A small collection of people gathered in Crossfield July 7 for a silent demonstration against racism.
Roughly 15 people attended the rally, which was held at Banta Park along Railway Street, near Crossfield's downtown.
“It may not be thousands of people and it may not be as big as we planned, but there are still people here that care and that’s what matters,” said organizer Candace Dawn Bergner. “Even if we change one person’s attitude, I’m proud of us.”
Many attendees hoisted signs at the rally expressing their support of racial equality, with messages like "Stop systemic racism" and "Stand up, support, be heard – equality for all." Some drivers honked their horns in support of the demonstrators.
Among the speakers at the event was 11-year-old Daniela, whose mother requested her last name not be published. Daniela spoke about her experience being made fun of due to the colour of her skin.
“These things remind me that some people see me as different and won’t always treat me with kindness in return,” she said. “It makes me feel lonely and confused.”
Daniela urged demonstrators to speak to their children and grandchildren about the impact of racism and remind them people “come in all shapes, sizes and colours” but should be treated with kindness regardless.
“I ask you to be thoughtful of what you say in front of your kids, because we’re always listening and the words you say will be repeated on our playgrounds and in our schools,” she said.
Sarah-Lee Batchelder, a member of the Cree First Nation, also spoke during the rally, describing the trauma experienced by her grandmother, who spent time in Canada’s residential school system.
Meanwhile, Crossfield resident Meredith Mpinga spoke about the history of black oppression in Alberta and Canada in order to show systemic racism has existed – and continues to be felt – locally.
“Having a husband who is black and children who are biracial, I’ve started to realize anti-black racism is a real issue here in Alberta and it’s time even us white people take notice and speak up against it,” she said.
“As people have been responding to the protests over George Floyd’s death, we found that, in Crossfield, there’s a lot more resistance to protests against anti-black racism and racism in general. As we identify more racism in the community, it’s essential we take a stand against that.”
Floyd's death while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minn. May 25 has set off increased attention to the topics of race and racism in North America. Those topics have been a hotly contested issue on Crossfield’s community forum Facebook page.
On June 7, Bergner posted a question on the forum asking if anyone would be interested in attending a local anti-racism event in Crossfield. The Town of Crossfield’s Chief Administrative Officer Ken Bosman posted a lengthy response that criticized elements of Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, arguing it has made “heroes out of folks who were actually very bad people.”Further responses to Bergner's post claimed systemic racism did not exist in Crossfield, or that it was unfair a protest could be held while local graduation ceremonies were cancelled due to COVID-19.
Bergner said the responses showed the need for a local demonstration.
“Even today, when I posted the reminder on the community forum, we had those people who just like to stir the pot and were all over us, saying, ‘BLM is a terrorist organization,’” she said. “There’s nothing about BLM here – it’s all about equality and everyone being treated the same. It hasn’t really changed anything in town, but if we keep going, keep trying and keep the discussion open – if we can change one or two people’s minds, that’s the goal.”
Crossfield resident Evan Johnson said he was glad to attend the rally.
“I come from a biracial background – half white, half black – so I wanted to speak up and stand up for my past relatives who couldn’t at the time,” he said.
“That’s the best I can do right now – spread my story and listen to other people’s stories.”
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
