This needs to be repeated. Over and over again. For as long as racism continues to oppress and dehumanize the lives of black people, we will keep saying “Black Lives Matter”, because we clearly need this reminder. The murder of George Floyd sparked a movement that shouldn’t be needed. He did not need to die, but he did because we have kept our heads in the sand for far too long. As a brown woman of colour, I know what it is like to be judged by my appearance but I will never know what it is like to be a black person in North America. Some people may feel that because we live in Canada we are immune from racism. We are all equal here, right? Unfortunately, that is far from the reality, and the sooner we come to terms with that, the sooner we can make real change. Black people in Toronto are 20 times more likely to be shot DEAD by the police. The Black community makes up 3.4% of Canada’s population and 9% of police fatalities. And we don’t just oppress Black people Canada, we also bring down the Indigenous community. Indigenous people make up 4.8% of Canada’s population and 15% of police fatalities. The protests this weekend are cry of anger from a community that is tired. Tired of being pushed down and ignored. We can and must do better.

December 06th is The National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, which is also the anniversary of the 1989 Ecole Polytechnique massacre. This year marks the 30th anniversary of that tragic day. This is a day to honor and remember those who have been the victims of gender-based violence. In Canada, a woman is killed every 2.5 days, with over half killed by a current of former partner. Women, young girls, and LGBTQ2S individuals are at a higher risk to be the victim of violence, which in turn impacts their ability to engage with their life goals and desires, as they are now forced to deal with the very real physical and mental health challenges that come with being the victim of violence.