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y Ben Forrest<br />
COMMUNITY<br />
Planning Council completed a diversity study in 2017<br />
aimed at attracting newcomers to both communities,<br />
and, while several cultural events have shifted online due<br />
to COVID-19 and pernicious attitudes and behaviour<br />
remain a concern, there appears to be a genuine desire<br />
for change.<br />
Anti-racism is active, conscious and ongoing. It requires<br />
humility, discomfort and hard work by those of us who<br />
are seen as white, and it requires an awareness of our<br />
blind spots. It also requires recognizing white privilege<br />
and using it to change institutions that disadvantage<br />
people who are not seen as white.<br />
“We must never consider ourselves finished with our<br />
learning,” writes DiAngelo. “It is a messy, life-long<br />
process, but one that is necessary to align my professed<br />
values with my real actions. It is also deeply compelling<br />
and transformative.”<br />
Strategies for combating racism<br />
Educate yourself. There are dozens of books, movies<br />
and websites that can teach us about histories, ideas and<br />
cultures unlike our own. By learning, we gain empathy<br />
and begin to see a path forward.<br />
Do the work. You are responsible for your own antiracist<br />
education. It’s not the responsibility of your<br />
BIPOC friends, family or community members to bring<br />
you up to speed.<br />
Confront racist ideas when you encounter them.<br />
Being anti-racist means holding your friends, family and<br />
co-workers accountable. It means speaking up, and not<br />
being a bystander when racist activity occurs.<br />
Confront your own prejudices and biases. If<br />
you recognize racist beliefs or behaviour in yourself,<br />
acknowledge them and work to eradicate them.<br />
Understand that everyone is prejudiced and everyone<br />
discriminates. The goal is continuous improvement.<br />
Focus on impact, not intent. Many of us, who have<br />
said ignorant, racist things, do it without meaning to. Our<br />
hearts are in the right place, and for the most part we<br />
are not terrible people, but our good intentions do not<br />
erase the pain we cause. It’s not time for other people to<br />
toughen up; in most cases we’re the ones who are oversensitive<br />
when confronted with our racism. We need to be<br />
more careful about what we say and how we say it, and<br />
to understand the work of improving ourselves will never<br />
be complete.<br />
Demand change and work toward it. Lobby for<br />
school curriculums that provide a fuller, more honest and<br />
complete understanding of our history. Challenge your<br />
MP, your MPP, your municipal leaders and your Prime<br />
Minister, who have the power to change racist institutions.<br />
Don’t be content with symbolic measures that acknowledge<br />
a problem but do nothing to fix them. Apologies are not<br />
helpful unless they’re met with action.<br />
Ben Forrest is a freelance writer who lives and works in Exeter, Ont.<br />
Contact him at ben.r.forrest@gmail.com.<br />
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FALL <strong>2020</strong> • 21
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