NEST Distinguished Speaker Series - Jason Hackworth

The Myth of the North American City Revisited: Exploring the role of race and racism in Canadian cities

Goldberg and Mercer’s The Myth of the North American City has become a classic in Canadian geography, planning, and sociology circles since its publication over forty years ago. In it, the authors provide compelling evidence for contrasts between American and Canadian cities. Race and racism are among the many dimensions they explore. In their narrative, they argue that American cities are deeply affected by racism and Canadian cities much less so (or not at all). More recently other scholars in geography, sociology, and area studies have used the American experience of racism to highlight patterns in other non-American Global North locations—France, New Zealand, Italy, and Germany among others. This lecture focuses on the opportunities and challenges of applying (rather than juxtaposing as The Myth and other similar writings do) the lessons of American racism to the Canadian urban context.