I was one of the four students who organized the Black Lives Matter (BLM) awareness march in Whistler last week. After reading comments posted on social media in response to this event, I was disappointed by some of the cynical and inaccurate viewpoints and I wanted to address them.
First off, organizing this awareness march was not simply a "feel good moment" for me, and I never had the intention of gaining recognition or praise, to pat myself on the back or feel as though I'm "changing the world."
I simply felt that it was the right thing to do in order to raise awareness about BLM, police brutality, and the unjust murder of George Floyd, as well as all the other lives lost through decades of police corruption and racism.
The hope was that this gathering would also bring our community together because as much as this is a time to remain apart and safe with caution and regard for COVID-19, I felt as though it was important to take appropriate precautions and come together at a time that matters most and acknowledge our understanding of such a horrific and prominent issue in today's society.
Secondly, despite what some people might think, racism and police brutality is a problem and does exist in Canada. Many in our community believe problems don't exist here in our "bubble." Perhaps it's because they have never witnessed it, or because they simply choose not to believe it.
Charlize Littlelight organized this march with us. She is 15 years old and First Nations, and she bravely spoke up about racism and the struggles her people are faced with daily.
According to Pivot Legal (www.pivotlegal.org/17_years_of_police_violence_in_canada), Indigenous people make up 4.8 per cent of Canada's population, yet represent 15 per cent of total fatalities caused by police brutality, and Black people make up only 3.4 per cent of Canada's population, yet represent 15 per cent of the total fatalities. It is clear that both groups are disproportionately affected by police violence in comparison to other races.
Pivot Legal also reported that between 2000 and 2017, Canadian police were involved in at least 460 fatal conflicts with civilians and out of those incidents, only three second-degree murder charges were given out. So yes, this protest was incredibly relevant to Canada.
Racism exists in our community and we can all do better to recognize this and we need to speak up. We marched through a "resort" protesting racism, as one person mocked. Well, this resort is our home and we helped to raise awareness and promote discussion because we are not immune.
I agree that I'm incredibly privileged; however, calling us "entitled" is just ignorant and accusatory. I think it would be entitled to be aware of what is currently happening—both in the U.S. and Canada—and ignore it because it isn't "my problem."
At first, I was worried to organize this march, seeing as I am white and could never begin to imagine what it must feel like to be Black and to face such horrific discrimination, abuse, and fear for simply having a different colour skin. Then I realized that it should be the opposite, that it is my responsibility to take a stand and to use my voice and privilege for good because I can—and you can, too.
Lastly, I'll share a personal anecdote. I used to live in Morocco and travelled in Africa often. I always wondered why it felt so "homey" and comforting to be in Africa. My mom told me that maybe it's because all life started there; we all come from the same place.
This made so much sense to me and I couldn't possibly fathom how people are treated so horribly because of their skin colour. Why is skin colour an invitation to treat others as less than human? I wish we could all feel that warm, familiar feeling of being in the heart of Africa. I think if everyone could, we'd all have more understanding and compassion for each other because regardless of our skin colour, our salaries, our accomplishments—we are all just people. It's so important that we remember that.
Danika Boucher, 16 // Whistler
