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| They tried to bury us. They didn't know we were seeds |
In my reality, it's 1967, Pata Pata is Number One, Miriam Makeba and Stokely Carmichael are crazy in love. The The Black Power Revolution (Trinidad February 1970) exposes the fact that people around me are being treated differently based solely on what they look like, the colour of their skin.
In my Nelson's West Indian Reader the Atlantic Slave Trade that brought us across the Atlantic Ocean from the 15th through 19th century seem so far away.
This happened and everyone knows. Finally an apology from the Colonial powers would bring reconciliation.
This happened and everyone knows. Finally an apology from the Colonial powers would bring reconciliation.
But it wasn't all over and forgotten.
It's 1996 and Tracy Chapman is still talking about the revolution and flash forward to 2016 and the Trump vs Clinton US election exposes what we knew had not been reconciled.
The underbelly of Hate exposes the truth we have been ignoring – the truth that we all discriminate and we use these tactics to separate, to dominate, to take selfish advantage.
As the visible minority know, this is what you live with everyday. When someone tells you, you're being too sensitive or you're imagining those indiscretions, we can all agree that being ignored, belittled or disrespected did not start with Trump.
We are fortunate to live in a place where the Ontario Human Rights Code gives us a set of rules to live by.
Every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to services, goods and facilities, without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status or disability.
The underbelly of Hate exposes the truth we have been ignoring – the truth that we all discriminate and we use these tactics to separate, to dominate, to take selfish advantage.
As the visible minority know, this is what you live with everyday. When someone tells you, you're being too sensitive or you're imagining those indiscretions, we can all agree that being ignored, belittled or disrespected did not start with Trump.
We are fortunate to live in a place where the Ontario Human Rights Code gives us a set of rules to live by.
Every person has a right to equal treatment with respect to services, goods and facilities, without discrimination because of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status or disability.
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| Women's March Toronto January 2017 |
The Women's March Toronto January 21st 2017 protest, prompted by Trump's victory, we stood up for women’s rights everywhere.
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| Women's Rights are Human Rights |
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| I can't believe we are still fighting for Women's rights, Gay rights, Religious rights, ethnic rights |
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| Stop racism. Stop misogyny |
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| MSIT NO 'KMAQ means recognizing and acknowledging the living spirit within all things, encompassing the entire animal kingdom, the spirit within plants, rocks and waters of our world |
I share this haiku, written by Teresa Fisico so eloquently expresses our Canadian dream:
