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my mind it was irrelevant. Every time it was brought up, it seemed to imply two things:1. The fact that the council was all white proves systemic racism exists.2. The councilors, being White, have no right to voice an opinion on BIPOC( Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) issues.I believe both these statements are false and I will address each separately.1. According to the 2016 census, Canada is 72.9% White, 3.5% Black, 4.9% Indigenous. We are a majority White country. Does it not stand to reason that any elective office would be majority White. In the region, we have fair and open elections. We put the people in their positions. We have ourselves to blame. Interestingly, my member of parliament for Kitchener Centre is Indian( Raj Saini) and my Member of Provincial Parliament is Black(Laura Mae Lindo). So even in majority-white Kitchener Centre, we were able to elect people of colour to represent us provincially and federally. The system works and it isn’t necessarily racist. This notion that if anything doesn’t favour a person of colour, it is necessarily racist is wrong and I would even say immoral becaus

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e it calls people out to be that which they may not be.2. We have come to a point in human history when if you don’t belong to a particular intersectional group, your opinion on anything regarding that group is null and void. You don’t have that lived experience so what do you know.I disagree.I don’t have to be a woman to have an opinion on abortion. White people can have an opinion on anti-black racism.I believe that we can understand each other better than we think. We have shared experiences as human beings. I may not have lost a child but I can cry with you as I imagine what your pain must be as I consider what mine would be if I had. We have a great capacity to empathize with others.It is wrong to dismiss a thought because it came from the ‘wrong’ group. If you listen, you might learn something.I commend the Region Of Waterloo for taking steps to eradicate racism in the area. I hope the anti-racism advisory group comes up with good ideas that can be implemented quickly and effectively. If they work together I’m confident that this can be achieved.</article></body>

Even if they don’t belong to your ‘group’.

Waterloo region, an area in Ontario, Canada, recently held an anti-racism town hall that ran over two days. Several delegates spoke at the townhall, highlighting their experiences in the region and bringing up possible solutions. The goal of the town hall was to bring to the fore racism in Waterloo region, to let us know that the region is listening and intends to do something about it. An Anti-racism advisory working group will be formed and will develop recommendations for the Council to create an Anti Racism plan based on community input.

One dogma that what consistently brought up by many of the speakers what the fact that the Waterloo Region Council was all white. This surprised me as to my mind it was irrelevant. Every time it was brought up, it seemed to imply two things:

1. The fact that the council was all white proves systemic racism exists.

2. The councilors, being White, have no right to voice an opinion on BIPOC( Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) issues.

I believe both these statements are false and I will address each separately.

1. According to the 2016 census, Canada is 72.9% White, 3.5% Black, 4.9% Indigenous. We are a majority White country. Does it not stand to reason that any elective office would be majority White. In the region, we have fair and open elections. We put the people in their positions. We have ourselves to blame. Interestingly, my member of parliament for Kitchener Centre is Indian( Raj Saini) and my Member of Provincial Parliament is Black(Laura Mae Lindo). So even in majority-white Kitchener Centre, we were able to elect people of colour to represent us provincially and federally. The system works and it isn’t necessarily racist. This notion that if anything doesn’t favour a person of colour, it is necessarily racist is wrong and I would even say immoral because it calls people out to be that which they may not be.

2. We have come to a point in human history when if you don’t belong to a particular intersectional group, your opinion on anything regarding that group is null and void. You don’t have that lived experience so what do you know.

I disagree.

I don’t have to be a woman to have an opinion on abortion. White people can have an opinion on anti-black racism.

I believe that we can understand each other better than we think. We have shared experiences as human beings. I may not have lost a child but I can cry with you as I imagine what your pain must be as I consider what mine would be if I had. We have a great capacity to empathize with others.

It is wrong to dismiss a thought because it came from the ‘wrong’ group. If you listen, you might learn something.

I commend the Region Of Waterloo for taking steps to eradicate racism in the area. I hope the anti-racism advisory group comes up with good ideas that can be implemented quickly and effectively. If they work together I’m confident that this can be achieved.