A frustrated Coun. Rebecca Johnson openly wondered this week if any of the city’s anti-racism initiatives are even working.
This came after The Toronto Star published an article along with a short web documentary about this city’s racism against its Aboriginal residents. The Star piece did not present locals with any new facts, but the collection of grim data served as a sad reminder of how much bigotry and racism has been packed into this small city.
The city should be praised for its anti-racism efforts, however, we can’t rely on municipal programs and initiatives to address this serious problem.
We need to address the real problem – us. We, as a community, have made it much too welcoming and comfortable for the bigot.
A recent trip to the grocery store served a perfect reminder of this. I waited in the express line to pay for my vegetable tray and stared blankly at a nearby stack of newspapers. One headline had already piqued the attention of the gentleman in front of me who had no problem sharing his opinion with the woman in front of him.
Without getting bogged down by the details, the man’s statement was a cringe-inducing, ill-informed idea regarding Aboriginal people.
The entire line – that woman he was speaking to, myself, another woman behind me and a man just getting his receipt from the cashier – exchanged uncomfortable glances. Moments later the incident was over and we all went about our business.
Four of us were glad to escape the uncomfortable moment without confrontation while one of us never felt uncomfortable at all.
We’ve made an environment so comfortable to the racist that he can freely share his feelings about an entire culture as if it was small talk as vanilla as the weather.
That event isn’t the only time I’ve had the displeasure of hearing a stranger’s opinion about our Aboriginal citizens. It’s just the most recent one.
I can sit here from the relative safety of my keyboard and proclaim that this nameless man is Thunder Bay’s problem. But I won’t. That’s too easy and it’s not honest.
Thunder Bay’s real problem is me. It’s the woman who stood in line behind me. It’s the woman who this man directly spoke to. It’s the man who grabbed his receipt and briskly walked away with a single bag of groceries.
We can’t, as a community, hope that openly racist citizens will suddenly change their minds. Thunder Bay’s racism problem will continue to fester so long as we have an environment that makes bigots feel like it is OK to be who they are, to think how they think and to small talk like they small talk.
We should still continue to praise the city of its anti-racism initiatives. An Aboriginal liaison, anti-racism committee and a respect campaign is proof that the municipal government is doing its part.
Now it’s time for us to do ours.
We can wag a finger at the idea of racism, but if we expect change than we have to confront it with real condemnation, not awkward glances.
