IS CANADA RACIST? The fact that this is a question we are asking ourselves as a nation disturbs me, greatly. Thanks to my mother and one very obnoxious but powerful teacher, I was able to understand one vital essential aspect of who I was in society: not white. Our nation is often internationally regarded as a leader in terms of tolerance and diversity. It is easy to accept this notion as all encompasing. It is easy to tell someone they are being dramatic or playing the race card. It is easy to laugh at a prejudice as opposed to looking at the real iniquity it can cause. It easy to call someone Angry Black... Whats hard is hearing the truth. Hearing, understanding, and really digesting that your neighbour, friend, lover, brother, or even the person in the mirror is facing hardships and injustices daily based on the colour of their skin. Last night, a friend of mine advised me to watch @CBC News: The National. The last twenty minutes of an hour long program covered the question Are We [Canada/Canadians] Racist? It was refreshing and encouraging to see this issue spoken about so honestly on television. Though the time allotted for the segment barely allowed for the interviewees to scratch the surface of subject matter that has been so long buried, it did touch on some some essential points and highlight a few of many struggles, which answered the question, Yes, Canada IS racist. One thing that was particularly interesting was the programs suggestion for a way forward: Honest Conversation. Thus, this objectionably long post. Theres a saying weve all encountered many times, in these words or others: Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. So learn something about this battle and join in on the honest and hard discussion that acknowledges racism and brings this topic to the forefront. Dont limit this conversation to its current platform, Okay, our white friends are gone...Lets get real.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 17:43:10 +0000
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