‘Racial Justice Awards Night’ celebrates anti-racism movement

By Lincoln DePradine

The Urban Alliance on Race Relations (UARR) gathered last Friday for its “Racial Justice Awards Night’’. And, the ongoing Middle East conflict involving Israel and Hamas was not distant in the minds of UARR leaders, who only last month issued a statement condemning the “exponential rise of discrimination against Palestinian, Muslim, Arab and Jewish communities across Canada’’; and also denouncing the “recent violent and hateful attacks against Jewish schools and places of worship’’.

The UARR, in its statement, also said that everyone “should all be concerned when the safety and wellbeing of Jewish communities is threatened as they exercise their rights to freedom of worship, and freedom to visibly express their religious affiliation and identity. An attack on one of us, as we exercise these rights, is an attack on us all’’.

The UARR, established in 1975, is a non-profit charitable organization providing educational programs and research that it says are “critical in addressing racism in society’’; and, with a mission to “promote a stable and healthy multiracial environment in the community’’.

“As we approach our 50th year, we stand on the shoulders of our ancestors and our elders in the work that they have done to try to fight for social justice,’’ UARR President Nigel Barriffe said in an interview at the “Awards Night’’ in Scarborough.

“With so much loss and grief that we see in the world right now, I think it makes Urban Alliance on Race Relations’ work even more relevant and even more important,’’ said Barriffe. “It reinforces the need to continue to fight for a more just and sustainable world, where children, no matter who they are – whether they are Israeli, Palestinian, Jewish, Muslim, Black, gay, straight – that our children can inherit a world that is better than which we found it.’’

Nine awards were presented to organizations and individuals who, according to UARR, were being acknowledged for their “incredible, important work of racial justice advocates across Canada’’, adding that the award recipients’ “tireless work is an inspiration to all’’.

“Tonight’s event is about celebrating the anti-racism movement,’’ UARR Executive Director Neethan Shan told The Caribbean Camera. “Different individuals and organizations have been doing amazing work in different fields, whether it be education, labour, media, health. We are honouring those individuals and organizations that are doing the hard work, fighting racism. And so, through celebrating that, we are also encouraging others to continue to do the work.’’

“Agents of Change’’ awards – two of them – were made, including one recognizing the late city councillor Dr. Beverley Noel Salmon, who died in July. The other was for Audi Dharmalingam, a former social worker and founding UARR member.

The UARR also presented plaques to the 2023 graduates of its Diversity Youth Fellowship (DYF). The organization, as well, launched a “DYF Alumni Network’’.

More than 100 young people have participated in DYF, said Shan.

“We’re now bringing them back as an alumni network to connect with one another,’’ he explained. “The fellowship happens at different levels of government, particularly at Toronto city hall.’’

DYF, a paid part-time leadership development program, affords young people placements at Toronto city councillors’ offices.

The aim, say UARR officials, is to create “direct links between elected officials and passionate youth leaders, while also supporting their professional development through providing them with tailor-made training, experienced mentors and guided support’’.

The return of the awards’ event, which UARR was forced to cancel during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, was “wonderful’’ and “intergenerational’’, with the presence of youth and elderly community activists including grandmothers, said Barriffe.

  Anti-racism movement, discrimination, Racial Justice