In class we talked about racism. In Canada racism is very alive. Tensions have been especially high lately due to the acquittal of the Colten Boushie case. We need to be conscious that racism happens in order to stop it. Although race is socially constructed,  racism is real and everywhere.
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(Olivia James, 2013) A picture representing different skin tones






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(Myaology, 2017) A Quote about racism and anger by James Baldwin
Last class we were read a poem written by Wendy Brathwaite called Black Women Rage. I enjoyed this poem because it mixes a variety of emotions; not just anger. My favorite line is, "Black women rage is a thing of beauty" (Brathwaite, 2013). Being proud of yourself and demanding rights is an amazing thing. Many times standing up for yourself takes a lot of courage and bravery. In this poem it describes life of a black women, especially referencing slavery and rape. When I read this poem it makes me believe that the poem is meant to be said loudly and with anger. We also discussed if emotions can cloud judgement. I think it depends on the context of the feelings. Intense feelings out of result of something traumatic can cloud our judgment and drive us to do things we would not normally do, for example, when someone makes you very angry in traffic you might yell at them or make obscene gestures even if your not a violent person. Just because you act out in an abnormal way does not mean your feelings are unjustified. In my opinion long term feelings or attitudes do not cloud your judgment they just become part of who you are. In this case the black women rage is part of the author and her children. In this video, the link between our long term feelings and actions is described.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1ZyhT-Meo0


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(Sammy, 2013). The Heart and the Mind being Synchronized
                                                          
 As Canadians, we often want to think that we are kind and better than the USA. The idea that Canada is not racist is not true in my opinion. In our reading by Aufa Cooper it reveals that there was slavery in Canada, just like in the USA. I find this interesting that these not so flattering things in our history are often ignored. In my opinon not admitting to our racist history is problematic. We need to acknowledge our mistakes so history does not repeat ourselves. Hopefully if we are to accept that we have done wrong, we can begin to do right. Not only did slavery exist in Canada but racism still exists today. In our reading by Sheila Blocks we studied how racism works within our country. This is especially relevant this week because of the end of the Colten Boushie case. In my belief, if we continue to pretend racism does not exist our country will only become more divided. This does not mean we must be colorblind because that means we are ignoring the disadvantage that race has given certain individuals. We need to recognize that being born with a certain color of skin, can serve as an advantage or disadvantage from the day you are born. This is a video describing the racial tension in Saskatchewan after the Colten Boushie shooting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0EYOBOdKQw

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(Anderson, 2012). Racism has been the elephant in the room in Canada for a long time. Now we are starting to talk about it.
                      Racism is everywhere, even in Canada. We often want to pretend there is no racism in Canada or that everyone here is kind. People who are discriminated against often keep those emotions with them and pass it down through the generations. This is why the act of reconciliation to all races who were discriminated against are important. I found this class very interesting and my favorite part was watching Beyonce's formation video.            



Bibliography

Anderson, David. 2012. Artquake. October 7. Accessed Febuary 14, 2018. https://artquakeblog.wordpress.com/tag/canada/.
Brathwaite, Wendy. 2013. "Black Women Rage." In Gender and Women's studies in Canada, by Margaret Hobbs and Carla Rice, 267-268. Toronto: Women's Press; Canadian Scholars' Press.
James, Olivia. 2013. We Got So Far To Go. April 9. Accessed Febuary 14, 2017. https://taikonenfea.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/social-justice-101-racism/.
Myaology. 2017. Justine Did Not Have To Die, But Neither Did Sandra. July 21. Accessed Febuary 14, 2018. http://myalogy.com/category/black-women.
Sammy. 2013. When The Mind and Heart are Synchronized. November 5. Accessed Febuary 14, 2018. https://wethekeepers.wordpress.com/2013/11/05/when-the-mind-and.









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