People take a stand against racism at Swift Current event earlier in the spring

Personal experiences of racism and perspectives on how to stand up to prejudice were shared during an event in Swift Current.

The Hear My Story event was held in the Great Plains College gymnasium on March 21, which has been designated by the United Nations as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It was organized by the Southwest Newcomer Welcome Centre in partnership with the Southwest Multicultural Association and the Great Plains College Student Association.

“The turnout was great,” Southwest Newcomer Welcome Centre Executive Director Deanna Baje said afterwards. “I didn’t know how many people would be coming, because the conversation about racism is not always something that people want to talk about. So I just hoped that people would show up and I was happy to see that our tables were full. People came and had good talks, and that’s what we were hoping for.”

This day is observed around the world to bring attention to the impact of racial discrimination on people and society. She felt it is important to have these conversations locally.

“We want to make Swift Current a choice place to live, to study, to work and for people from all over the world to come and stay here,” she said. “If we want Swift Current to have that identity as an ideal place, then let’s make it one. Conversations like this can make that happen, because if we bring issues out in the open, people will realize that there are still some issues that we need to work on.”

She noted that there is a collective responsibility to address any concerns about discrimination in a community.

“We all have our part,” she said. “It’s not just a job for one person or one organization. It’s for everyone and if you don’t do it, your community cannot be successful.”

The event in Swift Current was part of similar activities around the province during March to bring attention to the issue of racism and several took place on March 21. The Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan (MCoS), which was one of the sponsors of the Swift Current event, held a provincial education campaign during the month with the theme Rise Against Racism. Ali Thompson, the MCoS communica tions and marketing manager, attended the event in Swift Current.

“Racial discrimination is something that people are still experiencing today,” she said. “So it needs to be brought to people’s attention. We need to have events like this. We need to get communities together and talking about it, because if we don’t talk about it, nothing’s going to change.”

The event in Swift Current started with supper that provided dishes from various cultures. There were several presentations during the evening as well as group discussions about ways to stand up to racism. Bula Ghosh from the Southwest Multicultural Association provided a historical perspective on the commemoration of March 21 as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

The United Nations designated this day in 1966 to mark a tragic incident on March 21, 1960 in Sharpeville, South Africa, when 69 demonstrators were shot and killed by police during a protest against apartheid.