Consumer Racial Profiling: From Historical Lessons to Contemporary Actions A Conversation with Legal Scholar Constance Backhouse
Episode notes
Welcome back to Make It Make Sense with Tomee Sojourner-Campbell. Season 2, Episode 1 launches today as we enter the first month of 2026.
Tomee's guest is Canadian legal scholar and historian, Constance Backhouse. Professor Backhouse is a Distinguished University Professor and University Research Chair at the Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Canada. She has published several books on feminist and race-related legal rights topics, including Colour-Coded: A Legal History of Racism in Canada, 1900-1950. Constance Backhouse. University of Toronto Press: November 20, 1999,
In this episode, Tomee and Professor Backhouse discuss consumer racial profiling, the historical lessons from Ms. Viola Desmond's case and the weaponization of neutral laws against Black communities. They also share ideas about the kinds of contemporary actions needed to address intersectional forms of consumer racial profiling.
If you are interested in learning more about how to address consumer racial profiling or taking part in advocacy initiatives, contact info@tomeesojourner.com.
Content warning: Mention of racism, gender-based violence, and sexual violence.
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A gentle reminder: Season 2 offers exciting guest conversations with leaders from diverse sectors, from Canada and across the globe.