Confessions of A Racist

Something I learned many years ago was "you don't know what you don't know."

BLACK LIVES MATTER, they always have even more so TODAY!

Last year I opened up about my experiences in the hopes of helping others in managing, coping and healing from mental health issues, depression, anxiety, domestic violence/abuse, and suicide. It is now time for another uncomfortable conversation which is already being argued in the streets and shouted from the roof tops. However as a European, white female decent of an openly racist father, it is necessary for me to speak my truth once again hoping for unity against racism and gentrification NOW and FOREVER more!

It is painful to bear witness to all the hatred, animosity, anger and rage. Amidst this new COVID19 pandemic there has been a much more devastating and horrifying fatal disease for which the cure is so simple, LOVE, and yet too many lives have been destroyed. Attempts at destruction of the Black culture and heritage, while enslaving, degrading, torturing and violently killing millions for the past several hundreds years.

STOP THE INSANITY!

Understand and never underestimate the daily Black lives' struggles.

This last round of devastation and violence has finally caught our attention. Not sure why it had to take so much pain and destruction however, lets focus on the future and use this long overdue discourse to discover and educate ourselves on how to become UNITED. Locking arms across the world in a colourfully linked chain of love, harmony, peace and UNITY.

Be a FRIEND.

Be a VOICE.

Be an ADVOCATE.

Be an ALLY.

ONE LOVE.

The Canadian mentality is one of compliance and complacency. We must evolve by LISTENING and taking ACTION. Action wields so much power.

Step 1 in healing is simple as it usually is, digging deeper within my personal discomfort, "What is this teaching me about my own complicity?"

"How can I now begin the journey to understand how I can unlearn that behaviour?"

Transformation into ONE world | community | space where ALL humans can thrive in unity.

I am personally beginning right here at home (Toronto). I am a racist and I have played a complicit role in the system, policies, patterns and culture that has inflicted entirely too much pain within the black community for hundreds of years. I choose to take responsibility for my lack of action to date. NO MORE!

I want to acknowledge that Doug Ford's public statement made Monday, June 1, 2020, " ... Canada does not have a racism problem..." (paraphrased) is the very systemic problem in and of itself - DENIABILITY.

We must all act with EMPATHY. What if that was your husband, brother, son, uncle, cousin, best friend. Understanding white supremacy, privilege (subliminal | unwritten), fragility and the role it plays in my complicit behaviour. Join me in commencing the process of being deeply uncomfortable and doing the work! I can longer wait for others to do it for me.

I am taking responsibility. I am taking action.

NOW, it is our turn to listen and HEAR through active action, not only by keeping the conversation alive but also making public statements and being accountable to the necessary change not only on a systemic level but in all our communities as well.

BRIDGE THE EMPATHY GAP.

"the means we use must be as peaceful as those we seek"

- Malcom X