Seatvet said she asked herself, How have I lived 26 years and I never made it personal? I will never know what it s like to live in that kind of fear. But just to humanize it for the first time, that was the change for me.
When Seatvet contacted WIBCA, her honesty led Mitchell to open up about her own feelings about George Floyd s death. I started to think about when I heard him ask for his mother, who was no longer alive, and so I kept on thinking about that and I became very emotional, Mitchell said. I don t have white people in my close circle. And never mind being vulnerable. That doesn t happen.
That s why it s important for us to have conversations about it happening.
Samantha Nyinawumuntu was coordinating the event for BCRC on February 18. It was planned as a precursor to the organization s big virtual event coming up in March, a job fair meant to connect members of Montreal s English-speaking Black community with possible job opportunities. I think the main reasons that it happens at events such as this, where the specific topic is to highlight Black individuals who are doing something in their communities, is to make us stop, she said. For us, during the meeting, we got them out and kept going. We re here and we re here to stay.
âThroughout the years, WIBCA and its volunteers have been dedicated to promoting cultural and educational activities to allâregardless of gender, race or ethnic origin. It is important to acknowledge all their hard work in building a vibrant community and offer our support in their efforts to overcome racism,â said Carlos J. Leitão.
The Robert-Baldwin MNA decided to begin Black History Month by donating $15,000 to the West Island Black Community Association.The funds are earmarked for the associationâs drop-in youth centre. Announced last September, WIBCA has launched a Capital Campaign drive to raise $250,000 to renovate its drop-in centre to increase its services to area youth.
West Island Black Community Association
WIBCA GETS 15K FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH:Throughout the years, WIBCA and its volunteers have been dedicated to promoting cultural and educational activities to allâregardless of gender, race or ethnic origin. It is important to acknowledge all their hard work in building a vibrant community and offer our support in their efforts to overcome racism,â said Carlos J. Leitão. The Robert-Baldwin MNA decided to begin Black History Month by donating $15,000 to the West Island Black Community Association.The funds are earmarked for the associationâs drop-in youth centre. Announced last September, WIBCA has launched a Capital Campaign drive to raise $250,000 to renovate its drop-in centre to increase its services to area youth.
Sanders says it got so bad for him in elementary school that he was depressed by the end of grade six. I got nothing done at that time. I had no friends, I gained a lot of weight, he said. I would go to school, shut my mouth and try to be as white as possible, and then go back home.
The N-word
His first encounter with racism was in grade two, on the playground at school. A boy he didn t recognize approached and called him the N-word.
Nate Sanders was in grade two the first time he was called the N-word. He was stunned at the time and didn’t realize there would be many more incidents in the years to come. (Submitted by Nate Sanders)