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How can I help you end racism in our community?

This week's Market Squared asks the first and most important question for this weekend's planned march.
black lives matter (1)

Oh great, another old white guy is going to talk about diversity and inclusion!

I know, but it’s impossible to talk about anything else on this week. It would be irresponsible to not acknowledge the moment, and I think it’s important to use this space I have the privilege of holding to send a message that some us white guys are angry about what’s been happening, and we’re eager to listen and learn about how we can do better.

Having said that, I acknowledge that I have no idea what it’s like for people of colour in Guelph, or any place in Canada. There are instances where I’ve gotten a peek through hushed conversations, or social media posts that are deleted later, but there is not a lot of discussion being had about the experiences of people of colour here in Guelph.

Perhaps there’s a reason for that. On Friday, Chatelaine published a post by a black University of Guelph student that paints a galling picture of campus life for students who identify as a Person of Colour. We got only the merest glimpse inside that world this week with a widely covered story about a student who posted racist Tik Tok videos on social media.

Despite the frequent lamentations about the specialness of Guelph, and our wholesome welcoming spirit, I am struck by how much this is viewed through the lens of whiteness.

Look, I’m not saying that Guelph is racist, or that it’s a racist community by its nature. Indeed, in recent years I’ve been impressed by the growth of visible diversity here in the Royal City, and that’s bore out by the numbers. According to the Guelph Muslim Society, 75 per cent of Guelph’s hospitality businesses are owned by Muslims; Black Lives Matter created a list of Black-owned businesses in Guelph that includes all sorts of industries, from food, to construction, to dance companies.

Our community is incredibly diverse, so why don’t I see more of it?

Back in the days before the pandemic, when I attended city council in-person, it would occasionally occur to me that it’s a very white space, and I would add it’s especially noticeable at times when a Person of Colour does take part and delegate at city council. The council chambers just seems like a space that our community diversity does not reach.

Am I saying that’s an active choice? No, but the common misunderstanding about systemic racism is that it’s an active choice to keep people of colour out of the conversation. Systemic racism though is passive. It’s not a choice, it’s looking at the whiteness of a space or group and not realizing that there’s anything wrong on instinct.

Combatting systemic racism requires an active voice and a push to say that we can always do better.

To the credit of Guelph, our political structures have offered women a place to excel to the maximum of their abilities. In the year 2000, our mayor, MP, and MPP were all women, and 2000 was the year that Lenna Bradburn stepped down as the first female municipal police chief in Canada.

Although things have decidedly gone the other way in the last 20 years, Guelph remains a place that seems to embrace the idea of the advancement of women. We’ve had a female chief administrative officer. Two of the present deputy CAOs are women. The manager of finance, tourism, information technology, environmental services and parks and recreation are all women.

None of that is to say that the work of elevating women to power is over, far from it, but we need to start understanding the barriers to participation are still firmly up for racialized members of our community. If any local politicians are planning on attending Saturday’s march, I might suggest that they ask people of colour why they might not feel as comfortable inside city hall as they feel protesting outside of it.

One of my theses about the barriers to participation across all levels of society is that the structure of our local politics does not feel loose enough to let new people in. I’ve been to numerous political demonstrations, and while there are always some new faces, I tend to run into a lot of the usual suspects. Our political class is cliquey, whether that’s how we intend it or not.

Success after Saturday will be the long-term engagement of the people that show up. The issues and concerns they want to discuss cannot go away until the next protest, or, more to the point, until the next black person dies.

That’s why I will be listening this weekend. I’ve posed some questions here, and I genuinely want to hear the answers, and I want to hear all the questions I haven’t asked.

Change begins by acknowledging there’s a problem, but that’s not where it ends.


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Adam A. Donaldson

About the Author: Adam A. Donaldson

In addition to writing his weekly political column for GuelphToday, Adam A. Donaldson writes and manages Guelph Politico, frequently writes for Nerd Bastards and sometimes has to do less cool things for a paycheque.
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