Project
Office:
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Dalhousie
University • 6286 South
Street • Halifax, Nova
Scotia, Canada • B3H 1T8
Phone: 902.494.1194 • Fax: 902.494.1653 • E-mail: rvh@dal.ca |
Halifax Community Forum 2004/2005
GIVING VOICE TO VIOLENCE – A CANCER IN OUR COMMUNITY
Citation: Acton, Janice. (2006). Giving voice to violence – A cancer in our community. Retrieved April, 2006 from the World Wide Web: http://www.dal.ca/~rvh/forum0405hfx.html
Table of Contents
Violence has an overwhelming impact
The Racism, Violence, and Health Project in Halifax facilitated its third Community Forum – this time dealing with the topic: “Violence: How does it affect our health and well-being”? The day-long Forum was held at the Akerley Campus of the Nova Scotia Community College on April 23, 2005.
The day began with a Libation by Wayn Hamilton, after which Chairperson Alfred Saunders introduced research team leader Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard. Dr. Bernard began her keynote presentation by thanking the members of the community for coming out on a Saturday morning to engage in a Forum that promised to be enriching, but “challenging.” She acknowledged that the topic of violence is often painful and traumatic to discuss. She explained that the overall goal of the Racism, Violence, and Health project is to look at issues of racism, racism-related stress, and violence, and also at racism as a form of violence – focusing especially on the health and well-being impact on Black men, their families, and communities. In planning the this Forum, the Research Project attempted to invite as many grass roots community members from around Halifax as possible, especially young people, as well as individuals who have not yet been part of the project.
The project has been gathering information through Community Forums and surveys involving members of the Black communities in Halifax, Toronto, and Calgary. In order to provide a safe space for dialogue, the Forums have been closed to the media and the wider community, although they have been open to non-Black family members. Dr. Bernard highlighted some of the key findings to date:
50% of the 900 young people surveyed said they feel they are treated suspiciously, rudely, and disrespectfully because of their race.
50% said they are being observed, or followed in public, or that they are being ignored or overlooked, or not given service.
50% said they believe they are being treated as if they are “stupid.” Both young men and women said that others react to them as if they are threatening or intimidating.
Youth said that racism bothers them “a lot.” Youth’s most frequent way of coping is by talking to their peers. And yet, despite their rejection of their elders’ way of dealing with racism (spirituality, faith, social justice, and political change), the youth who are most likely to succeed in education and employment are those who have some attachment to a spiritual or religious community.
These research findings raise key questions. Dr. Bernard said:
We need to be asking ourselves these questions so we can get it better. We’ve got to somehow help young people see that maybe those things their elders did, even if they don’t like them, maybe they weren’t so bad after all. Maybe they are having an impact. Maybe they are making a bit of a difference.
One exciting finding to the question: “What is community?” reveals that community means much more than something geographic. While separate geographic Black communities do exist, a more general understanding refers to “community” as a state of consciousness. Dr. Bernard explained, “Community is really about how we connect. It’s about how we work and support each other, how we come together to address issues.”
As well, information for the Project is being gathered through “micro-ethnographies” which focus on Black males between the ages of 18 and 25 in three families in each of the three cities. The Research Team will attempt to enter the lives of the young men, their families, their communities, their schooling, and whoever – and whatever – “surrounds them”: “We want to understand what they are dealing with everyday to get a better understanding of racism and violence, and how they are impacting on our lives.”
Violence takes place against everyone in the community: children, youth, women, men, and elders. It takes place on several levels: physical, emotional, mental, sexual, spiritual, and financial. Violence from outside the Black community involves state violence, institutional violence, organizational violence, the Zero Tolerance educational policies, and the re-victimization of Black men and women in the criminal justice, and the health care systems.
Unfortunately, it has been very difficult for members of the community to talk about racism and violence in an open way. Even within the Black community, Dr. Bernard explained, many still feel that racism exists only if one is “looking for it.” Dr. Bernard suggested why it is so difficult to talk about:
You know how society loves to hear about Black on Black violence because then they say, “There, we don’t have to do anything because they are doing it to themselves, so why should we be worried?”
Dr. Bernard emphasized that it is crucial to “name” personal experiences of racism and violence. It is important to “name it” in order to be able to deal with it:
We need to talk about what’s robbing us of our spirit, of our ability to be at peace. We have to find a way to not let that kind of poison enter our soul, our spirit, and detract us from the important work we are doing. If you can’t achieve spiritual peace because you’ve got so much trauma going on in your life, and if that trauma is rooted in racism and violence, then that becomes a vicious cycle of violence.
Whether personally experienced, or witnessed, racism and violence affect the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health of individuals – as well as the health of families and the community.
The results of the Racism, Violence, and Health Project, Dr. Bernard emphasized, will not sit on a shelf gathering dust. As an action project, it is about “What are we going to do about it?” The point of gathering the information is to make change:
We want to hear your experiences and your stories to help us turn those into actions for change. We want the communities to benefit. We want to put this collective information back into hands of the community. Our goal is to achieve some change.
In conclusion, Dr. Bernard again thanked the participants, and encouraged them during the Forum to “speak your piece.”
Following Dr. Bernard’s key note address, participants were invited to move into one of six small group workshops: Education (Youth and Non-Youth); Family (Youth and Non-Youth) and Community (Youth and Non-Youth).
The afternoon session began with a panel during which Ed Matwawana and Barbara Ann Simmonds spoke on the topic, “What are the questions we should be asking ourselves?” Both panelists stated that racism must be considered a violent act. They shared concerns about the increasing rise of violence, and the importance of adults in the Black community becoming more actively involved in guiding youth.
Ed Matwawana from with the Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development (CEED), works voluntarily with youth who have “slipped between the cracks.” As a result of the vicious circle created by racism, many youth drop out of school, end up on the streets, and go to prison. By the time they are 20, many youth feel a sense of failure, low self-esteem, lack motivation, and hopelessness. Matwawana urged parents to become more involved and to provide more guidance, more moral and spiritual direction to youth:
The lack of spiritual foundation has taken us away from the early values our parents and grandparents used to survive in a racist society. Children are going through life using other people’s values which they either gain from the streets or from uncontrolled hours of watching television.
Matwawana identified several questions confronting the Black community: (a) How to give parents the tools they need to support their children who are experiencing racism-based violence; (b) How to impress upon school officials the negative impact of Zero Tolerance rules; (c) How to decrease youth pregnancy; (d) And, how to better listen to youth.
Barbara Ann Simmonds is a civilian member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and helps to bridge the gap between the police and Black communities. Simmonds stated that racism and violence are similar because both are destructive, demeaning, frightening, painful, and stressful. She noted that violence takes many forms:
Violence can be verbal, physical, emotional, and spiritual. Violence has an impact on people’s health and well-being and, in many ways, can be fatal.
Simmonds felt the problem of violence can only be dealt with effectively once it is acknowledged. She outlined several steps necessary to combating racism as a form of violence: (a) acknowledging that racism exists; (b) determining what corrective measures to put in place; (c) adopting a strategy to deal with it immediately; and, (d) determining tangible results.
After the panel, participants were invited to move into one of six Talking Circles organized under the three themes: Women – No More Secrets; Community Action (Youth and Non-Youth); Men – Men’s Choices.
Trained facilitators led the workshops and Talking Circles and trained recorders made extensive notes during each. Participants also completed evaluations of the day’s events which included this question: What do you think are the major consequences of violence on the health and well being of the family, community and individuals? This report is based on the keynote address, panel presentations, workshop and Talking Circle recordings, and the evaluations.
At the close of the Forum, Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard summarized the day’s discussions, thanked participants, and acknowledged the many contributions of members of the community.
SUMMARY:
Racism has left a legacy of violence and silence
Racism is alive and well in Nova Scotia. Although it manifests itself differently than in the past, racism occurs daily in the workplace, in the educational system, in the streets, and in the popular culture.
Racism is physically, spiritually, and emotionally painful and continues to have an impact on the health and well-being of members of the Black community. When it is internalized, racism is particularly hurtful because it leaves individuals feeling “torn apart” and communities disunited. Racism is like a mental maze and creates feelings of hurt, anger, isolation, despair, and hopelessness.
Violence is one of the legacies of racism and has an impact on all members of the Black community. Like racism, violence can be verbal, emotional, spiritual, or physical. It is demeaning, painful and stressful. Many older participants at the Community Forum acknowledged that they had grown up in an environment of violence. Violence, whether emotional, verbal, or physical, is damaging to past, current, and future generations because this behaviour becomes a negative role model for children which is handed down to the next generation. Violence begets violence.
Racism has also led to a legacy of silence surrounding violence. The issue of violence has often been swept under the carpet. Until recently, many have not felt free to speak about their experiences. Women, in particular, have felt silenced because they have not had the opportunity to talk and also because the abuse they have suffered has often been at the hands of members of their own families.
Youth have been especially impacted by racism-based violence. Racism has left many youth feeling angry, powerless, and disrespected. Many youth have been forced out of school at an early age, have turned to the street and illegal activities and, as a result, ended up in prison. To make matters worse, youth often feel that adults are not listening to them. Older members of the Black community agree they have not given youth enough guidance.
Overall, the impact of violence on the community has been like a cancer.
In order to end the cycle of violence, the silence surrounding it must end. Members of the Black community must acknowledge the problem of violence exists. A bridge must be created between the older and younger generations to reach a common understanding so that individuals can give more support to one another. The older generation needs to become more involved with youth and to create more programs for youth. They must also find a way to listen to youth and to assure them that they care. Youth can learn valuable lessons from older members who have an understanding of Black history, and a special knowledge that comes from surviving through racism. Those who have suffered racism-based violence must find a way of healing. A first step in dealing with violence is learning to find a way to give greater respect to one another.
The Community Forum was a “good start” in breaking the silence around violence. During the Forum participants learned about the destructive nature of internalized violence and developed a greater awareness about violence listening to others’ stories. Having an opportunity to speak with like-minded people from the community gave participants a sense of hope, connection, and solidarity. Many left the Forum with a commitment to continuing the dialogue and seeking new ways of working together collectively.
Future Community
Forums should provide more time to discuss the topic and to strategize
action plans. A Forum dedicated to youth and violence would be
particularly helpful, although a way needs to be found to encourage more
youth involvement. At the close of the Forum, participants thanked the
Racism, Violence, and Health project for bringing the topic of violence
out into the open. Forums of this nature help the community to stay
focused and to “keep the faith.”
“We are all affected – one way or another”
Racism: Destructive, demeaning, frightening, and painful
Participants made it clear that racism is alive and well in Nova Scotia. Whether it is experienced personally or witnessed happening to others, racism is upsetting, painful, and has a lasting impact on individuals, the family, and the community. Racism has “major consequences that are immediate and into the future” and impacts upon past, present and future generations of African Nova Scotians.
While it is manifested differently now than in the past, racism still occurs in the education system, in the workplace, on the streets, in the legal system, through political institutions, and in music and popular culture. One participant said, “It’s a lie that there’s no racism in Canada.”
Some in the Black community want to confront the injustices and inequality of racism head-on, with the attitude of “going through the issue, not around it.” However, many feel that racism is so entrenched it will never change. One youth was cynical that nothing would change because “Nova Scotia is so far East the politicians don’t think they need to deal with the problem.” Another youth said he is ready to give up:
I don’t know how to respond to violence. Normal people like me cannot fight the police. They need money. Their human rights don’t exist. I feel hopeless. A lot of time legal aid lawyers tell kids to give up the battle.
No matter who is in government, they are not listening to the concerns of the Black community:
It doesn’t matter who you put in government, they’re not listening. It goes in one ear and in through the other….We as a black community are not being asked for our opinions. Nobody asks how we feel about the election.
Racism: Alive and well in the education system and workplace
Racism occurs at all levels of the school system—elementary, junior high, high school and post secondary levels. It results in a lack of support for Black students which leads them to feel powerless. Teachers who “come with baggage” often have a very negative and lasting impact on students’ sense of self-esteem.
Even in the field of sports where Black youth often excel, youth experience discrimination. Students who were cut from a team said their coach offered excuses but they knew the real reason was his racism. One father sympathized with his son and his friends: “Winning the game of racism is hard. You can’t win it.”
Racism also occurs frequently in the workplace. In some cases it is subtle, but in other cases it is overt. For example, individuals seeking jobs are frequently told over the phone that a position is open, but when they appear in person, they are suddenly told the position has been filled. Others find their promotional opportunities are blocked for months or even years.
Those who speak out or become active in fighting racism in their workplace often experience a form of double jeopardy. One participant who protested about having to get on his hands and knees to clean the floor at the restaurant was fired: “I was pissed. I said, ‘My slave days are over.’ Everything I do, it’s because I’m Black” Another individual who decided not to take further verbal abuse from clients was told by her boss, when she raised the issue, that she could not work in her room any more. The constant stress of dealing with this racism made her sick:
One of the people at work said to me, “I don’t want no monkey taking care of me.” I told my bosses but they didn’t deal with it because they didn’t know how to deal with it. They had a meeting one day and didn’t invite me. Afterwards they said that I couldn’t work in that room anymore. I didn’t think this was right because there is nobody there who is more educated than me. The whole thing started to make me sick.
Racism has made it difficult for youth to gain entry into the workforce. While some incentives have been created to help young people in general find jobs none have focused on the specific needs of Black youth. The lack of job opportunities for Black youth, one elder believes, is a major contributing problem::
I keep harping and harping. All the years I worked with kids nobody ever asked them what they want. You hear about “All these kids are robbing people …” Now, I know these kids. You’ve got all these organizations but they’re not doing anything. There’s not enough workshops or jobs. Every year my workplace hires 35 people and pays them $60/hour, but they never hire any Blacks.
Internalized racism: Tearing us apart
Internalized racism creates disunity and is especially hurtful. Internalized racism can lead to painful divisions among individuals, families, and members of the community. Individuals develop negative stereotypes about others in the Black community, coming to believe that they are inadequate and always wrong.
Internalized racism results in individuals feeling excluded from mainstream society – and from their own community. Several participants felt that the Black community has become “too hung up” on issues of skin colour. One man said, “We are so divided half of our people hate each other. When you have functions you don’t want to go there.” A young woman agreed: “Blacks need to know who they are. Not bulldoze people down but work with them.” Another young participant said: “The Black and White issues keep coming up. We need to ask, “Who are we” and we need to be comfortable with saying who we are: Black!”
Several participants felt it was time to stop talking about “them” and to start talking more about “us.” One participant felt “torn down” when she was fired by another Black person. Another appealed to members of the community to be more supportive of one another: “It hurts when we tear each other apart. We are all we have. We have each other. We need not to perpetrate the evil that other people perpetrate.”
Racism: Creating hurt and anger
Individuals often feel hurt as a result of the racism they have experienced. This sense of hurt is often hard to distinguish from anger. For example, one participant said that he is still deeply affected by his Africville home being bulldozed to the ground, leaving his family roofless. Years later he still feels hurt that his family had to move into public housing and angry that Nova Scotia Power was able to acquire land. While he appears angry, he is mostly hurt: “I’m not angry. I am hurt.”
Another participant felt both hurt and anger when he complained at a restaurant about being served after two White women who arrived later than he did. The waiter said: “You Black people always want to start trouble” and threatened to call the police. The man was tempted to cause a scene, but restrained himself because he knew that he would ultimately lose. The incident left him with unresolved anger.
One woman who intervened in the situation of a seven-year-old who was arrested for stealing candy was shouted at by a police officer, “Don’t holler at me like that. It’s always you people. . . . You people.”
Feeling like a second class citizen makes individuals feel hurt and angry. Participants expressed frustration about the many times when they were made to feel: “Don’t talk this way. Don’t dress that way. Don’t act that way.” Participants admitted that they are not always aware of the cause of their anger, but it is often generated by some form of racism:
We are all affected by racism one way or another. We may not know it, but that’s what it is. Violence is the first response because it’s the only power we got.
Racism: Your body can only take so much hatred
Many health issues arise because of how we deal, or do not deal, with racism.
Racism and violence have a huge impact on health. It is impossible to experience racism without being physically or emotionally affected: “You can’t make it out there without sacrificing some of your own self.” Racism can result in fatigue, anxiety, alcoholism, depression, suicide, and “a shortened life span.” Racism results in “broken people.”
Racism is a “deep down” gut feeling that weakens the spirit and the soul. One participant called racism a form of “spirit murder – it kills me.” One young woman said that every morning when she leaves the house she expects “the worst.”
Racism can lead to shame, resentment, fear, self-loathing, isolation, and depression. It can lead to a loss of personal energy, loss of productivity, poor quality of life, break-up in relationships, and drug addiction. One participant stated,
Racism is modern day slavery, mentally. In education they have put the bar higher so that we are standing out here. It keeps us out of jobs and on the street. Eventually we end up on the streets, in jail, where they want us in shackles anyway.
Another described racism as “a frame of mind that I can’t get a good enough job, and they don’t want me in school.” One participant said that without a sense of pride, individuals spend their lives living in shame.
One woman described how the self-hatred bred by racism leads to health problems:
Your body can only take so much hatred, of people hating people, and then you snap.
It’s simple. Violence hurts. The consequence of violence is pain – and pain without healing results in lots of different things – all bad. Internalized, racism leads to self-destruction and/or the perpetuation of more violence – thus more pain.
Racism creates a psychological maze of “mixed signals and judgments.” Anticipating racism makes it difficult for individuals to act or to know how to respond to many situations. Individuals constantly second-guess their responses to what is occurring. They feel pressured to be twice as good as everyone else. As a result, individuals feel depressed, disillusioned, and negative. One young participant stated:
All we hear is the negative stuff all the time. You wonder why kids are angry all the time? You can’t hear negative all the time and not have it affect you.
In order to survive through the day, individuals often feel the need to “put on a mask.” One participant said he is forced to adapt or to change himself whenever he goes into either the White and Black communities because he experiences racism in both. Another individual was frustrated at having to put on a mask to become someone else, when “White people do not.”
Violence begets violence
Violence may be physical, emotional, or spiritual, and has a lasting impact on individuals, their families, and communities. Living with violence does not just affect individuals on a one-time basis; its impact accumulates over time – “fear evolves.” Living in a violent environment results in individuals always looking over their shoulders to protect themselves from what will happen next. One older woman compared the impact of violence to rape:
Rape does not just apply to a woman. When it comes to Black people, our whole selves are being raped everyday.
Whether individuals are personally involved in violence or are witness to it, it is emotionally upsetting. One woman expressed concern about the trauma her grandson experienced from being slammed against a truck and being interrogated by police. The incident left him silent, and fearful of going out of the house. Violence does a great deal of emotional damage:
One man, whose son witnessed a fight and was upset and frightened by the violence, said that he worried about its affect upon him:
Where we live is a high incidence of violence. My son and I witness this firsthand. We looked out our window and saw a Black youth beating down a cop, trying to get a gun. There were 20 cops there. It was very upsetting. Violence leads to fear. Fear leads to stress. We witness this kind of violence a lot.
The negative impact of violence is compounded by the secrecy surrounding it. Racism has created an environment where it is difficult for individuals to talk freely about violence. This silence has created a barrier to dealing with the problem of violence. Many in the Black community feel the time has come to break out of this taboo and to begin to talk openly about violence. One woman said, “I’m of the mindset that we can, and need to, talk about secrets and abuse. Growing up it was taboo. We need to give voice and speak out.”
Violence and the family: “I was brought up in violence”
The history of violence against Blacks has become violence within the Black family.
Anger resulting from racism tends to fester and “carry over” into people’s personal lives. Individuals’ frustration resulting from racism may express itself in the form of domestic or emotional abuse and be directed at those they are closest to. For example, men who are unable to get work or to make enough money for their families may take their anger and frustration out on their spouses or children. There is a tendency for things to carry over into the home: “It’s like a continuous thing.”
Violence creates a dynamic in families whereby dialogue becomes impossible. Violent family members tend to intimidate and create fear among the non-violent family members. The net result is often the disintegration of families. The circle of violence is handed down from one generation to the next:
In Nova Scotia, we don’t admit it but there is violence in our families. Your grandmother hit your brother with a stick. Your father kicked your sister. And that was violence. We pass it on from generation to generation. We must learn to say that we are angry, we have rage, and not to hit each other….Violence begets violence. The circle of violence continues and is passed down.
Participant after participant shared stories about the violence they had endured in their families. Listening to others’ stories made it possible for participants to see how common a problem violence and abuse is in Black families.
One woman said: “My father beat my mother every weekend.” Another said, “My mother was my abuser and allowed others to mentally abuse me.” Another talked about the shame she grew up with because her mother beat her father. One woman admitted that when she faced violence “constantly” as a child. Another participant said: “I had violence in my upbringing. I think most of us did. But, it didn’t exist, so you couldn’t talk about it.”
An elder who had been beaten as a child, grew up thinking that violence was just part of life. Today he wishes that he had had someone to talk to:
I was born and brought up in violence. I just thought that violence was a part of life. I didn’t know why people beat me up. Even they didn’t know why they beat me up. I just wished I had had one Black person to talk to.
Some individuals suffered abuse bordering on cruelty. For example, one woman said that she never felt safe in her family and told her story of physical and emotional abuse:
My father used to beat my mother even when she was sick. I was put into foster care with a White woman and a Black man who took good care of me. Later my father took me back home where he had a new wife. They used to fight with knives to cut each other. The women he ran around with used to beat us, didn’t feed us, and tied us up. When I grew up, I met a man who said he loved me but never took his responsibilities. He forced himself on me, got me pregnant – then he left.
One woman who witnessed her father beating her mother every weekend said: “He might as well have beaten me.”
Several participants from mixed racial backgrounds told painful stories about the abuse they had suffered in their families where internalized racism had led to tensions. One woman’s story underscored the hidden violence that goes on in some families where, because of skin colour, individuals have been rejected by their own families:
I experienced racism within my family – my mother had difficulty with me being dark. My mother was one of ten biracial children. Then she married my dad. The fair children were treated better than the dark children.
It is important to teach children to love themselves and others regardless of their skin colour. The reality is that many in Nova Scotia are a mixture of White, Black, and Indian. One participant who is of mixed heritage struggles still in dealing with “real Black issues.” She feels compelled to reach out to youth of mixed race who are confronting similar issues: “The world view of you as a person of mixed race is that you are Black. But if you are also rejected by the Black community, then where do you go?” One woman who was her mother’s “punching bag” for years is trying today to “create a balance between the cultures.” Another woman said, “If we love regardless of looks we will, we can end racism.”
Violence and women: Secrets and invisibility
Violence against women has existed for years. At the same time it has been very difficult for women to speak openly about what was happening to them. In the past, women had good reasons for not talking about the violence they were subjected to. Women kept their experiences of domestic or sexual abuse silent because of the shame and stigma they felt and because their families would not believe them. One young woman who told her mother about sexual abuse at the hands of a family member was accused of lying: “Black families don’t talk about sexual abuse because the abusers are brothers, fathers, grandfathers, priests, and cousins.”
By speaking out women were threatened with the loss of their homes and their possessions. Also, women were often blamed for the violence.
Even in cases of extreme abuse, there has been a tendency to keep silent about the violence. One woman recalled one such situation:
So many secrets happen to children between the ages of 1 to 6. I remember a mother who brought her four-year-old daughter into the hospital bleeding. The child’s vagina was no longer a vagina. The mother denied sexual abuse was happening. But three more female children from this home were brought in with their vaginas destroyed.
Racism has played a role in women not speaking about their experiences of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. For decades women have been encouraged to believe they are strong enough to survive anything, and part of that has been learning how to suffer in silence:
As girls we were raised to think we could survive the violence. You heard your mother, aunts, cousins, experiencing abuse, but they couldn’t leave. It amazes me how many Black women were abused, raped, and violated, but it was never spoken about, especially to White women. Because if you told White women they would say more negative things about us.
Because of the barriers to speaking out, it is difficult for women to leave abusive situations. It is often easier for women to stay in abusive relationships and to normalize the abuse instead of leaving:
Some people normalize the abuse they have experienced. You choose what you know. I thought the man’s role was to be like Archie Bunker, so I chose a man like him who verbally abused me. Often you don’t feel safe enough to share your secret because you get in trouble. You keep your secrets because you get beat up again for telling.
However, it is time to end the shame women feel by keeping silent: “Now we need to explore why this has been a secret.”
Violence and children: A negative role model
Adults’ violent or abusive behaviour gives a negative role model to their children and grandchildren. Families who suffer violence may become increasingly dysfunctional as the behaviours are handed down to succeeding generations. Although the bad characteristics of the abusive parent might be loathed and detested, they are still repeated by the young. One participant felt that abusive families actually become more dysfunction over time. Hence future generations are worse off than off than the generation they succeeded.
Children model the behaviour they witness in adults. Children who seem to be “disrespectful” may, in fact, be simply manifesting the behaviour they see in adults in their homes everyday. Living in an environment of mental abuse, children do not know how to act any differently. One woman explained,
There is a lot of mental abuse in homes where people don’t know any better. The children go to school and model this same disrespectful speaking to their peers and to everyone. The children say what they want, but it is very disrespectful. Often the children go to school and no parents show up to support them. The teachers assume that the children will not amount to anything, and so they are rude to them.
Individuals who grow up feeling low self-esteem as a result of being told they are “nothing,” “do not matter,” and “will never succeed” are likely to duplicate this attitude towards their own children. Several participants admitted that, as adults, they had become involved in physically and emotionally abusive relationships because of the abuse they had suffered as children.
One man confessed that he treated women with the same abuse and disdain that he witnessed in his father’s treatment of his mother. He regrets his behaviour today, but explained that this type of destructive behaviour “sticks” and tends to become a negative lifelong pattern:
My father beat my mom because she gambled away his money. I grew up feeling that I was nothing. The teacher told me I was nothing. It stuck and I personalized this. I went from school straight to jail. Once I left jail I got into a relationship and was abusive. I entered several relationships and left several women and children behind. My son is experiencing the same issue and that saddens me. I hope by working together we can improve the situation.
Violence and youth: Disrespected, powerless and hopeless
The image of Black youth involved in drugs and violence obscures the real problem of youth feeling powerless and disrespected. Racism has created an environment in which youth feel disrespect from their families and communities, the educational and legal systems, and mainstream society in general. As a result, youth feel self-destructive, isolated, angry, and a desire to opt-out. One youth said, “Our way of knowing is change it, deface it.”
Many participants felt that youth have good reason to be angry. Black youth are angry because they are in a White-dominated society. In a world where White youth seem to have it all – “cars, tuition, everything” – Black youth, by contrast, are being forced out of school at an early age, lack money and jobs, and are drawn into a subculture of drugs and gangs that offers them the illusion of power.
Violence among youth is not limited to males. Several participants were shocked by the number of young women they have seen involved in fights, drug dealing, and gangs. One man was startled to discover the connection of “our young Black women, young women in fights – in gangs – which isn’t being dealt with.” The manipulation of young women by pimps and drug dealers also needs to be seen as a form of emotional violence:
By the time young girls are 15 or 16 they’re being groomed to go to Niagara Falls. The pimps are trying to get them and it’s only God that brings them back. I would say it’s emotional violence.
Police compound the problem by assuming that Black youth are always the guilty party – regardless of what is really happening. One young male observed, “You could fight back but the police are going to arrest the brother first. It’s always based on assumptions that you’re guilty.”
Youth are often unjustifiably pulled-over or questioned by the police but feel powerless to do anything because the police have the power to arrest them. Youth often feel that “I didn’t do anything wrong,” but there is little or no accountability for these police actions. “All the police are in it together. Who is going to police the police?” asked one male youth. “When you approach them, they don’t believe you.”
Another young man described being cornered by police when they found him closing up shop at night. The police were suspicious of him because he was in the back alley taking out the garbage:
I went out the back door at work to take out the garbage and there were four police cars. Then I locked up. When I unlocked my car and got in, they surrounded me – I was boxed in. They said it was odd for someone to be out so late doing paperwork and they asked to search my vehicle.
One youth described his feelings of powerlessness when police were called in to a house party he was attending:
I was at a house party where a lot of people were just chilling out. People went outside and got loud so the police were called. The police tried to arrest one of my friends for being drunk and loud. He was handled roughly and thrown to the ground. You could see when people gathered around that the police put their hands on their mace. You feel powerless. When you approach them, they don’t believe you. You can’t really argue with a police officer because they can arrest you, too.
Another young man described how demeaned he felt by the police’s violent actions towards him when he tried to peacefully intervene in a situation:
There was a fight and a police officer had one person restrained. I asked what was going on and the police sprayed me with mace. At the police station, after the mace was out of my eyes, I was going to go off but the police officer pulled a gun on me. I was stripped of my underwear and put in a holding cell.
A young woman attempted to file a complaint against the police because of the treatment she and her friends received and found her concerns were dismissed:
A police officer yelled at us and told us to move our car. He called my friend an asshole. So she called him an asshole back. I don’t know how he did it, but he put his arm in the car and took the keys out of the ignition and said, “Move!” I had to chase him around the city to get the number of his car. I filed a complaint but it never went far. They just said, “Oh, he was talked to.”
Youth who do not have the guidance of strong values, or positive role models from their parents, are prone to making short-sighted, poor decisions that lead them into unstable relationships and situations where abuse and violence take place. Youth are passed “from pillar to post,” creating a situation that one participant described as “trouble knocking at the door”:
Sometimes I feel overwhelmed. Our young girls are having babies, and our society is having them leave home, and puts them in places where they have no family support. Then the boyfriend comes in and beats up the girl. It used to be years ago that a girl had a baby and still had some self-respect. Now the government steps in and says, “We’ll set you up.” So our kids see this and think, “Oh I can do this. I’ll have two kids. I’ll get more money. We don’t like to admit it, but that is trouble knocking at the door.
Too often members of the Black community turn a blind eye on what is going on. They may give lip service to youth’s concerns, but do not get involved or provide the kind of answers that are needed. Youth often get the message from adults that nobody cares about them. Many youth act out because they feel forgotten about. Two participants explained,
When youth feel that no one cares, they act out. A lot of their anger comes from the sense that nobody cares. They think they are worthless, and internalize these feelings and act out their rage….Most of the programs in the community are for younger kids. There’s nothing for 13 to 19 years olds, so they feel forgotten about.
Youth are acting out with violence “because we don’t listen to them.” Youth participants agreed that they sometimes feel little support from the older generation. One of the reasons youth are frustrated is because they have no outlets to vent their anger. A young man explained:
We have to work against racism and it’s not fair that we have to do that. I’m pissed off. We need an outlet to vent that. But where are the spaces for us to vent?
The impact of disrespect and powerlessness among youth leads them to feel a sense of helplessness. Instead of looking to a bright future, youth feel negative and hopeless. One adult participant felt saddened by youth’s sense of hopelessness:
The youth are our future, but they feel they don’t have enough support, focus, direction, sense of the future. They feel like giving up. They feel helpless. There’s a sense of hopelessness. Lots of negativity. They don’t have patience because they see no positive future in sight and are sick of talking and getting nowhere.
Violence and the community: Like a cancer
Violence creates tensions, disunity, and feelings of shame and collective guilt within the community. Participants at the Community Forum said that violence “stunts our growth,” “reduces us,” “silences us,” and “kills us.” “It causes communities to eat themselves, like a cancer.” One participant said,
We don’t get along. We’re not like the other races that support each other. There always seems to be hostilities and anger and friction. Most groups have friction but the way we deal with it is destructive.
Another participant talked about violence, and lack of trust, leading to “the destruction of whole Black communities”:
We have become enemies of ourselves. We’re seeing the destruction of the whole Black family. There’s a lack of respect for our elders. We put more trust in the White man than we do in ourselves. Because of this stress we’re seeing a lot of health issues.
The issue of violence used to be viewed as an urban problem. However, today it is also seen as a concern by those living in rural Black communities as well. One participant said: “Before, violence would never come to our community, but now it has. The city has come to the country.”
There is often a feeling of competition between communities regarding who is the “real” Black community. In the past, the term “Black community” usually referred to communities where individuals owned their own homes. Two participants talked about their understandings of what has been meant by “Black community”:
To me, Black community meant Black-owned – you don’t pay rent, you own your home. I used to get into arguments with people when they said that Mulgrave Park and the “Square” were Black communities….When you look at Halifax though, you have to look at Creighton and Maynard and Africville. They owned their homes. It was a Black community.
Although the meaning of Black community has changed, there still tend to be clashes and communities still feel separate. This sense of separate solitudes has an impact on members of the communities, especially between those living in the city, and those in rural Black communities. These divisions have had an impact, especially on youth from rural areas, because it has reinforced their sense of isolation from the larger Black community. Their sense of disconnect from the Black community disconnect reinforces their sense of low self-esteem:
The students in rural areas do not feel they are connected to the Black community in Halifax or that their issues are being addressed. Everything is pushed under the carpet. When it isn’t dealt with, the students have no self esteem. They feel invisible because nobody is dealing with their issues.
While many talk about the importance of “giving back to the community,” too often these intentions are not put into action. One participant felt that too few people in the community are ready to roll up their sleeves to get involved in solving the problems, like violence, that need to be addressed:
Those who make it don’t give back to the community. I can name on my two hands how many people give back to the community and they just live across town. A lot have made it, and don’t want to go back to where they came from.
Those who do take initiative often find themselves criticized by other members of the community: “We have a lot of skills in our communities. But the people that try to offer these skills are put down or criticized.” Those who try to do something about violence often feel like they are taking “three steps ahead and then – because of what we do to ourselves – two steps back.” One participant asked: “How many steps have we really taken ahead?”
If unity is not found within the community, the consequences will be enormous. Left unaddressed, the problem of violence could lead to the loss of an entire generation in the Black community:
The major consequence of violence if our communities remain unhealthy is that a generation will be lost.
Giving respect and ending the silence
Dealing with violence can only happen once individuals acknowledge there is a problem. Breaking the silence must begin. The Black community needs to sit down and “take a real hard look at what’s going on.” Violence can only be dealt with when people are prepared to open their eyes to the problem:
We need to open our eyes and to start accepting it. If you don’t accept you have a problem, nothing will be done! Until we admit there is a problem, name it, and discuss it, we can’t solve the problem or change what is happening.
Violence is like a broken toe. A person with the broken toe can pretend the bone is not broken but the fact remains, it is broken and it is painful:
It is simple. Violence hurts. As much as someone may desensitize themselves or say it doesn’t hurt, it does. A stubbed toe hurts a person, as much as they pretend it does not. But if the toe breaks – whether one says that it hurts or not – the toe is still broken. Violence breaks us whether we acknowledge it or not. To
Breaking the cycle, healing ourselves
Breaking out of the cycle of violence requires individuals to reclaim a strong Black identity, power, and respect. While it is difficult to know where to start with a problem as complex as violence, one part of the answer lies in giving respect to oneself: “We need to start with the self. We must empower ourselves to do the best and to be the best.”
While racism often creates situations beyond an individual’s control, individuals do have a certain degree of power to control their behaviour. They can choose to let anger consume them, or they can decide that they are going to do something to change it. One participant said, “You can be bitter, or you can be better. Unfortunately, a lot of people choose to be bitter.”
Several participants felt that it is important to not externalize the blame but also to look inside and to take personal responsibility. One person stated:
To solve this we need to stop talking about “them” and start talking about “me.” It’s not about the media as “them” or the authorities as “them.” It’s about the media as “us” and the authorities as “us.” We need to stop externalizing blame. We need to look inside ourselves. We need to take responsibility for society’s problems because we make up society.
One elder suggested to youth that they needed to find a way of controlling their tempers: “You have to learn to control your temper. I always say tell yourself that you’re the best, until you have it proven otherwise.”
One youth agreed that personal responsibility is part of the solution:
You have to be responsible. We should stop making excuses and do something positive so that it doesn’t give them a reason to stereotype us.
In order to move ahead and make change, individuals have to acknowledge their actions. In the spirit of taking responsibility, one participant apologized to the women he had made to suffer over the years:
I am as guilty as any man of violence in the home. I’d like to apologize to every woman, every mother, every daughter. I also apologize to my God. I don’t believe it was my fault. I had a bad teacher who followed me though and told me I was a failure. So I had a negative attitude. I went through the jails. I went through women and I called it love. I had children who suffered because of this. We have a big problem.
Some struggle to free themselves from the negative patterns of past abuse and violence and to not repeat the patterns that are harmful. For example, one participant described working hard everyday to make healthier choices. Each day when she comes home from work, she makes an effort to decompress from the stresses of her day before interacting with her child:
I deal with rage, violence, and stress everyday. When I go home, I say to my child, “Give me half an hour to yell, and scream in my room alone. Then I can talk to you.” I don’t want to take this rage out on my child.
Respect is another ingredient to the healing process. Older members of the community need to respect youth, and youth need to respect elders. “The Black man needs to treat the Black woman with utmost respect, but she should do the same for him.” Love, one woman stressed, is one of the elements of respect:
I have put myself into abusive situations and self-destructive behaviors. You need to love your children. The world will always see them as Black, so they need to be prepared for racism. If you love them, they will love themselves.
Building a bridge between the generations, focusing on the needs of youth
The Community Forum created an opportunity for individuals of different ages to express their differing perspectives on violence. Having this dialogue is important. Because without a common understanding or respect there will continue to be a gap between the generations.
Members of the older generation admit they often do not understand why youth are angry. One man was shocked when he was knocked down by a youth. He said: “In my day, you’d never hear of young people hurting old people.” Another older participant suggested that youth are treated with too much leniency today: “When they took the strap out of school, things just started going straight downhill.”
At the same time as several older participants said they did not understand today’s violence, they talked about growing up in an environment where old fashioned fist fights were an acceptable way to “settle things.” One elder recalled that in his day it was common to resolve differences by going outside and fighting: “We fought it out and may the best man win.” Another adult male had a similar memory:
When we were young and you used to fight, if someone got a bloody nose then the fight was over. If someone fell down the fight was over. But now, the worst thing that can happen is you fall down.
More than one participant noted the difference between the kind of fighting that took place in the past, and the fighting of today. It used to be that fighting was always “with your hands” but today, “It’s a five-minute fight, but it’s deadly – with knives and guns.”
Youth are astute enough to see the contradictions in the older generation. As a result, many have lost their respect for the older generation. One youth admitted: “The older generations have abandoned the younger people in our community. It gives me no respect for them.”
Older participants pointed to changing spiritual values and the diminished role by the church as the chief reason for youth going astray. One man looked back on his youth and remembered starting each day with a prayer. His mother used to say to him: “Pray boy. We need to pray.”
Another man recalled that his grandparents took him to church regularly:
They didn’t send up – they took us to church! The youth today don’t understand that there is a price to pay. You have to put something in to get something out, to get a car, or to buy jewelry. The TV shows 18 year olds driving fancy cars without work, but the youth must know that they have to work.
Older members of the community perceive faith as an important part of being a “well-rounded person,” and spiritual values and prayer as the foundation of a strong mind, body, and spirit. They feel the absence of moral and religious values has resulted in youth being disconnected and losing respect for others:
When I grew up, we all learned to get along, based on the spiritual training at home – to be respectful of everyone.
One woman elder said: “In the past, the foundation was always God. We need to get back to the basics. We need to start taking ownership.
One woman said that she owes who she is today to her grandmother and mother who prayed everyday. She felt sorry for children today who have nobody praying for them in the same way:
Children out there don’t have no one praying for them. If you start your day with prayer your day goes better. We no longer pray in school. We need to get back to that. Prayer and spirituality is the foundation. It’s so important that we give guidance to our people, and our youth. Maybe we did grow up with violence but we had prayer in our home. We took out the Bible – we read the Bible.
Having faith can prevent individuals from making bad decisions. Several participants felt that the younger generation would benefit if they based more of their decisions on their faith in God. One man confessed: “I could have sold drugs but God showed me a different way.” Another said, “The world is full of evil people. There will always be somebody out there. Sometimes we need to develop a personal strategy – a faith in God – to survive.”
Youth want to be listened to by adults. When the older generation listens, it sends a message that they respect and care for youth. In order to reinforce youth’s sense of having power, they need to feel they have a voice. Several older participants acknowledge they undervalue what youth has to offer, and agreed that the older generation too often ignores them, and doesn’t listen to them. Adults need to be more sensitive to the struggles youth face and to tell them that they are special. One woman explained,
Confidence is being taken from our children. We need to remember that the way that we’re acting to each other is a part of the system. What can we do? We need to tell children that they are special. We need to take the child to the side and whisper, “You are smart.” And believe in the church. My daughter is questioning God. It’s okay to question religion but always have a relationship with God.
Respect for youth means more than “just talk.” Parents and other adults have to be prepared to use their time, money, and influence to get involved in concrete actions. Responding to the needs of youth may be hard for the older generation, one youth noted, because the old people have done it a certain way for so many years.” Concrete actions are needed to help youth, but they must also include the involvement of youth. One young participant said:
We need more action between older and younger people. They talk abut youth, but youth are excluded. You can’t sit and talk about how “youth are angry” and then not include youth.
Youth need to develop a sense of self-esteem so that they know who they are and have the confidence to move out of the vicious cycles they are often caught in.
Our youth need greater self-esteem. They need to know they don’t have to have $90 sneakers on their feet to prove that they have a value. Our youth need to have a greater sense of who they are as Black youth.
If youth do not have self-respect, they become vulnerable to violence and abuse. One participant spoke about one young woman who was beaten up by a boy: “I talked to her about just needing herself. She doesn’t need a guy in her life who doesn’t know how to treat her.” Another participant talked about the importance of “projecting love”:
I strongly believe there’s an overwhelming sense of devaluing each other. A thousand deaths everyday, pain from here to here! We need to stand firm. Don’t stand back. We should project the truth. Project LOVE!
In order to have a sense of hope about the future, youth need to have realistic visions of success they can relate to. Youth need positive and attainable role models. For example, youth need to learn about others who have had success as Blacks, such as the Black mayor, fire and police chiefs, and others, in cities such as Detroit. Although these examples are American, “It’s an example where, if someone wants to succeed, they can.”
Youth could benefit from having an alternative definition of “success.” The older generation may have to accommodate, or adjust their expectations, with a vision of success that are more do-able, so that youth do not simply give up:
The youth are our future but they don’t feel enough support, focus, direction, or sense of the future (or success). They feel like giving up.
Figures such as Martin Luther King and Malcolm X could encourage youth to strive for more than simply becoming “gangstas.” Adults need to teach youth more about Black history so they can develop a greater self-respect:
It’s all about self-respect. We need to teach a message to youth that we can make a difference. A lot of young people, like my son, say, “I don’t want to hear that! This 400 year old oppression stuff, what does that do to us? Because we can’t change that 400 years. I can’t make a difference.”
Spaces are needed in the community for youth to talk and feel listened to. Unfortunately, youth have lost trust, because no sooner is a space opened, than it is suddenly closed down. One man talked about the importance of youth having a place to come and talk, and to know that space will always be there for them:
A lot of kids will be excited about something and then they’ll come back the next day and find the doors locked. I think that is a trust issue.
Youth need more activities and resources so that they do not act out in a “get back, be angry, American” way. Free programs for Black youth should be offered in schools and community centres focusing on jobs, trades skills, reading, arts, music, theatre, poetry, debating, and swimming. Recreational activities, especially on weekends, are needed to give youth a constructive outlet for their energies:
We need to effect change in the younger generation. Give them more options and outlets to release internalized violence.
Above all, adults need to help youth connect to connect to “something” that is currently missing. One woman felt that children today need help in finding their voices:
None of our kids should be failing elementary school. But Black children and aboriginals are being treated differently in schools, and if they do not have a father or mother, then they have no voice at all. Kids today watch TV for hours or play Playstation. These kids really don’t get it. There needs to be an in-between – a connector so kids say “oh yeah – I can do that when I’m done school”.
One participant thought the most important thing was to keep their sense of hope alive: “We should keep hope alive!”
Being active, investing-back into the community
Talk is not enough. Members of the community have to do more than say: “Don’t get involved in the bad stuff out there.” “Don’t get involved in drugs.” And “be the best you can be.” The older generation needs to provide a role model by “walking tall on a higher plan.” They need to be more actively involved. One man urged others to “not forget where you came from,” and “don’t wait until a serious incident occurs to open your eyes.” Several participants urged others to remember that “we all return to our Maker”:
While we are here, we should be our brothers’ keeper, through training, mentorship, and bearing each other’s pains. The bottom line is we are all going to meet our Maker. We need to have something there for our children.
Individuals from the Black community need to give back to the community because “our forefathers paid for us to have our opportunities.” If members of the community do not become more involved, then others, such as drug dealers, who do not have the well-being of the community in mind, will take advantage of the situation:
We have more professionals who move outside and refuse to invest in our communities. But you take the drug dealers in the Black community. They will invest. But should we be taking that dirty money?
The key question individuals need to be asking themselves is not what am “I” doing, but rather, “What are we going to do?” Having a sense of hope about dealing with violence lies in taking collective action:
It boils down to equity – help each other out. Don’t show favouritism. Don’t get on each other’s case. Right now, agencies in our community are doing nothing. They have a lot to offer, but they stop short of doing anything.
The community needs to act with a sense of single purpose. Although there may be differences between the Black communities, they have much to learn from one another. The bottom line, one man suggested, is that “we need to come together”:
Bottom line, the Black community is the Black community. It’s not East Preston, or North Preston. And we have to start acting like that.
Members of the Black community need to work collectively to change the attitude of the media towards Black youth and violence. The media needs to see that the so-called “gang violence” involves regular youth – not “hardened criminals”:
We need to start shutting the media down when they come into our community and give them the opposite message they now give which is, “It’s not safe here. There’s gangs and it’s really dangerous.” We need to show the media positive aspects of the community. There are no gangs. These are kids!
Black women want greater respect – especially from men who have traditionally had control over them. However, developing greater respect means overcoming several barriers. For example, it means overcoming the stereotype associated with Black women being strong and being able to survive everything. It means overcoming the images of disempowered women projected in popular culture and finding ways to help young women develop feel self-respect and confidence.
We need to find ways to make young girls feel respected – to know we are there. Young women need to be educated not to cater to our young men but to get their lives together as Black women first, then to find a partner.
Young women need mentors and positive role models. Participants felt that watching the movie “Diary of a Black Woman” is useful because offers a positive role model about a woman who learns to care for herself and to be strong in herself.
The church should provide more opportunities for women to play a leadership role, since women are already playing that role informally. One woman asked why things remained “a little backwards” in the church regarding women: “Why are 90% of our churches women, but there are mostly men leading the congregation?”
Women in the “No More Secrets” Talking Circle were asked what gifts they would like to give young women. Participants said they would give young women strength, pride, confidence, self-worth, trust, honesty, a peaceful spirit, love, laughter and happiness, critical and independent thinking, and resiliency. Other messages they felt would strengthen young women’s sense of self-respect included:
- Listen to your own inner voice and voice your opinion;
- Have a sense of purpose; know you are here for a reason;
- Find a man who will treat you well;
- Develop leadership;
- Have a spiritual grounding and a practical way of developing a relationship with God;
- Speak through the ancestors;
- Have self-compassion; love yourself and of your history and ancestors;
- Remember: Negative things will pass.
Feedback on the day-long workshop
The Community Forum is “an important start”
Participants felt the Community Forum’s acknowledgement of violence was an important step in the right direction. One elder called the Forum “a start.” Another thanked God for being given the opportunity to participate.” Another said more Forums were necessary in order to really move forward:
These sessions are good to start thinking and planning about what needs to be done – to put together an action plan. We need to carry on and follow-up – and move from here into the future.
When asked how they felt at the end of the day, participants responded: “rewarded,” “grateful,” “enlightened,” “safe,” “listened,” “unified,” “energized,” “hopeful,” “confident,” “challenged,” “thoughtful,” “aware,” “informed,” “useful, “great,” “inspired,” and “motivated.” Participants said the Community Forum was a “real eye opener” and “well worth the time.” One person praised the Forum because it was “sensitive to our feelings and also had some very practical recommendations.”
One participant called the Forum a rare chance “where Blacks can share what bonds them together as a race.” Another participant said she had a great deal of respect and admiration for Dr. Bernard “because she, of all our leaders, is trying to make a difference.”
Increasing awareness and learning: Creating hope, connection and solidarity
Participants welcomed the opportunity for “open communication” on the taboo subject of violence. Participant appreciated the opportunity to “tell my story” and to have a place where they could “tell the truth.” One man said that learning about internalized violence “blew my mind.” A young woman agreed: “We need a place to talk about internalized racism.”
The Talking Circles created a safe space for participants to talk and feel respectfully listened-to. One participant said she now understood the importance of the talking stick as an aid to listening to others:
It helped in listening to others. I finally understood the significance of the talking stick. It requires a level of maturity and an understanding that as individuals we do not have all the answers and we can have much to learn from others.
An elder appreciated the Forum bringing members of the community together:
Initiatives like this are good. We need to talk but we need this kind of forum to rally to talk about violence in relation to racism. Otherwise we turn inwards to ourselves and spend more time doing in-fighting than solving problems.
Listening to others’ stories was validating. Individuals were able to hear about the “varied experiences” and perspectives of others. By sharing stories, individuals were able to get “mutual support, like with family.” Individuals did not always agree with each other, but they listened to each other in a respectful manner. One participant said, “I was able to disagree with people and still maintain my respect for everybody.”
The Forum provided an opportunity for individuals to “vent their minds” about racism and to speak about “the complexity of violence.” Some made new friends with others with whom they shared common experiences. One participant said: “I feel like we belong to each other.”
By the end of the day, many realized that violence is a common concern, regardless of what community they come from:
What I found most useful about this Forum is the standardization of violence across the Black communities. This is very common but we still react the same, resulting in it affecting our health and wellness.
As a result of what they learned, many participants felt motivated to “band together and to unite as a political force.” They wanted to be part of action-based efforts to help “the entire Black community move forward.” A number expressed determination to work towards the elimination of violence by “positive means.” One participant appreciated getting information and contacts about local resources, such as with the “Leave Out Violence” project. One parent realized that she needs to become more involved with school issues, “assisting the teachers by volunteering my time instead of just judging and blaming them for the failures of the system.”
Several felt an increased sense of hopefulness about the fact that “things will be done . . . not just twiddling thumbs.” Another felt positive upon hearing about what is already being done.
Suggestions for the future: “Less talk and more action”
Participants provided the RVH research team with suggestions for future Community Forums. Many suggested that more time needs to be set aside to effectively address the topic. One participant felt that at least two days is required to “say everything that needs to be said.” Alternatively, smaller Talking Circles would give individuals more time to express their views. While the panelists provided excellent information, more time was needed to ask them questions. Others emphasized the role of the facilitator in helping to keep participants “on track” during the discussion.
Many participants felt that more time is needed for action planning: “We need less talk, more action.” One participant said, “We all know the issues. Repeating them over and over is not moving us forward.” Others agreed that more action is urgently needed:
We need more positive action….Already we are experiencing the destruction of the Black community and family. We need action, action, action now!
Community Forums like this are needed to provide an opportunity to brainstorm concrete strategies dealing with violence and racism. Several participants talked about the need for more action to address the core problems:
There has to be more action. If there is talk of solutions, short term solutions need to be found, as well as long term solutions….We need an action plan that will be aimed at the core problems in the communities. Real change. Real people. Real community….I do think that there should be more action. There should not necessarily be less talk, but there has to be more action.
In order to “get the job done” time should be set aside for resolutions, as well as for follow-up and implementation.” One participant said:
It is taking too long to change things. We need specific initiatives to address racism, violence and health issues.
Specific topics on which action is needed include:
- action and research leading to municipal, provincial, and federal initiatives to address crisis areas confronting the Black community;
- biracial issues;
- having people in influential positions to hear the issues and enforce change;
- restorative justice;
- employment initiatives for Black youth;
- more focus on youth, and more forums for youth, for older members of the community to listen to youth’s concerns:
Broaden the discussion: Encourage more to come forward to speak
More members of the community should be encouraged to come to future Forums. Youth, in particular, should be encouraged because they “don’t feel the Forum is for them, but for other people who are educated members of the Black community.” One youth knew of others who wanted to come, but “didn’t feel comfortable with the word racism.” Forums such could act as outlets “to release internalized violence,” to give youth more opportunities to speak about “why are you angry?”
Several participants talked about the importance of structuring future Forums to address the needs of youth:
It would be great to have a forum for the youth to tell us their concerns and problems…. Let the participants, especially the youth, get more involved. Let them choose the topic of discussion….We’ve done a lot of talking, which is good. But now let’s focus on concrete solutions and practical suggestions to initiate change. We need more positive role models to model to our youth how they can change.
Future Community Forums should involve more: (a) people from outside Halifax/ Dartmouth area; (b) representatives from the church and government; (c) elders and seniors (“for their knowledge, their wisdom”); (d) mix of sexes; (e) people from various backgrounds, such as business people, working class. Also, more participants with “unique perspectives” should be encouraged to attend:
People who think differently often have the most to add to conferences like this, but they can feel uncomfortable going against the grain? As a result, their minority perspective is likely to be left out.
Feedback to RVH Research team: Help the community keep the faith
Participants viewed the work being done by the RVH Research team as timely and relevant. They felt it was useful for the research team to connect with members of the community – both inside and outside the context of the Forum. They suggested that more field workers might be needed to help “spread the word.” The project should also attempt to have more frequent contact with the media to give them a greater awareness of the issues.
The research team was urged to share results of the study and to network with other organizations who are “out there doing similar things so we aren’t competing against one another.” One participant felt the research team should help groups who are “constructively doing the right thing” to find funding and support.
Participants encouraged the research team to give the community directions “with all they have accumulated” because it has “the total picture.” In terms of dissemination, participants asked that the research focus on practical solutions and implementation: “Don’t have the data end up on files for years to come.” One individual said it is critical for the research to be “translated into evidentiary forms of knowledge as well as action that can be used for change.”
By working closely with the community, the Research project can help to support members of the community to keep faithful and focused in dealing with the urgent issue of violence:
I think that one project alone can’t make things better, but we as a people can keep this support up in our communities and in our jobs and homes. Keep the faith in our own well-being.
Many people contributed to the success of the Racism, Violence and Health Project’s Community Forum. We acknowledge the work of research team members, especially Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard (Research Team Leader), Tionda Cain and Pauline Byard.
A large number of community volunteers donated their time and skills at the Community Forum. Following morning registration and refreshments, Dr. Henry Bishop and Wayn Hamilton opened the session with drumming. Alfred Saunders chaired the Community Forum and Wayn Hamilton offered the libation.
Pauline Byard and Barb Hamilton-Hinch provided support for registration. Greeters included: Nola Barton; Doreen Crick; Alma Johnston; Wanda Lewis; Sandy Miller; and Tony Upshaw. The Comforters were Doreen Crick and Tony Upshaw. As well, entertainment was provided by Shauntay Grant and Lincoln Whalen.
Each of the small group workshops and talking circles at the Community Forum was led by a facilitator. Facilitators included: Charys Payne; Tyson Tolliver; Marcus James; Karen Hudson; Natasha Jackson; Kaye Johnson; Lana McLean; Barb Hamilton-Hinch; Sylvia Parris; Wayn Hamilton; Sobas Benjamin; and James Byers. Recorders in each group made every effort to capture participants’ experiences in their own words. The recorders included: Melody Hiltz; Tana Clayton; Selom Chapman Nyaho; Charlena Claxton; Michelle Mamoalkot; Jessica; Lightbourne; Lillie Loppie; Darcel Williams-Hart; JoAnn Abraham; Selom Chapman Nyaho; Julius Egbeyemi; and Andrew Abraham. Following the forum, facilitators and recorders met in the cafeteria to debrief the highlights from their small group sessions.
Refreshments for the day were provided by Lorna Thomas. Lunch was catered by Stella Thomas of Starlite Cuisine.