Justice 4 Black Lives book club discussion planned
Organization founder Sherri Darlene to lead dialogue on book ‘Why I No Longer Talk to White People About Racism’
The woman who organized the Justice 4 Black Lives demonstration in Niagara Falls last June to oppose racial injustice next month will lead a discussion in partnership with Niagara Falls History Museum on the book “Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race.”
It’s part of an ongoing collaboration between Sherri Darlene, whose peaceful demonstration drew thousands of people to Niagara Falls in the wake of police violence against Black people in the United States, and the museum as part of the new J4BL Book Club.
Clark Bernat, culture and museums manager for Niagara Falls, said his museum was preparing to host the North is Freedom exhibit last fall, a photographic exhibition involving descendants of freedom seekers who fled slavery in the United States by coming to Canada.
Museum staff thought it made sense to tie the historical exhibit into the contemporary issue of racial injustice, said Bernat. The Black Lives Matter movement, a separate organization from Darlene’s, exploded across North America last year with protests after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
“In one of our curator meetings, we decided to reach out to Justice 4 Black Lives,” said Bernat, who noted a photo exhibit depicting the June rally in Niagara Falls was added to the Freedom is North exhibit at the museum.
“With any historical exhibition, we look at what it means now,” said Bernat. “This was the best way for us to bring a historical issue to life with contemporary language.”
He said the museum has done the same with other groups such as Indigenous people and the LGBTQ community, seeking input on exhibits. Darlene came up with the idea of the book club, involving discussions of books touching on race, he said.
“We as a museum try to collect and interpret things and discuss what happened in the past,” said Bernat. “It could be as recent as last week or it could be 200 years ago on a battlefield.
“Museums are all about dialogue,” he said. “Each of these authors is talking about the history we have and how we got to where we are.”
The partnership had its first book club event in November, discussing the book “The Skin I’m In” by Desmond Cole.
The next book club discussion, to take place virtually due to pandemic restrictions, will involve the book by British author Reni-eddo Lodge who has lamented the fact discussions of race and racism are often led by white people who may be blind to it.
That event takes place on Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. There are limited spots available and preregistration is necessary by emailing Christine Girardi at cgirardi@niagarafalls.ca by Jan. 28.
Bernat said the small number of people allowed in the discussions are meant to make them “intimate” while ensuring disruptive people can’t quash open dialogue.
Darlene has said she hopes to fight racism with education and dialogue.
“These are very sensitive issues and we try to make sure it’s as safe a place as possible for people to be,” said Bernat.