Black Lives Matter & Anti-Racism: Where Do We Stand?
The question we should be asking ourselves is “Why do Black Lives Still Not Matter after all this time?” After the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, and much more both before and after, why are we still in this dark inhuman place? Who would not want to walk side by side with Martin Luther King on his March to Washington and breathe in his words at the Lincoln Memorial. Who would not want to walk side by side today with our fellow Black Lives?
We are proud to provide a piece on “Black Lives Matter” written by our staff. We support and endorse it fully.
____________________
Black Lives Matter & Anti-Racism: Where Do We Stand?
The last couple of months have been a whirlwind for everyone, to say the least. I think we can all agree that 2020 has not gone the way many of us have planned or imagined. In the midst of a global health pandemic, we have simultaneously witnessed the emergence of a great social shift. George Floyd’s murder was a heartbreaking and egregious act of injustice that Black communities are, unfortunately, all too familiar with. Although the pain and numbing of this open hate is felt the same each time it occurs, something was different this time. Black communities and non-Black allies alike, said enough is enough.
Mosaic Home Care does not condone racism or hatred of any kind and we have taken it upon ourselves to create safe spaces for people from all races, ethnicities, creed and sexuality. Embedding anti-racism in our work structures and models, from the care we provide to the interactions with community members, is something we acknowledge is necessary and how we move in the right direction.
When working in careers based on and positioned in community work, it’s important to work from an anti-oppressive lens while including anti-racism, anti-colonialism, and social justice frameworks. Recognizing unearned white privilege is also important and understanding that it exists because of historic, enduring racism and biases. To know that someone automatically has an advantage just because of the colour of their skin is to recognize privilege. Providing the spaces to enhance the voice of marginalized and oppressed groups, through your unearned privilege, is essential.
You might wonder where you fit into all of this, “how can I help?”. We have seen various forms of activism and tools for change come into play recently that help advance social justice substantively in different ways.
Activism can range anywhere from personal critical self-reflection, pursuing education, expanding your community/relationship boundaries, taking part in local protests and having difficult conversations with family and friends. A dialogue around these social justice issues is not only essential but long overdue.
As a company, our staff held a guided discussion about Black Lives Matter movement and Anti-Racism. This conversation was difficult, uncomfortable, and eye-opening but it was an important conversation to have. Mosaic’s goal is to work towards ending the silence and continue the conversation. To do so, Mosaic has created a Resource Board platform for our team and we want to share some of our resources with you. These resources are a great place to start to learn more about the Black Lives Matter Movement and Anti-racism. These resources allow us to dive deeper into race issues right here in Toronto and and across the world.
If you want to share any resources with our team that you may have come across, please email us at info@mosaichomecare.com.
Thank you,
Sarah McGilvray (bio) & Beth Eshete (bio)
Podcasts:
Brene Brown and Ibram X. Kendi: How To Be an Antiracist
https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-with-ibram-x-kendi-on-how-to-be-an-antiracist/
9 Podcasts on Racism: Understanding The Black Lives Matter Movement
https://www.harpersbazaararabia.com/featured-news/podcasts-on-racism-black-lives-matter-resources
Movies/TV Shows:
Just Mercy
American Son
Mudbound
When They See Us
Selma
13th
Get Out
Fruitvale Station
* You can stream any of these movies online/using a streaming platform. Keep in mind that Netflix Canada has added a new Black Lives Matter category as well.
Educational Links:
Anti-Racism Voices and Resources
https://sites.google.com/tdsb.on.ca/antiracism-voicesandresources/home?authuser=1
National Museum of African American History and Culture Releases “Talking About Race” Web Portal:
https://nmaahc.si.edu/about/news/national-museum-african-american-history-and-culture-releases-talking-about-race-web
Talking about Race:
https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race
75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice:
https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/what-white-people-can-do-for-racial-justice-f2d18b0e0234
Anti-Racism Resource Centre:
http://www.anti-racism.ca/
Welcome to the Anti-Racism Movement – Here’s What You’ve Missed
https://medium.com/the-establishment/welcome-to-the-anti-racism-movement-heres-what-you-ve-missed-711089cb7d34
Implicit Bias Test
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
Holy Sh*t, being an allly isn’t about me!
https://medium.com/@realtalkwocandallies/holy-shit-being-an-ally-isnt-about-me-ae2de5c47514
Support Black-Owned Businesses:
Black-owned businesses in Toronto you can support right now
https://nowtoronto.com/lifestyle/black-owned-businesses-toronto/
135 Black-owned restaurants and other businesses in Toronto you can support right now
https://www.blogto.com/city/2020/06/black-owned-restaurants-businesses-toronto/
