When I first read Patricia Edmonds’ cover story on Millie and Marcia Biggs—half-black, half-white fraternal twins—for National Geographic’s April 2018 Race Issue, I felt conflicted. As a person of mixed race, with a father from Hong Kong and a mother of largely Scottish descent, I was happy for this family’s[Read More…]
Tag: racism
Thousands rally in downtown Montreal to denounce the rise of far-right ideologies
Thousands of activists took to the streets of downtown Montreal on Nov. 12 for the Large Demonstration Against Hate and Racism. The protest, which began at Place Émilie-Gamelin and involved over 160 local groups, lasted three hours as marchers energetically condemned the rise of far-right ideologies in Quebec. According to the[Read More…]
In countering hate and racism, SSMU must keep local issues at the forefront
On Sunday, Nov. 12, thousands of activists filled Place Émilie-Gamelin for the “Large Demonstration Against Hate and Racism.” A McGill contingent, led by Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) External Connor Spencer, joined forces with a coalition of Montreal activist groups to protest hate and the far-right. SSMU Council[Read More…]
Responding to hate: The danger of condemning without conversing
On Aug. 12, a peaceful protester named Heather Heyer lost her life and many others were injured by the senseless rage of a 20-year-old white male at a white supremacist march in Charlottesville, Virginia. Following the abhorrent scene, on Aug. 13, GoDaddy, the web hosting company of an American neo-nazi[Read More…]
Desmond Cole addresses the logic of white supremacy
On March 27, Toronto activist and journalist Desmond Cole spoke as the Debate Union’s David A. Freedman Speaker for 2017. The title of his talk was, “The Language and Logic of White Supremacy.” There were about 150 people in the audience, and over 2,000 people watching over the Facebook livestream.[Read More…]
Discussing racism beyond Queen’s
Last week, photos surfaced online of a costume party at Queen’s University in which students dressed as various stereotypes of other nationalities and cultures. White students were photographed dressed as incarcerated Mexicans, Buddhist monks, Viet Cong guerillas, and other stereotypical outfits at the event. Queen’s Principal Daniel Woolf and other[Read More…]
When words lie: Leitch’s anti-Canadian values exclude on the basis of inclusion
“Violence and misogyny are not Canadian values,” Kellie Leitch, former minister of labour and minister of the status of women, tells Maclean’s. The above is an innocuous statement regarding Leitch’s vague and seemingly benign proposal to screen immigrants for “anti-Canadian values.” Obviously, most people don’t condone violence or misogyny. But,[Read More…]
New policy against discrimination implemented in Mercury Course Evaluations
On Nov. 2, McGill Teaching and Learning Services (TLS) announced the introduction of a formal protocol which enabled professors and teaching assistants (TAs) to report hateful or discriminatory comments left on Mercury Course Evaluations. According to TLS Director Laura Winer, comments that are deemed inappropriate will result in the removal[Read More…]
Take a knee: Why Colin Kaepernick’s protest is not in vain
Want to start a fight? Just follow Colin Kaepernick’s lead and kneel in protest of police brutality during the American national anthem at an NFL “Military Appreciation Night.” Since the Aug. 26 incident, Kaepernick has been derided for disrespecting the troops, desecrating the flag, and hating America. The least-inflamed of[Read More…]
The violence of labels in the Baltimore Riots
Before implementing a citywide curfew aimed at alleviating the violence that erupted in Baltimore on April 27, the city’s Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said, “It is very clear there is a difference between what we saw over the past week with the peaceful protests […] and the thugs who only want[Read More…]
