Editorial

The battle against racism

Come Sunday, as we observe International Day for the elimination of racial discrimination, let us pay special attention to this year’s theme:Youth standing up against racism.

We recall that young people massively showed their support at the 2020 Black Lives Matter marches, which drew millions of demonstrators worldwide. As it has been pointed out, on the streets they came together to protest against racial injustice and on social media they mobilized participation, calling on their peers to speak out and stand up for the equal rights for all.

We believe that the activism of the youth  has  helped in no small measure to create positive change even as we grapple with the pandemic of racism which continues to plague our communities.

But  let us not forget: We have many troubled youth in our own Caribbean community.and serious problems of gun violence.

Young  Black men who have been killing one another have received a lot of attention in manstream media.

Some of our community activists are working hard to find a solution to the gun violence problem and we wish them much success in their endeavours.

Meanwhile, the race haters in our midst continue on their destructive path..The Caribbean Camera recently reported of racially motivated  assaults on Black women in public and the scare tactics of some sick individuals who hang nooses on construction sites where Black workers are employed.

Commenting on the the most recent discovery of a noose on a construction site in Toronto, Rosemarie Powell, executive director of the Toronto Community Benefits Network, said ” we cannot allow this to go unnoticed.”

“The community wants justice and it is imperative that justice is seen to be done,”she stated.

Chris Campbell,the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Representative of the Carpenters District Council of Ontario, told the Caribbean Camera that the noose problem ” has been around for years.”

“And it’s sad to see that it continues.”

Sad indeed and we hope that the person or persons who hung the noose will be picked up by the police  in short order.

The COVID-19 pandemic  has severely impacted young people from minority backgrounds but we are thankful that the voices of many of them have not been stilled and many are prepared to play an active role in the  battle against racial discrimination.

The United Nations General Assembly has stated that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and have the potential to contribute constructively to the development and well-being of their societies.

 It has  also emphasized that any doctrine of racial superiority is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous and must be rejected, together with theories that attempt to determine the existence of separate human races.

Despite the best intentions of some of our political leaders, the battle against racism is far from over.

Let’s hope that more and more of our  young people keep standing up against racism.