1 00:00:11,309 --> 00:00:13,439 Hi, my name is Barbara Saldana. I'm a 2 00:00:13,439 --> 00:00:15,779 Mexican immigrant in Tiohtià:ke territory, 3 00:00:15,779 --> 00:00:18,149 Montreal. I'm a student at Concordia 4 00:00:18,149 --> 00:00:20,909 University majoring in Women's Studies and 5 00:00:20,909 --> 00:00:23,189 a double minor in Human Rights and 6 00:00:23,189 --> 00:00:25,739 Diversity and the Contemporary World. What 7 00:00:25,739 --> 00:00:27,989 grounds my perspectives are my intersections 8 00:00:27,989 --> 00:00:30,389 as a woman of color, immigrant, and a single 9 00:00:30,389 --> 00:00:32,639 mother in Montreal. The desire to have a 10 00:00:32,639 --> 00:00:33,989 better understanding of the new 11 00:00:33,989 --> 00:00:36,269 environment and the power relations about 12 00:00:36,269 --> 00:00:38,969 this land and how thatnimpacts 13 00:00:39,029 --> 00:00:41,219 and shapes my life as well as life of 14 00:00:41,219 --> 00:00:43,949 other immigrants is what brought me to 15 00:00:43,949 --> 00:00:47,639 this project.Moreover, the desire to gain a 16 00:00:47,639 --> 00:00:49,859 better understanding of how racism and 17 00:00:49,859 --> 00:00:52,199 oppression affects BIPOC and minority 18 00:00:52,229 --> 00:00:54,329 groups beyond my reality, the Latinx 19 00:00:54,329 --> 00:00:57,119 community. While at the same time putting 20 00:00:57,119 --> 00:00:59,819 the theory into practice collaborating in 21 00:00:59,849 --> 00:01:01,559 anti-racist, anti-oppressive and 22 00:01:01,559 --> 00:01:04,139 decolonial perspectives, and initiatives 23 00:01:04,139 --> 00:01:06,509 for BIPOC folks and minority groups. 24 00:01:10,110 --> 00:01:13,080 My name is Sandra Mouafo, I am second generation African 25 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:15,030 Canadian of Cameroonian descent, majoring 26 00:01:15,030 --> 00:01:16,860 in Sociology with a minor in Diversity in 27 00:01:16,860 --> 00:01:18,330 the Contemporary world at Concordia 28 00:01:18,330 --> 00:01:20,220 University. I was born and raised in 29 00:01:20,220 --> 00:01:21,630 Quebec and spent my teenage years in 30 00:01:21,630 --> 00:01:23,370 Europe and when I came back, I had a lot 31 00:01:23,370 --> 00:01:24,870 of questions and realizations about 32 00:01:24,870 --> 00:01:27,210 society.As my major and involvement in 33 00:01:27,210 --> 00:01:28,740 this project,I wanted to better 34 00:01:28,740 --> 00:01:30,390 understand identity in relation to the 35 00:01:30,390 --> 00:01:32,130 societies I found myself navigating it. 36 00:01:32,580 --> 00:01:34,530 Being Black in Canada, being Black in 37 00:01:34,530 --> 00:01:36,630 France, and being Black in Germany had very 38 00:01:36,630 --> 00:01:38,040 different connotation and I wanted to 39 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:40,110 understand why? Because so often the way 40 00:01:40,110 --> 00:01:41,970 we identify ourselves, and the 41 00:01:41,970 --> 00:01:44,340 preconceived notions other identify as Black 42 00:01:44,370 --> 00:01:46,380 are inconsistent. This is why I found it 43 00:01:46,380 --> 00:01:47,850 meaningful that throughout all of the 44 00:01:47,850 --> 00:01:49,740 videos that we've watched, identity was a 45 00:01:49,740 --> 00:01:51,690 part of the conversation. All of the 46 00:01:51,690 --> 00:01:53,610 videos featured people of different ages, 47 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,760 religion, gender, race, all finding ways 48 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:58,560 to be their authentic selves by navigating 49 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:00,210 their respective fields of study or 50 00:02:00,210 --> 00:02:02,310 career, while staying true to who they 51 00:02:02,310 --> 00:02:04,140 are, but also acknowledging what that 52 00:02:04,140 --> 00:02:05,970 meant in relation to their environment. 53 00:02:06,390 --> 00:02:08,070 Because if you struggled to establish who 54 00:02:08,070 --> 00:02:10,260 and what you are, you will also struggle 55 00:02:10,260 --> 00:02:12,240 to empower yourself and so for standing in 56 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:14,970 your authenticity, the way for Fariha Naquiv 57 00:02:15,210 --> 00:02:17,550 Mohammed did. She knew she was a Muslim 58 00:02:17,550 --> 00:02:19,980 woman, she knew she was a journalist. She 59 00:02:19,980 --> 00:02:22,050 knew her value even when people repeatedly 60 00:02:22,050 --> 00:02:23,460 diminish it as she comments in her 61 00:02:23,460 --> 00:02:25,500 interview. And yet she stood tall and 62 00:02:25,500 --> 00:02:27,090 and creating meaningful 63 00:02:27,090 --> 00:02:29,670 changes. Not only that, but once she was 64 00:02:29,670 --> 00:02:31,410 done creating a platform for herself, she 65 00:02:31,410 --> 00:02:34,140 assumed responsibility to allow for others 66 00:02:34,140 --> 00:02:36,480 like her, those without a voice, to speak 67 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:38,610 and tell their own stories. I loved the 68 00:02:38,610 --> 00:02:40,650 notion of "Passing the mic" she spoke of. It 69 00:02:40,650 --> 00:02:42,330 resonated with me and it helped me better 70 00:02:42,330 --> 00:02:44,040 understand other videos that have 71 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:46,230 perspective I was unfamiliar with. Such as the 72 00:02:46,230 --> 00:02:47,790 reality of international students. 73 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:52,710 The experience of international 74 00:02:52,710 --> 00:02:55,860 students is both, unique and hard. Hone's video 75 00:02:55,860 --> 00:02:57,690 brought an insight on the realities that 76 00:02:57,690 --> 00:03:00,000 international students face. University 77 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:02,310 studies are challenging and demanding. But 78 00:03:02,310 --> 00:03:03,990 it becomes even more difficult when you're 79 00:03:03,990 --> 00:03:06,720 away from home and your family. In most 80 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,180 cases, international students lack a 81 00:03:09,180 --> 00:03:11,190 support network in the country they are, 82 00:03:11,580 --> 00:03:13,410 the systems they are in, and the 83 00:03:13,410 --> 00:03:15,540 schools often ignore these intersections 84 00:03:15,540 --> 00:03:16,830 and realities of the international 85 00:03:16,830 --> 00:03:18,900 students. And this makes them fall into 86 00:03:18,900 --> 00:03:21,330 the cracks. It is important to acknowledge 87 00:03:21,810 --> 00:03:23,730 and take into consideration the obstacles 88 00:03:23,730 --> 00:03:25,770 and challenges that international and 89 00:03:25,770 --> 00:03:28,080 immigrant students face. Each experience 90 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:29,370 is different depending on the 91 00:03:29,370 --> 00:03:31,290 intersections of each international 92 00:03:31,290 --> 00:03:33,780 student. But racialized students tend to 93 00:03:33,780 --> 00:03:37,080 face more obstacles, both for legal status 94 00:03:37,110 --> 00:03:39,390 and race. There are not enough support or 95 00:03:39,420 --> 00:03:40,980 are not available for international 96 00:03:40,980 --> 00:03:43,290 students, most often because of their 97 00:03:43,290 --> 00:03:45,450 status. That means limited access to 98 00:03:45,450 --> 00:03:48,030 services in place. Hone's video resonated 99 00:03:48,030 --> 00:03:50,280 with me. As an immigrant student, I have 100 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:52,590 faced similar challenges, such as cultural 101 00:03:52,590 --> 00:03:55,200 shock, adaptation to a new school system, 102 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:57,900 and dealing with my status in 103 00:03:57,930 --> 00:04:00,540 government offices, and much more. Since, 104 00:04:00,570 --> 00:04:02,130 all these situations we have to 105 00:04:02,130 --> 00:04:03,780 acknowledge that in some cases, 106 00:04:03,810 --> 00:04:06,060 international and immigrant students are 107 00:04:06,060 --> 00:04:07,740 more prone to mental illnesses in 108 00:04:07,740 --> 00:04:10,350 comparation to Canadian students. This is 109 00:04:10,350 --> 00:04:13,410 not only impacts their 110 00:04:13,410 --> 00:04:14,880 performance in their studies, but their 111 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,600 quality of life and well-being. According to 112 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:20,880 a consult group of Ontario universities 113 00:04:20,940 --> 00:04:22,650 The number of students on 114 00:04:22,650 --> 00:04:25,110 college and university campuses with 115 00:04:25,140 --> 00:04:27,870 identify mental health conditions has more 116 00:04:27,870 --> 00:04:30,930 than doubled on the past five years. With 117 00:04:30,930 --> 00:04:33,120 the context of this pandemic, the numbers 118 00:04:33,150 --> 00:04:33,960 are worsen. 119 00:04:35,940 --> 00:04:37,500 Hence, the importance of recognizing 120 00:04:37,500 --> 00:04:39,570 intersectionality you're more than a 121 00:04:39,570 --> 00:04:41,790 singular thing. Your identity is not 122 00:04:41,790 --> 00:04:44,610 limited to one aspect of who you are, like 123 00:04:44,610 --> 00:04:46,410 Alan Wong touches on during his interview. 124 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:49,230 He's an Asian gay man, but this is also a 125 00:04:49,230 --> 00:04:51,840 simplified statement of who he is. That 126 00:04:51,840 --> 00:04:53,580 can undermine the complexities and 127 00:04:53,580 --> 00:04:55,260 intersectionality of his lived 128 00:04:55,260 --> 00:04:57,870 experiences. He is more than his job, 129 00:04:58,110 --> 00:05:00,960 sexual orientation, race or socioeconomic 130 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:03,660 status, he is the embodiment of every 131 00:05:03,660 --> 00:05:06,180 single aspect of his being. That is what 132 00:05:06,180 --> 00:05:09,210 makes him and all of us human. The more we 133 00:05:09,210 --> 00:05:10,860 understand the multitude of ways in which 134 00:05:10,860 --> 00:05:13,170 we experience life, based on all the 135 00:05:13,170 --> 00:05:15,450 intricacies that form our identity, the 136 00:05:15,450 --> 00:05:18,540 more we understand the urgency of unity. I 137 00:05:18,540 --> 00:05:20,670 may not be of Asian descent, but I am part 138 00:05:20,670 --> 00:05:22,950 of the LGBTQ community. I may not be a 139 00:05:22,950 --> 00:05:25,950 man, but I am a visible minority. As such, 140 00:05:26,070 --> 00:05:27,630 Alan Wong and I probably share more 141 00:05:27,630 --> 00:05:29,430 similarities in our respective struggles 142 00:05:29,610 --> 00:05:31,950 than we do differences. And yet, on the 143 00:05:31,950 --> 00:05:33,780 surface, we seemingly have nothing in 144 00:05:33,780 --> 00:05:36,180 common. This is why we are stronger when 145 00:05:36,180 --> 00:05:37,950 we stand together and recognize our 146 00:05:37,950 --> 00:05:40,140 humanity and its complexity as much as we 147 00:05:40,140 --> 00:05:42,270 do the humanity and complexity of others. 148 00:05:45,510 --> 00:05:47,940 It's important to be aware that unity make 149 00:05:47,940 --> 00:05:50,220 us stronger. We have to come together as 150 00:05:50,250 --> 00:05:53,580 minority groups BIPOC, 151 00:05:53,610 --> 00:05:56,520 LGBT community, or another. Instead of 152 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:58,050 highlighting our differences, we should 153 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:00,210 recognize our similarities 154 00:06:00,210 --> 00:06:02,610 and challenges we face. It also important 155 00:06:02,610 --> 00:06:04,410 to debunk the myth of the perfect and 156 00:06:04,410 --> 00:06:06,660 beautiful country that Canada shows and 157 00:06:06,660 --> 00:06:09,810 advertises overseas where racism does not 158 00:06:09,810 --> 00:06:12,600 exist. Sadly, racism is still vivid in 159 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,300 Canada, in Montreal. But it's subtle, 160 00:06:15,330 --> 00:06:17,760 hidden and just under the table. We have 161 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:20,310 to open our eyes. As Moses mentioned, 162 00:06:20,370 --> 00:06:23,220 acknowledging this, that systematic racism 163 00:06:23,220 --> 00:06:26,760 is exist is one step. We, together 164 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:29,520 have to raise awareness and advocate. It 165 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:32,310 hasn't to be huge actions. Activism exists 166 00:06:32,340 --> 00:06:35,880 on every single scale. Either 167 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:37,410 you're sharing a post on social media, 168 00:06:37,410 --> 00:06:39,540 writtimg an email or a letter to your 169 00:06:39,540 --> 00:06:42,720 representatives, or joining a protest. No 170 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:45,690 matter your actions, those have an impact. 171 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:48,000 What is important is the sentiment of 172 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:51,000 community and the desire to become an 173 00:06:51,030 --> 00:06:53,670 agent of change, and hold organizations 174 00:06:53,700 --> 00:06:55,050 and government accountable. 175 00:06:56,130 --> 00:06:58,320 Often when we think about the word racist, 176 00:06:58,590 --> 00:07:00,450 we automatically become defensive because 177 00:07:00,450 --> 00:07:02,100 it's a word that never has a positive 178 00:07:02,100 --> 00:07:04,590 connotation. And yet, even I found myself 179 00:07:04,590 --> 00:07:06,090 having racist beliefs against the Asian 180 00:07:06,090 --> 00:07:08,520 community as a person of color. That is 181 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:10,650 not to say that I hate all Asian individual 182 00:07:10,650 --> 00:07:12,000 or that I don't have Asian friends that 183 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:13,950 I'm not posting and sharing information 184 00:07:13,950 --> 00:07:15,060 about the horrible things currently 185 00:07:15,060 --> 00:07:17,310 happening in China. What it does mean is 186 00:07:17,310 --> 00:07:19,800 that anti-racist is not a fixed identity. 187 00:07:20,100 --> 00:07:22,050 We can be racist on a topic one minute and 188 00:07:22,050 --> 00:07:23,790 racist on a different aspect of the same 189 00:07:23,790 --> 00:07:25,860 topic, or an entirely different topic, the 190 00:07:25,860 --> 00:07:28,710 next. My beliefs were racist, and that is 191 00:07:28,710 --> 00:07:30,630 the simple uncomfortable truth. It does 192 00:07:30,630 --> 00:07:33,120 not mean that I am a racist person, simply 193 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:34,950 that I had a racist belief that I then 194 00:07:34,950 --> 00:07:36,960 start to rectify by sharing any 195 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:38,520 information. I had learned about the 196 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:40,770 perpetual foreigner concept, humiliation 197 00:07:40,770 --> 00:07:42,870 day, and the relationship with culture and 198 00:07:42,900 --> 00:07:44,730 authority in Asian communities that 199 00:07:44,730 --> 00:07:46,500 were epresented to me in Teresa and Mai's 200 00:07:46,500 --> 00:07:48,450 interviews. And I promised myself that I 201 00:07:48,450 --> 00:07:50,580 would do better. I didn't make my biases 202 00:07:50,580 --> 00:07:52,830 about me or how I view them made me feel. 203 00:07:53,190 --> 00:07:56,160 They didn't define who I was rather what I 204 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:58,770 was in that moment. By choosing to listen 205 00:07:58,770 --> 00:08:00,780 to what was said and reflect on myself. 206 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:03,000 Without judgment, I was able to address a 207 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:04,950 problem I wasn't even consciously aware 208 00:08:04,950 --> 00:08:07,500 was there. Racism is not just a conscious 209 00:08:07,500 --> 00:08:09,840 hate or overt discrimination. Like Barbara 210 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:11,880 mentioned, it lives in subtlety most of 211 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:14,820 the time. Racism can look like hate, but 212 00:08:14,820 --> 00:08:16,590 just like identity, it has many different 213 00:08:16,590 --> 00:08:19,860 forms. Privilege, apathy, ignorance, 214 00:08:19,890 --> 00:08:22,140 microaggression, promotion, and pay inequity, 215 00:08:22,260 --> 00:08:25,080 foreign policy are all examples of that, 216 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:27,180 and I could go on. When Barbara and I were 217 00:08:27,180 --> 00:08:28,770 talking, I found myself feeling 218 00:08:28,770 --> 00:08:30,510 embarrassed at the realization of my own 219 00:08:30,510 --> 00:08:32,940 biases against the Asian community. But I 220 00:08:32,940 --> 00:08:34,440 shared them with her anyway, and found 221 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:35,910 that we had similar points of view on the 222 00:08:35,910 --> 00:08:37,890 subject. And we both evolved from 223 00:08:37,890 --> 00:08:40,080 discussing it as uncomfortable as it felt, 224 00:08:40,470 --> 00:08:42,600 because our feelings about our racist 225 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:44,550 beliefs were not as important as the 226 00:08:44,550 --> 00:08:46,650 repercussions of the racist beliefs on 227 00:08:46,650 --> 00:08:48,300 those who live under the oppression that 228 00:08:48,300 --> 00:08:50,880 they create. So, we openly talked about it 229 00:08:50,970 --> 00:08:52,620 without judging ourselves or each other. 230 00:08:52,830 --> 00:08:54,750 And that resulted in us having a new fond 231 00:08:54,750 --> 00:08:56,850 understanding of not only ourselves, but 232 00:08:56,850 --> 00:08:59,130 also a part of the Asian perspective on 233 00:08:59,130 --> 00:09:01,110 those issues. We gave ourselves room to 234 00:09:01,110 --> 00:09:03,810 grow and learn and redefine ourselves as 235 00:09:03,810 --> 00:09:06,270 anti-racist at that moment. Because we 236 00:09:06,270 --> 00:09:08,850 previously hadn't taken an anti-racist 237 00:09:08,850 --> 00:09:10,440 approach to this particular problem. 238 00:09:13,980 --> 00:09:16,170 Indeed, deconstructing ourselves is an 239 00:09:16,170 --> 00:09:18,510 ongoing process, acknowledging our biases, 240 00:09:18,690 --> 00:09:21,180 tackled them, and educating ourselves is 241 00:09:21,180 --> 00:09:23,700 an important part of anti-racist work. As 242 00:09:23,700 --> 00:09:25,770 Sandra mentioned, we have to face our own 243 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:28,860 internalized biases. First, we have 244 00:09:28,860 --> 00:09:30,540 internalized the calling and thinking of 245 00:09:30,540 --> 00:09:32,520 narrowing our perceptions of the 246 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:33,570 environments and the people that are 247 00:09:33,570 --> 00:09:36,420 around us. When watching Roy's video, we 248 00:09:36,420 --> 00:09:38,190 both individually made the assumption that 249 00:09:38,190 --> 00:09:40,650 he was a white man. As a video continues 250 00:09:40,650 --> 00:09:42,870 playing he identify himself as an 251 00:09:42,870 --> 00:09:45,270 indigenous person from the Meti nation. 252 00:09:46,830 --> 00:09:49,590 This took us by surprise. At first glance 253 00:09:49,680 --> 00:09:51,990 Roy fits into the description of what 254 00:09:51,990 --> 00:09:54,510 I've been taught is a white person.Thus, 255 00:09:54,570 --> 00:09:56,160 ignoring the person background and 256 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:59,100 cultural identity. Making this assumption 257 00:09:59,100 --> 00:10:01,200 is part of the colonial thinking. We tend 258 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:03,390 to reduce a person's identity to their 259 00:10:03,390 --> 00:10:05,250 appearance instead of allowing them to 260 00:10:05,250 --> 00:10:08,880 identify themselves. Who we are, it 261 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:11,100 goes beyond our appearance. This proves 262 00:10:11,100 --> 00:10:13,260 the points that Roy was making about 263 00:10:13,530 --> 00:10:15,420 the importance of active listening. 264 00:10:15,870 --> 00:10:17,850 Only through active listening, we can be 265 00:10:17,850 --> 00:10:19,860 aware of our conscious and subconscious 266 00:10:19,860 --> 00:10:23,310 biases, so that we may learn to manage 267 00:10:23,310 --> 00:10:23,550 them. 268 00:10:25,049 --> 00:10:27,239 Exactly. I believe that the way we 269 00:10:27,239 --> 00:10:29,039 experience the world determines how we see 270 00:10:29,039 --> 00:10:30,899 ourselves in it. Like when Jenny Laure 271 00:10:30,899 --> 00:10:32,819 stated that she didn't inherit her sense 272 00:10:32,819 --> 00:10:35,639 of duty to her Haitian heritage. I related 273 00:10:35,639 --> 00:10:38,189 to that deeply. I didn't inherit my 274 00:10:38,189 --> 00:10:39,899 blackness, it first found me through the 275 00:10:39,899 --> 00:10:42,389 lens of my environment. And then I found 276 00:10:42,419 --> 00:10:45,119 it on my own terms. I didn't know I was 277 00:10:45,119 --> 00:10:46,679 black until somebody I went to primary 278 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:48,899 school with told me, but I got to explore 279 00:10:48,899 --> 00:10:51,479 what black meant to me as an adult, and do 280 00:10:51,479 --> 00:10:53,819 my research and find a self identifying 281 00:10:53,819 --> 00:10:55,679 definition outside of stereotype, 282 00:10:55,709 --> 00:10:58,109 ignorance and institutions. I found my 283 00:10:58,109 --> 00:11:00,059 blackness outside of the confined society 284 00:11:00,059 --> 00:11:02,519 awkward around, it made me ask questions 285 00:11:02,519 --> 00:11:03,929 about the assumptions that were made about 286 00:11:03,929 --> 00:11:05,849 me all throughout my life, the limitation 287 00:11:05,849 --> 00:11:07,559 that I was told that I had, and the many 288 00:11:07,559 --> 00:11:09,389 ways in which I was socialized to believe 289 00:11:09,389 --> 00:11:11,339 I was incompetent; from my teachers and 290 00:11:11,339 --> 00:11:13,469 counselors to healthcare professional. But 291 00:11:13,469 --> 00:11:15,719 this is a systemic issue. It goes far 292 00:11:15,719 --> 00:11:18,059 beyond my own experiences. As Jenny Laure 293 00:11:18,059 --> 00:11:19,529 points out the assumptions made about 294 00:11:19,529 --> 00:11:21,059 black populations are much larger than 295 00:11:21,059 --> 00:11:23,249 individual experiences, like the 296 00:11:23,249 --> 00:11:25,139 envolment of Canada in Haitian politics, 297 00:11:25,259 --> 00:11:26,999 and how we help fund their police force 298 00:11:26,999 --> 00:11:30,239 and prison Why? I do have fallen victim to 299 00:11:30,239 --> 00:11:31,589 the doctrine around the helplessness of 300 00:11:31,589 --> 00:11:33,539 Haiti, only to find out through Jenny 301 00:11:33,539 --> 00:11:35,309 Laure, as well as my own research, that our 302 00:11:35,309 --> 00:11:36,959 presence there harmed the country more 303 00:11:36,959 --> 00:11:39,299 than anything. Haiti is the first black 304 00:11:39,299 --> 00:11:41,279 nation of the New World, the first nation 305 00:11:41,279 --> 00:11:43,109 to defeat the great army of Napoleon. And 306 00:11:43,109 --> 00:11:45,449 yet our foreign policy ignores the history 307 00:11:45,569 --> 00:11:48,089 of resilience, strength and competency by 308 00:11:48,119 --> 00:11:50,999 actively meddling in its politics. That 309 00:11:50,999 --> 00:11:53,279 too, is a form of racism. And it's up to 310 00:11:53,279 --> 00:11:56,039 us student, faculty, community members, 311 00:11:56,159 --> 00:11:58,409 activists and citizens to be informed and 312 00:11:58,409 --> 00:12:00,419 knowledgeable on what is going on so that 313 00:12:00,419 --> 00:12:01,799 we can hold ourselves in our government 314 00:12:01,799 --> 00:12:03,839 accountable. So, we can ask ourselves 315 00:12:03,839 --> 00:12:05,879 questions like, why are we funding foreign 316 00:12:05,879 --> 00:12:07,709 country police forces and not our own 317 00:12:07,709 --> 00:12:09,599 failing healthcare system? Why are we a 318 00:12:09,599 --> 00:12:11,009 country that does not believe in race 319 00:12:11,009 --> 00:12:12,899 based data? When it is such an important 320 00:12:12,899 --> 00:12:14,879 part of having a greater understanding of 321 00:12:14,879 --> 00:12:16,499 phenomenons like the greatest proportion 322 00:12:16,499 --> 00:12:18,689 and COVID-19 related deaths in immigrant 323 00:12:18,689 --> 00:12:20,159 dominated communities or the 324 00:12:20,159 --> 00:12:22,139 historical role of this phenomenon like it's 325 00:12:22,139 --> 00:12:23,879 brilliantly broken down in Jade's interview. 326 00:12:24,389 --> 00:12:26,129 This is how and why when watching the 327 00:12:26,129 --> 00:12:27,959 viral video of the elderly woman playing 328 00:12:27,959 --> 00:12:30,809 piano after debrett explosion, Jade noticed 329 00:12:30,809 --> 00:12:32,249 that the person cleaning up the mess was a 330 00:12:32,249 --> 00:12:34,289 black maid that unlike the elderly woman 331 00:12:34,289 --> 00:12:36,509 playing the piano was left unnoticed, 332 00:12:36,659 --> 00:12:38,459 which is reminiscent of nurses in orderly 333 00:12:38,459 --> 00:12:40,799 during COVID-19. Without knowledge or 334 00:12:40,799 --> 00:12:42,749 information, how are we meant to know any 335 00:12:42,749 --> 00:12:44,699 of those things? If we don't seek to know 336 00:12:44,699 --> 00:12:46,919 the truth about what is happening abroad, 337 00:12:47,099 --> 00:12:48,929 here at home, or even through different 338 00:12:48,929 --> 00:12:52,049 forms of media? Then what are we doing? Hence, 339 00:12:52,079 --> 00:12:54,029 the importance of paying attention to all 340 00:12:54,029 --> 00:12:55,169 forms of militance. 341 00:12:56,850 --> 00:12:59,280 such as visual and auditory militance. 342 00:12:59,460 --> 00:13:02,100 "Representation matters" as Krista Lynes 343 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:04,710 and Nimlan showed on their videos. How we 344 00:13:04,710 --> 00:13:06,720 engage with our environment, its influence 345 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:09,960 by our identities and influences how 346 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:12,510 other people perceive us. Images can be 347 00:13:12,510 --> 00:13:14,460 used as a tool of resistance, or 348 00:13:14,460 --> 00:13:16,740 oppression depending who uses the tool and 349 00:13:16,740 --> 00:13:20,190 how it is used. Images and videos have 350 00:13:20,190 --> 00:13:22,230 allowed us to document injustice, but we 351 00:13:22,230 --> 00:13:24,150 have to be aware of how we engage with 352 00:13:24,150 --> 00:13:26,700 these images and what is our position and 353 00:13:26,700 --> 00:13:28,890 approach when watching certain images and 354 00:13:28,890 --> 00:13:31,080 videos, mostly the ones that exhibit 355 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:34,500 gender and race based violence. Krista's 356 00:13:34,500 --> 00:13:36,690 interview contextualize Emmett Till's 357 00:13:36,750 --> 00:13:38,940 images. A teenager that was brutally 358 00:13:38,940 --> 00:13:41,790 killed in the south of the US, his mother 359 00:13:41,790 --> 00:13:44,400 decided to have an open coffin funeral and 360 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:46,350 show his pictures for the world to know 361 00:13:46,380 --> 00:13:48,120 what what's happening, and it's still 362 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:51,930 happening. This example resonates? the case 363 00:13:51,930 --> 00:13:54,360 George Floyd is sadly, the 364 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:57,270 contemporary equivalent. The video of his 365 00:13:57,270 --> 00:13:59,400 dead has been seen millions of times on 366 00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:01,890 social media, these images are emotionally 367 00:14:01,890 --> 00:14:04,500 poignant. Sharing this images can be a 368 00:14:04,500 --> 00:14:06,990 double edged sword. It takes a position of 369 00:14:06,990 --> 00:14:10,020 resistance if embracing our kins but 370 00:14:10,050 --> 00:14:12,510 also how it can be interpreted through an 371 00:14:12,510 --> 00:14:15,780 ongoing public spectacle, in which black and 372 00:14:15,780 --> 00:14:17,820 racialized bodies can be quickly the 373 00:14:17,820 --> 00:14:21,180 humanized and BIPOC pain can became public 374 00:14:21,180 --> 00:14:23,490 consumption. However, embracing and 375 00:14:23,490 --> 00:14:26,070 showing the images of BIPOC realities is a 376 00:14:26,070 --> 00:14:28,410 form of resistance. Taking the control 377 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:31,260 over our own stories is an ongoing 378 00:14:31,260 --> 00:14:34,080 resilience. Similarly, Nimalan displayed 379 00:14:34,110 --> 00:14:37,230 how sounds can be also a tool for which we 380 00:14:37,230 --> 00:14:39,270 can show resistance. It can be through 381 00:14:39,270 --> 00:14:42,090 silence, procests chants, or even music. 382 00:14:42,420 --> 00:14:44,490 Through sound were also regaining the 383 00:14:44,490 --> 00:14:47,190 physical space. Auditory experiences are 384 00:14:47,190 --> 00:14:49,920 different. We relate to sounds or silence 385 00:14:50,310 --> 00:14:51,810 according to our lived experiences 386 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:54,570 employees will live in. Thus, bringing back 387 00:14:54,570 --> 00:14:57,270 the traditional ancestral sounds serve 388 00:14:57,330 --> 00:14:59,970 as resistance. Such as the Indigenous resistance 389 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:02,910 of Idle no more aggressive movement for 390 00:15:02,910 --> 00:15:06,540 indigenous sovereignty in canada than it 391 00:15:06,540 --> 00:15:11,940 started in 2012. As Nimalan explained in his 392 00:15:11,940 --> 00:15:13,590 video, through music First Nations 393 00:15:13,590 --> 00:15:15,720 communities were able to bring attention 394 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:17,970 to their issue and regain their space. 395 00:15:18,330 --> 00:15:20,730 Images and sounds or resistance are 396 00:15:20,730 --> 00:15:24,060 powerful that it can contest contest and 397 00:15:24,060 --> 00:15:26,610 reshape the colonial landscape we live 398 00:15:26,610 --> 00:15:26,940 in. 399 00:15:28,409 --> 00:15:31,619 Again, racism is an uncomfortable term. It 400 00:15:31,619 --> 00:15:33,959 is an uncomfortable reality to face but 401 00:15:33,959 --> 00:15:35,819 ignoring it or denying it isn't going to 402 00:15:35,819 --> 00:15:38,159 make it go away we live in a province in 403 00:15:38,159 --> 00:15:39,569 which the Prime Minister stated that 404 00:15:39,569 --> 00:15:42,239 systemic racism doesn't exist and yet 405 00:15:42,239 --> 00:15:44,099 Parkash and Kristen's video presentation 406 00:15:44,249 --> 00:15:46,079 shows us a historical context that proves 407 00:15:46,079 --> 00:15:48,719 otherwise. If you do not seek the answers 408 00:15:48,719 --> 00:15:50,819 for yourself you will not hear of Marie-Joseph 409 00:15:50,819 --> 00:15:52,199 Angelique or the Sir. George 410 00:15:52,199 --> 00:15:55,409 Williams affair of 1969. There is a history 411 00:15:55,409 --> 00:15:57,689 of racism in 200 years of slavery right 412 00:15:57,689 --> 00:15:59,729 here in canada. There is a history of 413 00:15:59,729 --> 00:16:02,369 racism right here in Montreal. That is why 414 00:16:02,369 --> 00:16:04,319 it is so important to never lose sight of 415 00:16:04,319 --> 00:16:06,689 why we do the things that we do why do we 416 00:16:06,689 --> 00:16:09,209 protest today why did we protest yesterday. 417 00:16:09,659 --> 00:16:11,759 What hasn't hasn't changed over time and 418 00:16:11,759 --> 00:16:13,289 what are the repercussions of the history 419 00:16:13,289 --> 00:16:16,049 of the land we live on not just the people 420 00:16:16,049 --> 00:16:18,269 that decided to govern it. This is how we 421 00:16:18,269 --> 00:16:20,249 understand concepts such as the "Post 422 00:16:20,249 --> 00:16:22,109 Traumatic Slave Syndrome" or learning about 423 00:16:22,109 --> 00:16:23,699 DEssaline and the history of slave owners 424 00:16:23,699 --> 00:16:25,379 in the southern United States or what 425 00:16:25,409 --> 00:16:29,099 drapetomania is or the origins of colorism. That 426 00:16:29,099 --> 00:16:31,199 is how we understand the perpetual 427 00:16:31,199 --> 00:16:33,329 foreigner concept by learning about head 428 00:16:33,329 --> 00:16:35,849 tax and humiliation day and this is how we 429 00:16:35,849 --> 00:16:37,889 understand the deeply rooted racism that Native 430 00:16:37,889 --> 00:16:40,979 communities continue to face by learning 431 00:16:40,979 --> 00:16:42,509 about residential schools and the Indian 432 00:16:42,509 --> 00:16:44,549 act which is still in place to this day. 433 00:16:45,209 --> 00:16:47,549 The active act of seeking knowledge and 434 00:16:47,549 --> 00:16:50,429 truth is vital to our role as a society 435 00:16:50,609 --> 00:16:53,219 but also our compassion as individuals. It 436 00:16:53,219 --> 00:16:55,619 is the most efficient way to demystify and 437 00:16:55,619 --> 00:16:57,329 understand the depths of the politics of 438 00:16:57,329 --> 00:16:59,009 trauma and the power they hold. 439 00:17:01,620 --> 00:17:04,410 Legacy of trauma impacts the present we 440 00:17:04,410 --> 00:17:06,180 can trace the issues that micro 441 00:17:06,180 --> 00:17:10,140 communities face pays back in time slavery 442 00:17:10,140 --> 00:17:12,060 segregation residential schools 443 00:17:12,090 --> 00:17:14,730 immigration flows, massacres duration, and 444 00:17:14,730 --> 00:17:17,070 genocides have impacted today's realities 445 00:17:17,190 --> 00:17:19,020 of Black, Indigenous, and racialized 446 00:17:19,020 --> 00:17:21,750 Canadians. Trauma has become a political 447 00:17:21,750 --> 00:17:24,360 issue as we gain a greater understanding 448 00:17:24,540 --> 00:17:26,460 of the different types of trauma and how 449 00:17:26,460 --> 00:17:28,620 they affect groups of individuals on a 450 00:17:28,620 --> 00:17:31,680 larger scale. A Denise is explaining her 451 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:34,560 video, politics of trauma individualize 452 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:37,650 trauma and reinforces the settler colonial 453 00:17:37,650 --> 00:17:39,840 structures and perpetrates social 454 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:43,080 suffering while ignoring its consequences. 455 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:46,350 Relational trauma is historical 456 00:17:46,380 --> 00:17:48,960 intergenerational racialized and 457 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:51,480 psychosocial in nature. This trauma is 458 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:54,840 passed down into generations creating in 459 00:17:55,110 --> 00:17:57,630 difficulties that impacts the development 460 00:17:57,630 --> 00:18:00,570 of enfranchisement of the current 461 00:18:00,570 --> 00:18:03,060 generation. Moreover, the response 462 00:18:03,060 --> 00:18:05,520 government and all leaders often only 463 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:08,040 address the economic structures instead of 464 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:11,580 the injustice of the system.Thus, avoiding 465 00:18:12,210 --> 00:18:14,910 an holistic healing 466 00:18:14,910 --> 00:18:18,810 healing to communities, prohibiting the 467 00:18:18,810 --> 00:18:20,880 modification of the systems of power 468 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:23,340 currently in place and avoiding a complete 469 00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:25,890 reconstruction or in better 470 00:18:25,890 --> 00:18:29,640 words replacement of the broken state. Denisse 471 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:31,440 interviewed not only explores the 472 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:33,750 politics of trauma but also how trauma 473 00:18:33,750 --> 00:18:35,850 lives through our bodies. We have 474 00:18:35,850 --> 00:18:38,010 internalized the capitalist white 475 00:18:38,010 --> 00:18:41,430 supremacist system, this is translated into 476 00:18:41,430 --> 00:18:44,250 society the pressure of that impostor 477 00:18:44,250 --> 00:18:47,010 syndrome and much more issues commonly 478 00:18:47,010 --> 00:18:49,710 faced by minority and racialized groups. 479 00:18:50,280 --> 00:18:53,460 Furthermore Denise shows practical and 480 00:18:53,460 --> 00:18:55,650 comprehensive tools and how to cope with 481 00:18:55,650 --> 00:18:57,870 triggering information and escenarios 482 00:18:58,350 --> 00:19:00,960 debriefing techniques and exercises are 483 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:02,580 useful and can be used beyond the 484 00:19:02,580 --> 00:19:05,940 classroom. She encourages cooperation and 485 00:19:05,940 --> 00:19:08,670 community support in order to develop 486 00:19:08,700 --> 00:19:11,730 survival strategies which are crucial in 487 00:19:11,730 --> 00:19:13,500 the actual context of this pandemic. 488 00:19:13,980 --> 00:19:15,900 Strenghtening bonds, coming together as a 489 00:19:15,900 --> 00:19:19,500 community and creating social networks are 490 00:19:19,500 --> 00:19:22,530 essential in building resilience. 491 00:19:23,519 --> 00:19:25,919 So, I think it's important to remember that 492 00:19:25,919 --> 00:19:27,719 not everything is black and white and not 493 00:19:27,719 --> 00:19:29,189 everything has to be experienced for 494 00:19:29,189 --> 00:19:31,649 dichotomy and polarity. Most things are 495 00:19:31,649 --> 00:19:34,559 multi dimensional, yes there are,there is a 496 00:19:34,559 --> 00:19:36,659 lot of work left to do and yet to be done 497 00:19:37,289 --> 00:19:39,299 but also a lot of work has been done and 498 00:19:39,299 --> 00:19:40,889 continues to be done by an array of 499 00:19:40,889 --> 00:19:42,869 militants and activists through a vast 500 00:19:42,869 --> 00:19:45,299 range of media and some progress and 501 00:19:45,299 --> 00:19:47,099 change has happened and continues to 502 00:19:47,099 --> 00:19:50,099 happen every day. There is hope, there are 503 00:19:50,099 --> 00:19:52,709 ways to fix this what is broken. There are 504 00:19:52,709 --> 00:19:54,269 people in organizations that want to 505 00:19:54,269 --> 00:19:56,249 create change like the Canadian Race 506 00:19:56,249 --> 00:19:58,019 Relations Foundation, Solidarité Quebec Haiti, 507 00:19:58,019 --> 00:20:00,419 Progessive Chineses of Quebec and WIBCA. 508 00:20:00,719 --> 00:20:02,909 and we've got what I loved about the 509 00:20:02,909 --> 00:20:04,709 WIBCA interview was the notion of 510 00:20:04,709 --> 00:20:07,019 generational prosperity which relates back 511 00:20:07,019 --> 00:20:09,449 to social mobility. Eileen White spoke of 512 00:20:09,449 --> 00:20:11,699 a simple need a place for Black children 513 00:20:11,699 --> 00:20:13,949 to go after school were transformed into a 514 00:20:13,949 --> 00:20:15,359 group of people from a neighborhood 515 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:17,399 purchasing a building that is now a beacon 516 00:20:17,399 --> 00:20:19,499 of hope for an entire community. That 517 00:20:19,499 --> 00:20:21,479 community is inclusive and loving and it 518 00:20:21,479 --> 00:20:23,939 understands the value of giving back. Camba 519 00:20:23,939 --> 00:20:26,099 said we didn't give it because we had to 520 00:20:26,129 --> 00:20:28,229 we did it because we wanted to and that it 521 00:20:28,229 --> 00:20:30,269 was an all comes down to the choice we 522 00:20:30,269 --> 00:20:32,729 make for the greater good when we value 523 00:20:32,729 --> 00:20:34,769 those before us and after us to the same 524 00:20:34,769 --> 00:20:36,869 that when you value ourselves when we show 525 00:20:36,869 --> 00:20:39,839 compassion and truly listen to people who 526 00:20:39,839 --> 00:20:41,819 we view as other in the same way we do our 527 00:20:41,819 --> 00:20:44,249 friends. When we stand up to what is right 528 00:20:44,549 --> 00:20:46,289 even when it makes us feel uncomfortable 529 00:20:46,499 --> 00:20:49,919 even when we think it's scary that is when 530 00:20:50,159 --> 00:20:52,859 we partake in change that is when we 531 00:20:52,859 --> 00:20:56,579 become agents of change. We can always be a 532 00:20:56,579 --> 00:20:59,369 part of it. Regardless of our sex, age 533 00:20:59,429 --> 00:21:02,069 ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion 534 00:21:02,099 --> 00:21:05,069 education level and so on. No matter what, 535 00:21:05,249 --> 00:21:07,679 an important lesson to take away from all 536 00:21:07,679 --> 00:21:10,019 the videos including ours is that there 537 00:21:10,049 --> 00:21:13,169 will always be something we can do learn 538 00:21:13,469 --> 00:21:14,219 or teach.