The worldwide Black Lives Matters protests against police brutality and racial injustice have prompted me to meditate on (among other topics) … vanilla. For vanilla — one of the most expensive spices on the planet — loomed large in my youthful witnessing of a quiet act of resistance against forces that have kneed the necks (literally […]
Black Lives Matter in prison, too
A group of federally incarcerated Black prisoners have written the following statement. It was read to El Jones, and has been slightly edited for length and clarity. We have been watching the Black Lives Matters protests and the conversations about police violence. We have been taking part in our own conversations with prisoners of all […]
“This is my beautiful family. They are not the same colour as me.”
Morning File, Wednesday, June 3, 2020
News 1. “We need answers and justice. This tragedy cannot have been for nothing” The Halifax Examiner is providing all COVID-19 coverage for free. Jennifer Henderson speaks with Erica Surette, whose mother, Patricia West, died in Northwood Centre nursing home after contracting COVID-19. On Tuesday, lawyer Ray Wagner filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of […]
One day in the streets doesn’t stop injustice, but it does show how Black lives matter
I’m standing in front of the Black Lives Matter banner at the protest for Regis on Saturday when my phone starts ringing insistently. It’s the jail. I walk away from the crowd and answer. A young Black man is calling from segregation at Burnside. Along with other prisoners, he filed a habeas application challenging their […]
A White People’s Guide to Black History Month
It’s February, the most dangerous month of the year for free speech and free expression in Canada. A good way to start off the month if you’re white is by a bunch of white people having a conversation among themselves about how important it is to have a conversation about whether blackface is racist or […]