Ferguson decision shines light on race relation issues in Canada, activists say
Posted November 25, 2014 6:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
While Toronto is a long way from Ferguson, Missouri, community activists say Canadians are kidding themselves if they think work doesn’t need to be done on race relations here at home.
Race relations has been at the forefront in Toronto following the Rodney King riots in 1992. Thousands poured out onto the streets and some protestors turned violent as store windows were smashed along Yonge Street, which lead to several confrontations between protestors and police.
Community activist and writer Andray Domise says over the years the problems have not disappeared, especially in light of a police board report that says “carding” or the practice of police stopping and questioning young adults without valid reason, still occurs in the Jane Street and Finch Avenue area.
“When you talk to young people in the neighbourhood and they’re experiencing it on a day to day basis… it’s daily life,” said Domise. “And when you’re a certain colour in Toronto, you can’t escape that daily life.”
Paul Ngyue, who lives at Jane and Finch and has run a community website janefinch.com since 2004, says what is happening in Ferguson affects people living in his neighbourhood.
“Unfortunately it evokes a lot of memories, painful memories, from the community cause we had our fare share of incidents where the community has butt heads with the police and vice versa,” he said. “What they’re doing in Ferguson right now, burning the whole place down, that’s not going to solve anything that’s going to make things worse and they’re just hurting themselves.”
Ngyue said that although his neighbourhood gets a bad reputation, he believes relations between the community and the police are improving with increased dialogue from both sides.
“I think people are working toward making things more equal, making things more fare in the community,” he said. “The police are doing their part, they’re trying to engage with the community and the community is trying to engage with the police. With more of that we can get to a better future.”
The Rodney King protests were not the first time race was brought to a head in Canada. In the 80s and 90s protests were held over police violence fronted by Dudley Laws, who openly criticized the Metro Toronto Police Force over the shootings of number of young black men by police police and questioned racial practices that existed on the force. Laws also formed the Black Action Defence Committee.
Domise says that the feeling of superiority Canadians like to feel over the United States when it comes to race relationship is an illusion.
“I think for the most part we’re kidding ourselves,” he said. “We have told people that their bodies exist outside the protection of the law. We don’t do it with the same circumstances that exist in the United States but we still do it regardless and it’s still wrong.”
Domise says racism isn’t just about someone saying something offensive, but about the policies of countries and how cities function.
“Look at the fact that at a policy level within our government, within our businesses, within our media. It does not include people from all backgrounds,” he explained. “You have to look at what voices are shut out of these conversations. You have to look at who actually gets to contribute.”
Solidarity gatherings are being held across North America Tuesday night in protest of the Ferguson grand jury decision including one scheduled to take place in front of the U.S. Consulate on University Avenue.
