With the continued rise of race-based hate and violence against underrepresented communities, stopracebasedhate.ca launches today in an effort to educate and help IBPOC (Indigenous, Black, People of Colour) communities and allies. This web resource was developed to empower by providing information and advice to help individuals respond when they encounter racism and encourage self-reflection on thoughts or statements that are racist.
“When speaking out about racism, we kept hearing about the challenges people had in finding the right words to articulate why something is racist,” says #StopRaceBasedHate co-founder Linda Hoang. “The ability to put words to why something is wrong is powerful and the idea for this tool was fuelled by our desire to help people become more confident in their words and reasoning to speak out.”
The website’s content was developed in collaboration with anti-racism organizations, recognizing the varied experiences that occur with many different groups. It was critical for the group to lean on existing anti-racist resources and expertise from Act2EndRacism, Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, The John Humphrey Centre for Human Rights, JHC: Stride Advocacy, and You Need This Box (Anti-Racism Box). One of the project’s goals is to be added to existing anti-racism resources currently used by groups whose communities may face racism.
“We hear more and more how people want to stand up against racism—they just don’t know how to navigate the conversation,” says Renée Vaugeois, Executive Director of John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights. “We are excited to share this tool to our networks of adult educators and community organizers across the country to direct people to as it’s important to be able to respond with confidence when confronted with racism.”
Generously developed by Edmonton-based marketing agency Kick Point, the website features effective ways to identify and respond to racist comments, reinforces how a willingness to speak out against racist statements is a form of allyship, and works to reduce racist sentiment and incidences in the community. Articles, blogs and social posts included on the website addresses statements and scenarios people may encounter in day-to-day life, along with a Critical Response Template designed to guide users in developing and articulating anti-racist messaging for their own networks.
“Silence is violence and complacency is part of the problem. If we do not address race-based hate, it signals that those views are okay,” says Hoang. “Helping people of colour and allies be more confident in speaking out against racism is just one tangible action we can take to protect ourselves, become a better ally to support those who may need help.”
Long-term objectives include adding more statements and scenarios specific to different communities facing racism including addressing Indigenous and Black racism, anti-semitism, Asian hate, Islamophobia and more. The group also plans to host anti-racist events and workshops, provide mental health resources for those dealing with racism and integration with tools being used by existing organizations to support racialized communities.
Connect with #STOPRACEBASEDHATE on social media platforms:
- Twitter: @StopRaceHate
- Instagram: @StopRaceBasedHate
- Facebook: @StopRaceBasedHate
Click here for access to digital assets/graphics to help spread the word.