‘We are trying to exist but cannot truly exist’: Beneath the Banner of Multiculturalism and Black Muslims’ Narratives of Systemic Racism in Canada

Abstract While systemic racism against Black people has been widely documented in Canada, the voices of Black Muslims remain notably underrepresented in academic and policy discourse. This study addresses this gap by foregrounding the narratives of 25 Black Muslim residents of Alberta to examine how systemic racism operates in Canada. Drawing on Critical Race Theory (CRT) and using thematic analysis of in-depth interviews, the study explores how participants experience and interpret systemic racism in their daily lives. The findings reveal three key themes: (1) Black people experience a profound dissonance between Canada’s multicultural ideals and the reality of systemic racism in their everyday lives; (2) policing and public surveillance operate as mechanisms of racial control that criminalize Blackness; and (3) Black people internalize the emotional and existential toll of systemic racism. The study challenges dominant claims of Canada’s multiculturalism and contributes to critical scholarship on systemic racism. Ultimately, it calls for structural reforms and meaningful recognition of the realities of marginalized populations in shaping equitable policies.