3 ⚠️ Trigger Warning

Before delving into the complexities of ABR in Canadian dietetics, it is crucial to understand the broader social context that has shaped these discussions. It may come as a surprise to many that the murder of George Floyd in 2020 and the subsequent rise of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, which sparked a global outcry against systemic racism, including within healthcare systems, follows a long and continuous history of anti-Black racism and subsequent advocacy work in Canada.

Everyday Canadians have been both victimized by the various forms of anti-Black racism within the country, while also becoming disruptors, advocates, community leaders, community builders, educators, policy makers, researchers and elders.  Some organizations and individuals include professor and author Robyn Maynard, an expert in the history and present state of institutional racism in the Canadian justice system (University of Toronto Scarborough, n.d.).  Journalist, author, and advocate Desmond Cole, who writes extensively about anti-Black racism in Ontario, was let go from his job at the Toronto Star for protesting Toronto Police practices of carding and racial profiling (Paradkar, 2017). If we look back a little further we can find Lulu Anderson who fought for racial justice in Edmonton, Alberta, in the 20’s, Mifflin Wistar Gibbs of Brtish Columbia who fought for Black voting rights,  Juanita Westmoreland-Traoré, who pushed for equitable immigration and citizenship, and human rights laws in the Quebec legal system, or the Montreal students who were imprisoned and tried for occupying a computer room at Sir George University in protest of discrimination (BC Black History Awareness Society, n.d.; Brown, 2019; Toronto Metropolitan University, n.d.). We can also recognize neighbouring advocates from the United States of America. This includes the Combahee River Collective, a consciousness-raising group of Black feminists who developed the definitions and language of contemporary Black femism which allowed the civil rights advocate and a scholar of critical race theory Kimberly Crenchew to develop the concecpt of “intersectionality” whichs provides us with the framework and language to further root our understanding of power dynamics while also offering deeper language to better describe Black experices (Combahee River Collective, 2014; Crenshaw, 2022). These are just a very few names out of many, many more.

The emotional toll of confronting these realities can be immense, and it’s vital to prioritize self-care as you engage with these challenging topics. If you feel overwhelmed, seek support from trusted friends, family, community groups or mental health professionals. Engaging in mindfulness, journaling, or simply taking time for yourself can help foster emotional relief and resilience.

You can find some support and respite at the Self-Care and Soft Space section located after Chapter 4 of this Pressbook.

For further readings on recent political influences and movements inspiring this time, the New York Times has documented the events surrounding the murder of George Floyd. Additionally, for more information about the Black Lives Matter movement, visit the official Black Lives Matter website. These resources offer valuable perspectives on the broader societal forces that shape discussions about ABR in healthcare. We also encourage you to follow the Canadian chapter of Black Lives Matter to become familiar with and even engage in activism in your community.

Our final recommendation is to allow yourself to sit in your discomfort. Although having one’s worldviews or norms unsettled can be deeply uncomfortable, some discomfort is intrinsic to learning.

References:

BC Black History Awareness Society. (n.d.). Mifflin Wistar Gibbs. https://bcblackhistory.ca/mifflin-wistar-gibbs/

Brown, D. (2019, February 3). How the Sir George Williams protest changed the conversation about racism in Canada. CBC Radio. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/sunday/the-sunday-edition-for-february-3-2019-1.4997146/how-the-sir-george-williams-protest-changed-the-conversation-about-racism-in-canada-1.4998442

Combahee River Collective. (2014). A black feminist statement. WSQ: Women’s Studies Quarterly, 42(3), 271–280.

Crenshaw, K. (2022). Demarginalizing the intersection of race and sex: A black feminist critique of antidiscrimination doctrine, feminist theory and antiracist politics [1989]. Contemporary sociological theory, 1(354), 0.

Paradkar, S. (2017, May 21). It was wrong to rein in Desmond Cole. Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/it-was-wrong-to-rein-in-desmond-cole-paradkar/article_98e5cd15-8d31-5be4-9a60-8b5926f524ca.html

Toronto Metropolitan University. (n.d.). Criminal Justice First Hon. Juanita Westmoreland-Traoré. Criminal Justice Firsts. https://www.torontomu.ca/criminaljusticefirsts/courts/Juanita-WT/

University of Toronto Scarborough, Department of Historical and Cultural Studies. (n.d.). Robyn Maynard. https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/hcs/robyn-maynard