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February 2022 Update: Black History Month and anti-racism

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Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
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February 2022 Update: Black History Month and anti-racism r1 ...

February @ SOVI

This graphic is the logo for the ICA Bystander Intervention Training, which is explained in the below feature interview. The logo has three slanted rectangles. which are green, pink, and yellow. On top of the rectangles is an illustration of two figures standing side-by-side. It also reads, "Become An Upstander" as well as "Bystnader Intervention Training." In the top right corner is the ICA logo.

FEATURE INTERVIEW

February is Black History Month, and with it comes opportunities for learning, engagement, and action. While we celebrate Black excellence, and the myriad contributions and stories of folks who have shaped B.C into what is is today, it is also important to be actively anti-racist.

Tari Murwira is the Community Engagement Coordinator at ICA. She moved to Victoria after immigrating from Zimbabwe, and has since been doing impact-based work in the non-profit sector. When she’s not working to develop and facilitate ICA programming, she organizes skills training events for Women of Colour.

You facilitate the Bystander Intervention Training at ICA. How was this program developed?

Our Bystander Training came about because of the support of Greater Victoria residents. The proposal to build practical anti-racism training won first place in the city’s participatory budgeting platform, which allowed residents to vote on projects they wanted to see. The response from the community demonstrated a deep desire to engage with these issues. It was developed over a year of research, development, and consultation with community and trainers in the field, along with ICA’s wealth of knowledge from working with the local racialized community for close to 50 years.

The Bystander program is part of ICA’s larger Tools for Equity training. Bystander Training teaches individual action, but that needs to be supported by larger systems. So, although it can be taken as a standalone program, it’s actually the fifth module of the wider program, which continues to grow.

Why is Bystander Intervention integral to anti-racism? What key skills do participants take away?

First, we need to highlight the social context we’re in: the death of George Floyd highlighted the need for community solidarity and participation and building anti-racist practices. COVID-19 has also triggered a wave of anti-Asian hate, particularly in Vancouver. It can be difficult for community members to know how to help communities of colour. Racial justice issues can feel so vast, and people feel frozen. We forget they start off as small everyday acts that we witness. Support and solidarity is easier said than done; in training sessions, the majority of people say they struggle to recognize racism, or that they don't feel they have the skills to intervene and interrupt. It’s integral because these are skills we’ve seen the community express they don’t have. We’ve now trained close to 1000 people–it’s a response to community needs.

In Bystander 1, participants receive foundational learning on what racism is and its various forms. They learn constructive ways to intervene, and how to use anti-racism tools. In Bystander 2, we advance on those skills and tools. We look at intervention across sectors, and emphasize teaching practical responses. What to say, do, and how to encourage others to intervene in support of targeted individuals. We also introduce active listening skills, because being a bystander isn’t just about your voice. It's about listening to the targeted person. We also look at de-escalation tools for high-stakes scenarios, like street harassment or cases in public spaces. Overall, we give a holistic view of what it means to be an Upstander.

The most common problem is fear. Fear of your own security, of making it worse, of your competency to help, and of ambiguity and lack of context. There’s so many reasons for people not to respond, which we address. We provide tools for wide, complex situations. The principles of Bystander training can also be supplied in other scenarios with diverse communities that call for allyship.

What is something you’ve learned from being a facilitator and teacher?

I would say I’ve learned to be honest, and to speak candidly. I’m honest with attendees about my own discomfort with speaking and teaching about racial issues. I’m honest when a situation brought up makes me feel heavy, or reminds me of a loved one, someone I know in community, or someone I know who has gone through something similar. I bring the truth of the experiences entrusted to us by the Communities of Colour ICA serves. I’m honest in hope that my vulnerability is reciprocated and respected in return.

I’ve learnt that I need to speak to people ready to learn. Our sessions are not platforms to debate if racism exists. The stories we share are too sensitive and real to allow to be shared in unsafe environments. This is hard work– it isn’t about providing you with a list of academic terms and new definitions. It’s about connecting your principles with your actions. In learning anti-racism work you’re choosing to lead with humility and acknowledging the lived experience of another, which can be a beautiful journey.

There’s a lot of burden placed on Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour to teach their communities about racism and harassment. How do you take care of yourself while taking on this work? How can others better support you?

Facilitating these discussions isn’t easy. You have to open people’s real-world experiences to examination and critique. We do scenario-based training, which actually happened in the community. Because they’re lived experiences, there are faces I know and care for attached to many, if not all stories we share. I like to be honest with participants that it’s a great privilege to be included and entrusted. People of Colour do not need to share what they go through with people who are quick to disbelieve their experiences, or who center their own racial comfort, or people who are brittle and intent on maintaining the racial status quo. There is enough harm in the world and we don't seek more of it. We don't need to share with unsafe people. There are upstanders in communities who will and do respect our stories, who believe us and want to support. Those are the people we’re looking for.

One can support me and the communities our training speaks for by striving to become a safe person. It starts with approaching conversations on race with humility and willingness to walk alongside someone else. When you’re entrusted with this type of sharing, acknowledge it with the dignity that it really deserves.

What are the next steps folks could take after attending ICA’s workshops and training for meaningful follow-up?

It’s key to really connect with this training and its principles. All attendees get a booklet to go home with. One step could be to take this to the dinner table, or to your friends. Encourage your colleagues and community to attend our sessions. Keep connecting with the training’s principles. Practice humility in community– this looks like finding ways to listen. It looks like being an upstander in all contexts you find yourself in. It could be starting conversations about race and inclusion, or connecting with individuals you haven’t before. Engage with this work day-to-day to take it beyond academic knowledge. You can practice ways to be a safe person, and to encourage safety in community for People of Colour.

It’s important to check out our Tools for Equity program if you attend this training as part of an organization or community group. Again, individual action can only thrive if supported by systems. You can also donate to ICA, or volunteer with us. I encourage you to connect, in a world where it’s easy to become desensitized. The intention of our training is to encourage people to find new ways of being, and to bring the skills and learning to other communities and contexts, too. It’s heart-work, more than anything.

For more information about our Bystander training, please reach out at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CHAPTER NEWS

The SOVI team is lucky enough to have a new Co-Chair of Finance, Sheila Alonzo! It's been wonderful to learn from Sheila and continue to expand our team in 2022. Her bio will be coming to our website soon, so make sure to check it out.

On February 9th, SOVI held an International Development Week Unconference. Our team felt truly lucky to be in conversation with so many folks dedicated to doing good work in this sector. A huge thank you to the Unconference Coordinator, Ruth Nakalyowa, our Feature Speaker Samatha McGavin, our Facilitator Dominique Jacobs, and our Support Lead Venecia Williams.

In March, SOVI’s Anti-Racist Community of Practice is attending Bystander Intervention Training with the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria– and we’d love for you to join us! Through this training, participants will deepen their understanding of racism and harassment, while learning practical anti-racism tools. There are a limited number of spots available for this two-part session, so register ASAP if you’re interested in attending!

RECENTLY

On Thursday, a report called Black in B.C, authored by the African Art & Cultural Community Contributor Society was released. It focused on eight sectors of life, including education, politics, and employment. Overall, the findings showed “inadequate progress” in addressing the racism People of African Descent (PAD) face in Victoria, and in B.C. Of the nearly 2000 people surveyed over six months, 75% reported experiences of racism in education, 96% acknowledged racism as a problem in their workplace and a quarter remarked they felt unwelcome in B.C. These dismal results point to an urgent need to meaningfully implement recommendations from community leaders and experts. The report’s recommendations advised the provincial government to focus on actively recruiting People of African Descent to increase overall representation in all areas of life, along with investment in PAD-led initiatives, as well as mental health and counseling support. A lead writer on the report also encouraged folks to avoid grouping the experiences of People of African Descent under the BIPOC umbrella term– as the Black experience is entirely unique. Lisa Helps, the Mayor of Victoria, encouraged people reading the report to take action and to share their stories. We encourage you all to read this report to better understand the experience and perspective of our fellow community members.

Black History Month was first officially celebrated in Canada in 1995, thanks to the Honourable Jean Augustine, Canada’s first Black member of Parliament. Since then, it has been an important month to celebrate the too often ignored and under-appreciated contributions, successes and impact of Black communities and individuals in Canada. In exciting local news, Victoria councillor Sharmarke Dubow was named a noteworthy historical figure by Canadian Heritage this month, for being “a voice for bold and courageous policies through his passion for diversity, inclusion and building equitable, inclusive and compassionate communities.” Beyond governmental initiatives, organizations like the BC Black History Awareness Society work to educate communities on Black stories in arts, education, government, sports, science, which aren’t adequately included in school curriculums. In Victoria, community groups and nonprofits largely take the lead in ensuring the diverse experiences, cultures, traditions, and history of People of African Descent are recognized. The City of Victoria is aiming to support the International Decade for People of African Decent (IDPAD) through its Advisory Committee, which focuses on recognition, justice, and development. We hope the City will honour the recommendations and expertise from this group with substantive action.

WHAT'S NEXT...

  • Black History Month Film Series- Race: Power of an Illusion I February 24th I Students of Colour Collective
    • In celebration of Black History Month, the Students of Colour Collective is presenting various film explorations of African-American identity. The films will be followed by a short informal discussion!
    • For more info: click here.
  • Black Women in History: Representation, Identity, and Diversity I February 24th I SNIWWOC

    • In alignment with Black History Month, SNIWWOC will explore how the Black communities have fostered good health and wellness and what barriers they have faced to embark on Black health and wellness. COVID-19 has more than ever exposed these barriers, disparities and intersectionality for Black people and has highlighted the need for identification, representation and diversity for an inclusive society.

    • Further info, here.
  • Black Leadership in Social Impact Summit I February 24-25th I Future of Good

    • Future of Good and the Foundation for Black Communities are hosting hundreds of changemakers from across the country to celebrate the achievements of Black leaders in social impact and build an anti-racist social impact sector.

    • Register here.
  • Celebrating Black History Month with Diana Braithwaite I February 25th I Cowichen Intercultural Society

    • Blues singer and Black historian Diana Braithwaite takes the audience on a journey of stories and individuals making up Canadian history! Experience sultry stories of life beautifully expressed through music. Born in Toronto, Braithwaite is a descendant of the Wellington County pioneers in Canada. With roots in the southern United States her ancestors escaped slavery through the Underground Railroad and lived for four generations in Wellington County, the first African-Canadian pioneer settlement in Ontario.

    • Register here.
  • Issamba Showcase I February 26th I Issamba Centre

    • Tune in every Saturday this February for a FREE concert! Issamba Showcase is an interactive musical spectacle that showcases African Roots, Rhythms & Music and featuring world-renowned African-born artists. ISSAMBA, a 90-minute show that gives you a glimpse into the rich and diverse musical culture of Africa, an invaluable experience you won’t want to miss!

    • Find out more here.

  • Bystander Intervention Training with ICA I March 3 + 10th I SOVI + ICA

    • The SOVI Anti-Racist Community of Practice is attending Bystander Intervention Training with the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria, and we’d like to invite our broader community to join us! In two consecutive sessions, participants will first learn about the various forms of racism and the history of bystander intervention, then be provided with actionable tools and best strategies to address and interrupt racism in everyday life.

    • For details and registration: click here.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

The beauty of anti-racism is that you don't have to pretend to be free of racism to be an anti-racist. Anti-racism is the commitment to fight racism wherever you find it, including in yourself. And it's the only way forward.
-– Ijeoma Oluo

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SOVI is based on the stolen lands of the Lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples (known by the colonial name of Victoria, BC). To contact us directly, please write us at r34.

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