To date, I have the honour of talking with psychologists, social workers, former MLA, lawyers, youth, Minister of cabinet, Vice Provost at a University, documentary film maker, former media broadcaster, and policy makers. Each episode ends with some calls to action so the listener can walk away with ideas they can think about, do, and do more of on their anti-racism journey.
Young In talks about coming to Canada at 12 years old from Korea and feeling like an outsider as she did not speak English. She is currently helping newcomers adjust to life in Canada. Young In shares some important calls to action such as being kind to everyone.
Dr. Michael shares his experience as an Indigenous person growing up in Canada. He was raised by a single mother during the 60s scoop and was almost taken away but his mother would not let that happen. Some topics explored are sharing circles, variations within cultures, and cultural genocide. He notes that racism is not a term whereby one is or is not racist. He voiced, “racism is a verb” because it is in how someone behaves, speaks, and acts that convey racism.
Dr. Chipo talks about growing up in Zambia and then moved to England for post-secondary education and eventually to Canada to complete her graduate degrees. She shares her lived experiences as a mother and psychologist. She voiced the importance of self-reflection, believing in people when they tell you they have experienced injustice and racism, and providing space for people to process.
Sonia talks about her experiences of racism whereby she and her young son was told to go back to their country and were threatened with violence. She tried to report it to the police and they said there is not much they could do about it. She urges everyone to take action and reach out to elected officials to be a part of systemic change.
Gabrielle talks about living in one of the largest reserves, the Blood Tribe reserve, in Canada. She and her family experienced racism outside of the reserve and white people would tell her to go back there. She notes her story is one of separateness and division and she does not understand why Indigenous people are so hated. She shares the importance of self-investigation in relation to racism.
