PHOTOS BY Sukhwant Singh Dhillon / SINGH VIDEO

By Harinder Mahil

We have all seen the video of George Floyd crying out for help on our television screens. It was difficult to see a police officer, who is supposed to defend and protect people, killing an innocent man. Over the course of nine long minutes, George Floyd cried out for help while the police officer continued to place his knee over his neck as his face was pushed into the pavement. In the end George Floyd died in a cruel, demeaning, and needless way.

Blacks have been targets of racism in the US for over two hundred years. We have seen many Blacks being killed by police officers. Every now and then I hear a Canadian politician saying “we are glad we don’t live-in the US” as if there is no racism in Canada.

Racism is a every day reality for the Black, Indigenous, Asian and South Asian communities in Canada.

It was great to see thousands of people taking part in an anti-racism rally in Vancouver last week.  It reminded me of numerous rallies and marches I attended in the late seventies and early eighties organized by the British Columbia Organization to Fight Racism (BCOFR).

Rallies and marches against racism and police brutality have taken place not only in major US cities about also in Canada and across the world. The message of the ones taking place in Canada is that racism is not only an issue in the US but Canada as well. 

These days the target of racism are Blacks and people of Chinse ancestry. We have seen numerous incidents in British Columbia over the last few months where members of Chinese community have been victims of unprovoked attacks. The attackers are those ignorant individuals who believe that Asian members of our community are responsible for COVID-19.

 Members of the black and indigenous communities are often profiled by police forces in Canada. They are often stopped on the street and asked to produce identification. In case, they take offence to the police officers’ demands and refuse to provide identification they are often beaten and arrested. 

In the last few days, I have spoken with many activists about racism and high-profile incidents of police violence against blacks and members of indigenous communities. They have all said that while we sympathize with our black brother and sisters in the United States, we shouldn't ignore the racism that happens here at home.

We must raise our voices against racism. We too have been victims of racism over the years. Although we have made progress in out quest for equality, we have a long way to go. We must remember the slogan: an injury to one is an injury to all.

Harinder Mahil is a former commissioner of the British Columbia Human Rights Commission and is presently a director of the Dr. Hari Sharman Foundation.