Don’t silence the voice of justice when it matters
The death of South Africa’s ambassador to Denmark, Zindziswa “Zindzi” Mandela, the daughter of South Africa’s late struggle heroes, has once again reminded me of the enduring legacy of her parents that she strove to continue. Like her mother, Winnie Nomzamo Mandela, and her father Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, Zindzi was firm in her resolve to […]
It’s dictator or bust for Trump
OTTAWA—U.S. President Trump seems increasingly like a mad king—besieged on all sides, raging away in the wreckage of his castle, vowing defeat and destruction to his endless list of perceived enemies. His latest outrage, which led to renewed comparisons of the U.S. under Trump to a Third World dictatorship, came the night of July 10, […]
Forty-nine days of racism in the news
OTTAWA—It’s been 49 days since George Floyd died. It has been forty-nine days of international rally and protest, demands for change, system outrage at demands for change, and general confusion. On that day a Black Canadian was also assaulted by police in Laval. It’s been 49 exhausting days for many Indigenous peoples, black Canadians and […]
Too soon to say if StatsCan will bring in more racialized researchers, says official; ‘we’re just building those relationships’
Canada’s statistics agency is working with an expert advisory committee to better collect race-based data, but it is too early to say whether it will hire more racialized on-the-ground statisticians and researchers to help, says one official. Marc Lachance, acting director of health, justice, diversity, and populations with Statistics Canada, acknowledged in an interview last week […]
Restoring trust to help in race-based data collection could be ‘impossible’—unless communities control the data, say Indigenous experts
Canada’s national police force and government will have to fight an uphill battle to restore trust with Black and Indigenous communities as they begin trying to collect race-based data, some experts say, and one Indigenous leader says a separate, Indigenous data collection agency should be established as part of the effort. “I don’t think we’ve […]
Feds’ policing reforms should respect self-governance of Indigenous people, say experts, Parliamentarians, in wake of deadly, violent run-ins with police
As the government works toward a new legislative framework aimed at improving the relationship between police and Indigenous people, some Parliamentarians and Indigenous experts say reforms should be rooted in self-determination, greater autonomy, and self-governance. Such changes could better reflect Ottawa’s commitment to reconciliation and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, […]
Trudeau shouldn’t abdicate leadership on quashing systemic racism to ‘consensus’ rule
Despite the prime minister’s repeated platitudes on the need to do “more” to tackle systemic anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism in Canada, he has signalled the existence of a significant loophole he can use to not do much at all. Much like other matters of import in this country, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau seems to have […]
Systems are made up of people, systemic racism is based in people
OTTAWA—Racism is harmful. Racism simply says there is no room for those who look different. Anti-racism is a commitment to the value of equity and human rights. One must value the human rights of others, including others who are different, to be inclusive. One must uphold the principle of equity for all, not just those […]
Prejudice with power is racism
“Rats and roaches live by competition under the law of supply and demand; it is the privilege of human beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy.”—Wendell Berry If someone indicates that they find something to be offensive and/or racist, they are identifying an action that they perceive to be unacceptable. Expecting a […]
Blair defends RCMP Commissioner Lucki, says she has ‘deep,’ ‘profound’ understanding of systemic racism
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair defended the head of the RCMP, who has been widely criticized over comments around the existence of systemic racism in policing. In testifying before the Senate during a Committee of the Whole hearing Thursday on anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism, Mr. Blair (Scarborough Southwest, Ont.) was pressed on whether RCMP Commissioner […]
