comedy and Laughter in Anti-Racist Education (A.K.A., Comedians Laugh at the Darnedest Things)
4. Pushing the Boundaries: The Roots of the Race Comic
5. The Birth of the "Race Comic"
6. What Comedy Made Me Do: A Teacher Educator’s Story
7. Uncomfortable Laughter and the Un-Spoken Rules of the (Race) Game
Bibliography
Index
