‘This isn’t a fad’
In the year since George Floyd’s murder, what has changed? Black Canadians reflect on whether their voices are being heard, and what must happen next for protests to lead to progress
It’s been one year since a series of events shocked the world into acknowledging anti-Black racism.
A video of a white woman named Amy Cooper calling the police on a Black birdwatcher went viral.
In Toronto, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, a Black and Indigenous woman, fell from a balcony to her death while police were responding to a mental-health call.
And on May 25, 2020, George Floyd was killed by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, in a video shared globally.
Over the next few weeks, non-Black people started to echo statements Black people have made on their own for years condemning anti-Black racism.
“Listening and learning” was a common pledge from politicians, corporations and public services alike.
The Star reached out to Black Canadians we’ve spoken to throughout the year to see if they have felt heard. And more importantly, what they’ve seen change.
Jay Williams, educator
To be blunt, white folks have (finally) joined the conversation and (some have) taken action. It took nine minutes and 29 seconds of murder caught on video to make clear what we’ve been screaming all along — justice and equitable treatment of racialized, Black people, is necessary. In my field, education, I’ve been victim to all of the -isms, both as a student and a teacher, but enough is enough. Conversations have begun to take place in the past year. The feeling of climbing up the slippery hill of injustice isn’t quite as lonely this year. Allyship is at an all-time high; however, the wheels of anti-Black racism education are perpetually slow.
We can’t let the momentum fall off. Yes, we’re fighting the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 and all of its variants, but we’ve also been fighting the
pandemic of anti-Black racism and anti-oppression for (more than) 400 years. This isn’t a fad or fly-by-night concern. In order to keep the wave going, anti-Black racism needs to be acknowledged and eradicated on a systemic level. Accountability is key from the top down. It’s only then we will see true change.
Sarah Jama organizer
More people understand the power of collectives versus individuals. More people are disillusioned by the way things are and are dreaming about what is possible. More people are challenging neo-liberalism and performative gestures. We’re not waiting for anyone, politicians especially, to save us.
Studying of movements. Protests are a tactic, but the before and after, the relationships built during and in between, are what sustain movements. Get into the grunt work, the hard work. Learn about other issues people are working on in your city and show up repeatedly. Stop relying on elected officials. They need you more than you need them.
Allison Gibson entrepreneur and social enterprise consultant
George Floyd’s tragic death sparked a worldwide outcry for systemic change and the dismantling of white supremacy. As a result, I’ve encountered people of all ethnicities openly declaring that Black lives do in fact matter. They are interested in learning how to use their privilege responsibly, while not shying away from having difficult conversations about race. I’ve also seen an increase in invitations to work on projects that focus on providing opportunity and resources to marginalized communities. Despite this forward progression, performative allyship is at an all-time high as it is easy to add a hashtag or black square to your Instagram page, but I don’t always see follow through or action being taken to advance the core tenets of the movement.
I think it is important to continue capitalizing on the momentum created to keep advocating and pushing for change. Urgent next steps include putting into action commitments made over the past year such as diversifying those selected for leadership roles and ensuring access to opportunities are fair and equitable. For some, George Floyd’s death served as a wake-up call, and for others it was a reminder of the constant threat Black people face daily. We all need to keep pushing to dismantle white supremacy in order to achieve our goals around equity, diversity and inclusion.
Matthew R. Morris middle school teacher
The roller-coaster ride of centring antiBlack racism has passed the peak and coasted into the ending blocks. This time last year, it was at the top of the agenda — a priority that permeated discussion from system-wide school levels, down to individual teachers in the classroom. Unfortunately, I don’t see the same collective momentum around Black life. Albeit, it is definitely now a mainstay on the actual agenda/public conversation regarding education. But I cannot remember the last time I went to a meeting, an event or been privy to a discussion where Black abundance by virtue of calling out systemic racism was at the centre. So, tangibly, 2021 feels almost ... almost like 2020 didn’t happen.
In public education, the urgent change needs to come from actual changes to the curriculum. Real mandated objectives that ALL teachers must meet are instrumental if we really want to affect the culture of anti-Blackness. Schools, education, are pivotal to shifting society.
And unless we force teachers to provide lessons and learning that validate Black bodies the same way that we force teachers to teach in a way that champions character qualities such as responsibility and collaboration, we will continue to have issues around equity, specifically anti-Black racism.
Yasin Osman photographer and founder of Shoot for Peace
In the non-for-profit scene, I’ve seen positive changes, especially towards creating funding for Black youth programs. There have been a plethora of reports that have come out in the last little while pertaining to anti-Black racism in Canada and I’m happy to see that, but it breaks my heart to know the tragedies that are required for us to be taken seriously.
I think it’s important we continue the conversation and be less reactionary. I feel like Black people matter only when they’re grieving and that the only time they deserve respect or support is if there’s a calamity. That’s not OK. These are deep-rooted issues that require systemic change.
Kearie Daniel co-founder of Parents of Black Children
Since George Floyd’s death, organizations and systems are paying attention to the issue of anti-Black racism. However, this doesn’t mean that they are getting it right. Over the past year, we have seen the language change. System leaders now know the language of equity and they can repeat it back to you. They know the posture to take in conversation with community members. They will say they want to listen and learn, they are committed, they understand the oppression Black students have faced, for example in the education system. Yet, they are not willing to make the bold changes required to shift that disparate experience. So, the language has changed, the posture has changed, the intention and bold leadership has not.
We need transparency and accountability
and urgency. If your organization is bleeding Black staff, because they are resigning due to anti-Black racism, someone needs to be held accountable for that. Even if investigations are coming back and telling you there is no antiBlack racism. If Black parents are telling you that their children are being mistreated in your schools, that they are being physically and emotionally abused in some cases, the response needs to be an immediate 911 crisis response. We need URGENCY. The same energy and urgency we saw with COVID-19, needs to be applied to anti-Black racism.
Jefferson Darrell founder of Breakfast Culture
Racism has always been a part of my life and dealing with it has become akin to breathing. Black folks know this. It has been a part of our lives for generations; it’s in our DNA. What has changed is peoples’ attitudes, specifically white peoples’ attitudes. They are finally not just listening, but they are hearing us. They are asking the questions not just to learn but to understand. They are doing the work.
When all of Canada’s top party leaders collectively named and acknowledged racism, I cried tears of joy because I never thought that I would live to see this day. It was momentous for me, and I suspect for others. There lies the hope. (Cautious hope, as we have been down this road many times and it usually leads to a dead end.) I know that it will take time for true transformative change to occur, but this is an excellent beginning.
I’m going to quote one of my favourite writers, James Baldwin: “I can’t believe what you say, because I see what you do.” The conversation must continue, but remember, actions speak louder than words.
Part of the action is to not get defensive. Whenever Black people call out systemic racism the first thing people typically say is, “I’m not racist.” This statement tells me that you clearly do
not understand racism. We have not called YOU racist. We have called the system racist. It is not about YOU as an individual. It is about society collectively upholding an Eurocentric view of the world where Caucasian is the default. We need to unlearn and relearn that there are other ways of thinking and knowing.
Birgit Umaigba registered nurse and clinical instructor
I’m constantly reminded of how the colour of my skin constantly places me at a disadvantage in society. I’m so worried for my nephews, cousins, brothers and friends who are Black males. It’s hard to imagine a society which allows them to thrive or even make mistakes; definitely not the one we live in.
We must urgently defund the police and reallocate those funds to social services such as housing, education and health care. The truth is, racism affects us all. It affects how policies are made and as a result impacts every one of us.
Ravyn Wngz
Black Lives Matter Toronto steering committee member
Summer of 2020 saw first hand the state of emergency that Black people have been experiencing around the world. The murder of George Floyd sparked a tipping point for so many, and pushed the general public to get involved in the fight and protection of Black lives. I am no longer having to prove that antiBlack racism exists.
Personally, my activism and art has been celebrated and seen around the world allowing me opportunities, and with that, major responsibilities to share the tenants of abolition, radical love, intersectionality, and art as activism.
We must reckon with and dismantle every system of white supremacy, we must fight against anything that separates us from our humanity. We must dare to dream and carve out a future that is abundant and safe for everyone. We
must continue. There’s so much knowledge from our histories, that if we allowed ourselves to learn it, to understand it — I mean, before colonization — then we could really rebuild and restrategize ways of care, ways of community accountability, raise this level of humanity, acknowledgment of humanity.
Rinaldo Walcott associate professor at the University of Toronto
Nothing has changed in my life. The same conditions that existed before continue, unabated. The appointment of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) specialists at high levels of the university has been now the standard response to anti-Black racism.
Since May 2020, no substantive discussions on how we get the leaders we get, on how our priorities and goals are set, on how and what the institution should mean in the world have been actually had.
I think that we need to see many more transitions in leadership than we have seen so far. The people who could not make change happen in 2019 cannot be counted on to make change happen in 2021.
We need to suspend EDI as the method to address anti-Black racism. It is actually not a question of putting Black people at the table. It is a question of remaking priorities, listening to and acting on the demands of affected populations. We need to see immediate redistributions of power, authority and resources. Communities know what they need and want.
Moka Dawkins activist
I have myself personally started a notfor-profit called T-Time Tips Productions which is still in the startup process. We have been raising money from community to redistribute back into BIPOC LGBTQ2S+ communities who have been hit the hardest by this global pandemic.
I am curious to see the return of antiBlack racism in everyday life once things
open back up again. This has been a conversation happening for centuries now it’s time to see some action.
Akwasi Owusu-Bempah assistant professor at the University of Toronto
I think the academy (in line with much of the public and private sectors) has become even more aware of the role that anti-Black racism plays in producing disparate outcomes for students, staff and faculty. Innumerable task forces and working groups have been established to work to address issues of inequality at universities and in the work that universities do.
I think the federal government should issue a formal apology for the historical mistreatment of Black people in Canada — from enslavement, through segregation, to more contemporary forms of marginalization. We cannot meaningfully move forward to address antiBlack racism without proper recognition of the forces and factors that got us to where we are today.
Ebenezer Oteng, a.k.a. Emcee Ebone master of ceremonies
For the first time in a long while the people in positions of power, better known as our leaders, who don’t look like us, are starting to realize and acknowledge that there is a problem that needs to be addressed and fixed. Surprisingly, they have begun to address the elephant in the room and are actually making a change to listen and find solutions, which gives us something to hold them accountable for.
In the last decade, the issue that plagued our community has always been the same. We as a community protested and brought light to the situations of anti-Black/systemic racism with little to no change as an end result. In the course of a year society has been drastically affected by the pandemic and the death of George Floyd amongst other tragic deaths due to systemic oppression of the Black community.
Eva Simone trans advocate, performer and community organizer
From my perspective, there has been
quite a bit of performative justice, equity, diversity and inclusion without any significant and tangible efforts to dismantle and change white supremacy.
If white people can learn and understand neuroscience and quantum physics and solve global pandemics, they can learn and dismantle anti-Black racism if they are really intentional about changing it.
It has been 500 years and counting and we haven’t eradicated anti-Black racism and other forms of oppressive systems, institutions and behaviours. It’s not that complex, all it takes is having empathy for and humanizing people who do not navigate life in white skin as themselves.
Emily Mills founder of How She Hustles
Conversations about anti-Black racism have become more public and fundamental across various sectors and spheres of influence in society.
I’m a marketer and communicator by profession, so I’ve watched closely as leaders and brands have changed their approach to language, images, employee engagement, stakeholder relations, sponsorships and partnerships, digital strategies and traditional advertising. Many brands chose to do something explicit to address the issue.
This progress is a step forward, but it’s tragic what it took to get us here. It took a global uprising and Black people to die — in ways the world couldn’t unsee — before this change could truly begin.
What’s urgently needed now is sustained action, ongoing transparency and proactive accountability. It’s easy to tweet a hashtag. To put a black square on Instagram. Or to put out a statement on anti-Black racism.
It can be harder to create policies that last. To make change happen in practice. To enforce equity at all levels and across the board. It can be challenging to keep this work going without protests in the streets, or Black deaths dominating the headlines.
This is a marathon, not a sprint. It will be interesting to see who keeps making anti-Black racism a priority and taking tangible action a year from now. Those are the brands I’ll be watching, and hope to work with.