Renfrew Mayor Don Eady, we have a racism problem, and it's not new.
Renfrew Mayor, Don Eady
Mayor Don Eady,
On December 7th, an article by the CBC was released that included first hand testimony bravely offered by Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour from this region detailing experiences of racism they faced living in the Ottawa Valley, including here in Renfrew.
It is deeply disappointing to read that you maintain to believe "there is absolutely no racism issue" in Renfrew, even after community members have detailed specific experiences with racism.
Given the experiences these community members have shared, there is clearly deeply embedded racism in institutions AND an atmosphere that allows covert, “everyday racism” to be perpetrated on members of this community. And that kind of problem doesn't spring up overnight.
What's also alarming is that you go on to say that "there's two sides to every story, so we have to be careful that when we get a complaint, it's 100 per cent legitimate". Saying this as a response to community members bravely coming forward to detail their experiences is gross. You're trying to place the burden of proof on victims for something that was perpetrated to them.
As the Mayor Renfrew, you were elected to represent the interests of all residents, and that includes racialized community members who are speaking out about their experiences, and the many more who’ve experienced racism here too.
To that end, residents of the Town of Renfrew and surrounding community is calling on you to:
- Arrange to have an Anti-Racism training that specifically includes education about the experiences of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour in this county that is mandatory for you, the Town Council, and all public officials;
- Fund a series of public Anti-Racism trainings that are publicly accessible to residents of Renfrew; and finally,
- Issue a public apology to the all the Black, Indigenous and People of Colour whose lived experiences you undermined in your statement to the CBC.
The signatories of this open letter want to see that you act in order to right this wrong, and will be encouraged to see you act with the kind of leadership this issue demands.
I’ll leave you with this: "In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be antiracist" - activist, scholar and author Angela Davis.
Signed,
Sponsored by
To:
Renfrew Mayor, Don Eady
From:
[Your Name]
Mayor Don Eady,
On December 7th, an article by the CBC was released that included first hand testimony bravely offered by Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour from this region detailing experiences of racism they faced living in the Ottawa Valley, including here in Renfrew.
It is deeply disappointing to read that you maintain to believe "there is absolutely no racism issue" in Renfrew, even after community members have detailed specific experiences with racism.
Given the experiences these community members have shared, there is clearly deeply embedded racism in institutions AND an atmosphere that allows covert, “everyday racism” to be perpetrated on members of this community. And that kind of problem doesn't spring up overnight.
What's also alarming is that you go on to say that "there's two sides to every story, so we have to be careful that when we get a complaint, it's 100 per cent legitimate". Saying this as a response to community members bravely coming forward to detail their experiences is gross. You're trying to place the burden of proof on victims for something that was perpetrated to them.
As the Mayor Renfrew, you were elected to represent the interests of all residents, and that includes racialized community members who are speaking out about their experiences, and the many more who’ve experienced racism here too.
To that end, residents of the Town of Renfrew and surrounding community is calling on you to:
1. Arrange to have an Anti-Racism training that specifically includes education about the experiences of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour in this county that is mandatory for you, the Town Council, and all public officials;
2. Fund a series of public Anti-Racism trainings that are publicly accessible to residents of Renfrew; and finally,
3. Issue a public apology to the all the Black, Indigenous and People of Colour whose lived experiences you undermined in your statement to the CBC.
The signatories of this open letter want to see that you act in order to right this wrong, and will be encouraged to see you act with the kind of leadership this issue demands.
I’ll leave you with this: "In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be antiracist" - activist, scholar and author Angela Davis.
Signed,
- Residents of the Town of Renfrew and surrounding communities