蓝莓视频

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Today,听he鈥檚听at the University of 蓝莓视频,听still working toward making the world a more听equitable听place in terms of race, among other things.听

鈥淭his type of work is woven in my structure and DNA,鈥� Bakir says. 鈥淚 genuinely believe that racism, a social construct, only drags nations to the bottom of history. Converting skin听colour听and 0.1 per cent genetic differences into social hierarchy prevents nations from utilizing all听inborn听and gained powers and capabilities for their development and instead听of听using it in various forms of destruction of civilizations.鈥澨�

Bakir听leads the Mental Health, Ableism and Accessibility听committee听of the听School鈥檚 Equity,听Diversity听and Inclusion (EDI) group,听which makes recommendations to university听administrators听on mental health for BIPOC students.听He is听also听a member of the听President鈥檚 Anti-Racism Taskforce (PART)听at 蓝莓视频, and听volunteers with the International Coaching Federation, offering pro-bono coaching to marginalized individuals and new immigrants.听听

鈥淚 see very little education to the younger generations about the history, damages and drawbacks of racism and values of equity and diversity,鈥� Bakir says.听He鈥檚听hoping to start a PhD in听Public Health and Health Systems听next year and plans听to work in the field听creating听educational material for students and staff 鈥渟o that younger generations grow up genuinely convinced that racism is a curable disease.鈥� He also听wants听to work on听mitigating听the manifestations of racism through听equitable听policies and robust complaint-management systems.听

How听will听he听know听when his听job is done? 鈥淲hen we stop hearing, 鈥楾hat was not my intention鈥� as a reply from an offender who showed signs of micro-aggressions,鈥澨鼴akir says. 鈥淎nd when we听replace hatred听with听acceptance听of听what is different and start to look at opportunities instead of obstacles.鈥澨�

RAISE the bar听

She is听also an advisory member of the听African, Caribbean, Black (ACB)听Network of 蓝莓视频 Region,听working on advocacy initiatives to educate the community about what defunding the police could look like.听

She says COVID-19 has made it more difficult to celebrate and engage with听her听community in the same way听she听typically would during听Black History Month.听听

鈥淭his year has made it more evident to institutions that they need to step up when it comes to anti-Black racism and that work can begin by decolonizing our education system and incorporating听Black and Indigenous thought into听our听pedagogy,鈥� Worku says.听鈥淏ut I am hopeful for what鈥檚 to come.鈥澨�

A year of reckoning听

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鈥淚t鈥檚 not like I听necessarily听always听had a passion to get into this type of work, but it鈥檚 my lived experience, and I didn鈥檛 realize how much I was engaged with it until probably what happened last summer,鈥� says Norman.听听

鈥淚t was听a definitive听reckoning for everyone. For myself, I had to attend听to how much emotion听I鈥檝e听pushed to the side in my life because race in Canada is not something we talk about. It was听about听me reflecting on the code-switching, the times that I was quiet in meetings because of my position as a Black man,听and听so on. But my son is now听older, and I see him being active in this space and I听don鈥檛 want him to听deal听with these questions听later on听in his life.鈥澨�

He knows there is a need for听discussion around race in Canada. 鈥淚t鈥檚 shocking how little we know about听Canadian听Black history coming up through the educational听system, and听we can鈥檛 confine it to one month of celebration.听Still, it听allows us to focus听on promoting the engaging,听energizing,听and听impassioned听stories that will help advance this notion of Blackness in Canada.鈥澨�

In fact, Norman believes that storytelling,听even more than data and numbers,听can听help us听achieve听equity听and equality.听鈥淧art of the work I鈥檓 doing is听centred听on race, but also on whiteness and colonialism. For me,听the focus on听measurement, success rates and best practices,听is听a very Western听ideal听on听how to听accomplish听something.听We听have to听move away from putting diversity as a line item in organizations, for example,听and instead听embed听it in听its听fabric so that听it鈥檚听always under consideration, always part of the organizational culture,听rather than having it as an add-on.听Stories give us the richness and depth often needed to understand issues from the Other鈥檚 perspective.鈥澨�

Norman听says that stories about Black people that celebrate achievements听and accomplishments, rather than trauma,听provide听more meaningful information and听can help us听create a vision for听what we want the future to be.听However,听it is critical to听reflect听on the past to understand our present听in order to听build听a听desired听future.听听

鈥淲e need to ask ourselves:听How听do we tackle these really important, systemic issues, and what is my role in that? How can I contribute to this conversation?听What happens beyond the notion of representation?听Everyone recognizes that it鈥檚 a long听road to go听down,听but听what does听that听future really look like?鈥澨�