Announcing the "All-Party Elections Town Hall on Systemic Racism", Sunday October 18th.
MEDIA CONTACT
Dominique Jacobs
Communications & Resource Development Coordinator
Support Network for Indigenous Women and Women of Color
203-2722 Fifth Street
Victoria BC V8T 4B2
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Support Network for Indigenous Women and Women of Color in partnership with Hogan’s Alley Society and The African Arts and Cultural Community Contributor Society announce the All-Party Elections Town Hall on Systemic Racism, Sunday October 18th.
The All-Party Elections Town Hall on Systemic Racism has been called after a public statement was released on September 23rd, on behalf of a province-wide International Decade for People of African Descent advisory committee, urging the three major B.C. parties to include their anti-racism strategies and plans for the implementation of the International Decade of People of African Descent (IDPAD) to their electoral platforms. Personal invitations were sent to the Party Leaders of the B.C. Greens, NDP and Liberals on September 28th.
Victoria, B.C., Canada. October 16th, 2020: After a lot of effort, including a public call and email campaign, the much-anticipated All-Party Elections Town Hall on Systemic Racism is moving forward with a one confirmed party leader from the B.C. Greens, Sonia Furstenau, and B.C. NDP candidate Ravi Kahlon, Delta North. The NDP had previously confirmed Minister Anne Kang to attend but withdrew on October 17th in favor of Kahlon. B.C. Liberals have JUST named candidate Alexa Loo, Richmond, in confirmation of their attendance.
This town hall is an opportunity for party leaders to make a positive statement on the issues of systemic racism within all sectors of the province, address the inequities faced by Black, Indigenous and people of color and acknowledge the UN International Decade of People of African Descent (IDPAD) with a plan of implementation. This is a particularly important opportunity following the bleak statements from all party leaders at the televised October 13th debate, on the “white privilege” question.
And the timeliness of this town hall is that we are in the midst of a second civil rights movement and more than halfway through the IDPAD. But unfortunately, the lack of interest shown by party leaders confirms that improving the lives of racialized British Columbians, who have also been disproportionately impacted by Covid-19, is not top priority in this election.
All leaders were tone-deaf, in answer to the albeit, insubstantial question: “This has been a time of tough conversations about the inclusion and treatment of those who are Black and Indigenous people of colour. How have you personally reckoned with your own privilege and unconscious bias as a white political leader?”
Liberals Leader Andrew Wilkinson highlights his “white savior role” and as he describes the Indigenous baby that he birthed and was named after him in his comments:
“And I believe there’s a young, maybe not so young, man in Lillooet now who’s named after me when I delivered that baby from his mother. And so that’s the kind of experience that humanizes it for you and makes you realize we are all equal.”
The “humanization of Indigenous people” comment was particularly troubling, as if they were not human before this experience? And somehow not “equal” before then either?
John Horgan’s comments were the most troubling, leaving him back-peddling after saying that he “does not see colour.” This attitude of “colour-blindness” leaves people without the language to discuss race and examine their own bias. Colour blindness relies on the concept that race-based differences don't matter, and ignores the realities of systemic racism. Is this the type of leader that British Columbia needs in this time of racial disparities, covid-19 and unrest?
We are particularly interested in exploring Furstenau’s answer as she made mention of her motherhood and the incomprehensibility of, “...saying to my child if you’re approached by a policeman, don’t do anything. Just put your hands up. I can’t imagine being a mother and imagining that my child, my son, might die because of the colour of his skin."
We are those mothers. We've had these conversations with our children. We are looking forward to hearing from Furstenau on her anti-racism strategies so that our children might live in a British Columbia free from racism.
Furstenau said: “In this province, in this country, and around the world, people who are Black, people who are of colour, are still experiencing systemic and personal racism on a daily basis. The three of us cannot reckon what that’s like because we are white."
And it's for this very reason we invited the white party leaders to this All-Party Elections Town Hall on Systemic Racism. So that they could hear directly from racialized community leaders about the impacts of racism and what actions we'd like to see party leaders take to combat it. Because what voters really need to know is not personal stories of “white privilege”, but whether a leader is educated about how to address systemic racism, and what their party is committed to do about it.
Town Hall Event: https://www.sniwwoc.ca/events/2020/10/7/gearing-up-for-the-election-town-hall
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