Photo Karen Graham.
Early last month, Miya Kinos-Rodney organized a peaceful, outdoor event in Millbrook to support the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement that has touched communities across the globe. As a mother of two young boys, she felt it was important to show support to people of colour in our own community and start a conversation of respect that would inspire people of all ages.
With the growing influx of residents from urban areas, the township is becoming home to more people of colour. Miya wanted to show them that they have allies in their neighbours. She sought to share her belief that people of colour are entitled to the same respect as white people. The event was designed to bring awareness to our community and so that our neighbours and friends of colour will see that we care and are willing to stand up and help because their lives matter.
Almost 70 people joined Miya to hear several local speakers relating their own experience with racial discrimination in the community.
Cheryl Davidson (Dunkley) grew up in Millbrook and was a member of one of the first mixed marriage families in the community and her family ran a business in the area. Cheryl’s childhood memories of Millbrook in the 80’s were quite positive but her parents and grandparents have different stories to tell.
The second speaker was Whitney Cook Rouse, who is entering her 2nd year at Queen’s University in Kingston. An accomplished student and talented rugby player, she was dismayed during her first few weeks at school by questions about how she gained admission to the school that indicated she was accepted to meet an affirmative action target rather than based on her own academic achievements. It’s fair to say that assumption has since been quashed.
Three years ago the third speaker moved to the Millbrook area with her family from Scarborough. Debora is a social worker who provides support to victims of violent crimes including human trafficking, domestic violence and homicide. On her first visit to town, she was struck by the lack of visible minorities in the area and realized how starkly she stood out in the community. Fortunately her local experiences have been positive.
Sheldon, a father and chef, is fairly new to the community and compared changing attitudes towards people of colour as a process of water dripping on a rock- the change is gradual but inevitable. The event wrapped up with an original song from a thirteen year old singer-songwriter from Orono.
There are those who say to protestors that it’s time to “get over it” and move forward. But after centuries of injustice, the issues persist.
As members of a small, somewhat rural community, how can we contribute to the healing process? Miya offered some guidance on that front: she encourages us to “speak up, stand up and show up” for our neighbours and friends when they are disrespected, and provide genuine support through words and actions.
The words of a wise character from by American author Ted Chiang provide some direction as well, when he says, “Nothing erases the past. There is repentance, there is atonement and there is forgiveness. That is all, but that is enough.” When a genuine apology is followed by meaningful amends, perhaps forgiveness will follow, but not until then. KG
