Last week I wrote about the activism in the NBA; the way basketball players were using their status to continue to shine a light on anti-Black racism and demand action and change. And, I missed something. The roots of resistance: the WNBA Long before the NBA players paused the playoffs, …
[Continue reading] Activism and Oppression – honouring the WNBA
It’s August and for those of us with children, it’s the time we start thinking about “back to school”. This year, “back to school” isn’t the same; it comes with many more concerns and questions than usual. I imagine school boards and districts around the world are handling these in a …
For the last installment of the series, I have two more common examples of privilege to share. Both are based specifically on identities: race and gender. The first example is thanks to Hadiya Roderique, who wrote an amazing article for the Globe and Mail last weekend entitled Black on Bay …
[Continue reading] What’s Privilege got to do with it? – Part 4
Last week I attended the Canadian Race Relations Foundation Conference – Inclusive Canada, 2017 and Beyond. It was a thought-provoking and intense two days with a strong theme of Indigenous inclusion. The opening keynote was by Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, Ambassador for Reconciliation Canada. He …
Today I'm writing about words and choices. In our post-colonization societies, the use of words still reminds us (if we are aware and paying attention) of who is in charge, and who has value – and who doesn’t – in the eyes of the state. Take some of the names of sports teams, for …
Black Lives Matter Toronto halted to Pride Parade on Sunday to make some demands of Pride Toronto. It’s not the first and won’t be the last of their bold activism. And, as Naila Keleta-Mae writes in her Globe and Mail article, the point is that they make people uncomfortable. Here’s my perspective …
[Continue reading] Black Lives Matter = Opportunity for Growth
The Ontario Government has created an Anti-Racism Directorate. Here is what the website http://www.premier.gov.on.ca/en/news/35889 says: “The Directorate will work with key partners such as business, community organizations, educational institutions and the Ontario Human Rights Commission. The …
If you're a parent, you are familiar with the act of registering your child's birth. Probably not something you associate with discrimination or inequity. Your child is born. You register yourself or yourselves as parents. Voila! For some people, birth registration is a painful reminder of …
Congratulations Viola! I shake my head that this is the FIRST time a woman of colour has received this award. I want to ask, what year is this? But Viola's speech says it all - the only thing that separates women of colour from anyone else is opportunity. And those opportunities, sadly, have been …