We stand in solidarity with black people around the world. And we want to do more to help, but we’re not sure how.
We’ve spoken with some of our African-Canadian teammates and they’ve told us of how they have come to accept a fear, even here in Canada, that people of European descent just don’t experience.
This has to stop.
If you have some ideas, please share them in the comments below. One of the best things I've heard in the last several months is to listen and learn. We are all ears.
Comments
So I am black .,Because the vital bedrock work that black people have done to help make America great is largely not taught , I think every white person needs a full on history lesson on the collaboration between Britain France spain and portugal to turn easily identifiable skin color into atm machines from slavery till now. not to mention, all of the misinformation and lies that has sown division among us. Businesses can require that as best practices. Businesses can pay black and people of color the same as white people White people should seek out racial equity organizations to help better open their own eyes to how they are complicit in silence and indifference. Police ought to be vetted by a panel from communities they serve.. this includes new officers and they must also be vetted by community for promotion and for union leadership..,, Reality …If someone is taught from birth that they are superior and others are not then that structure has to be dismantled.
If it were wartime ..guns would be mass produced to defend democracy…
Why is it that confusion happens when its time to defend the people who helped build the lifestyle many white people enjoy in this democracy…connect with organizations doing the grassroots work and have courage to be humble
We are paid lip service by the governments, from local to federal, about reforms to police and criminal justice departments. We see the killings, the injustice, the racism continue. Now, not just in the US but around the globe, we are enraged, fed up, our voices are loud. But time passes, our voices quiet, we become complacent again. We cannot let that happen. Continue to speak out, vote, hold those accountable to the highest standards. A promise of change is not enough, no matter how slow and painful the process we have to hold to that promise until it is kept. Black Lives Matter.
Hi! I’m from the US and think that you are on the right track. Being proactive can take many forms but making an efforts to source and collaborate with Black owned business is a great start. Educating yourself how how white privilege has benefitted you by reading is another great way to begin understanding white privilege and how systemic racism has effected every part of our lives. Lastly, I leave you with this thought, in all instances where a group of people are persecuted, the persecutors are/become the less humane. The persecuted develop a better sense of humanity, sensitivity, perseverance and endurance. This is a BLM issue but it is also a human issue, which makes it your issue. Look up some Jane Elliot interviews, lectures and read her work. Remember, “ If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” – Desmond Tutu
Education is one key element that needs to be addressed. Poor schools lack funds because of low property values, hence the revenue those taxes bring is insufficient. Other more progressives ways must be developed to fund these schools that need our help. Our youth is worth the investment. When young people feel hopeless, and a wrong path is taken in life, it will affect their family and the community as a whole. Education is only one of the social disparities, but an important one to address.
Get people to think about their own heritage and what happened when their ancestors arrived. My Irish grandmother didn’t like English people seeing the inside of her house because the English thought that the Irish immigrants were dirty.
As I have white skin, two generations later I am fully integrated and no one asks me where I come from unlike my Black British brthers and sisters, racism continues toward people with Black skin because they are easy to identify and are not considered equal or are seen as ‘different’
Definitely examine your hiring practices.
Also, consider taking your environmental education curriculum to black communities and involve young people there to hear their thoughts and approaches to sustainability. Environmental justice is racial justice.
But, more than anything, just LISTEN. And not to me, a privileged white lady.
Thanks!
Create a space/time in your routine as a workplace for black people to express their grievances, because there always are some. Any black person will tell you that being in the workplace is stressful. People constantly comment about our physical appearances or other black people they know/have seen and it’s exhausting. Create a time at the beginning of company meetings for black people to talk and everyone else to just listen.
Share businesses owned by POC, offer internships and jobs, lift up BLM , send a percentage to movements who work for change. Thank you for giving us this platform!
Listen to the stories. Recognize the problem. Take deliberate steps to interact beyond one’s white world. Challenge bigotry wherever you find it. Share resources. Read. Vote. Teach your children reverence for all life.
Many black Americans do not have the same advantages as many white Americans with regard to access to healthy food, and robust academics. If your heart is where your treasure is, then one concrete action you can take is to donate to causes that lift up black brothers and sisters. Example: www.littlelights.org, www.hortonskids.org, kiva.org (right now making available micro loans to black-owned businesses). Another concrete action you can take is to volunteer your time and talent. Volunteer two mornings a week at a worthy local elementary school with reading and comprehension. Volunteer with a church youth group. Get on a work rotation for the food bank. Volunteer as a helper/coach for a school’s sports team. When you interact with “need” first hand, you become a more compassionate, understanding individual. United we stand.