title taken from “Talk Yuh Talk” by 3 Canal

Soca's Premier Videographer Joins Ontario Protest

In the United States, the Black Lives Matter movement has been so powerful that the call for social justice is reverberating across the globe. As discussed in the Rant and Rave podcast, the combination of quarantine and social media have made it so that systematic oppression can no longer be ignored. Racial injustice is being exposed and challenged around the world.

In Ontario, thousands have flooded the streets throughout 2020 to demand justice for all citizens. In attendance at a protest in Hamilton, ON was Rant and Rave videographer Kordel Fermin. I spoke to him on June 19th to get his perspective of the protests for our podcast series, but his take on the movement caused me to look deeper into how Canada is finally recognizing that they, too, have a history of racism.

In my interview with him, Kordel told me that his instinct as a videographer was to join the protest to record it for posterity. Upon arrival in Hamilton, he realized something that changed how he views the BLM movement.

The protestors were predominantly white. They chanted “No Justice, No Peace” and held signs calling for an end to racial profiling, unfair policing and the systematic marginalization of their Black neighbors. In fact, the protest in Hamilton was not even sanctioned by the official Black Lives Matter organizers. People just wanted to join in the fight for justice.

Kordel also noted that it was good to see that Canadians recognized that police brutality was not just an issue in the United States. In June, there were similar protests calling for police reform. As noted by “Rant and Rave” guest Zakiya Tafari, tax dollars not only go to militarizing the police, but also to paying the salaries of those who have been placed on administrative leave for questionable conduct. That’s right! Citizens are paying the salaries of the same police officers that are accused of brutality.

On August 1st, Emancipation Day in Canada as well as the Caribbean, a group marched in downtown Toronto to remind Canada that not all of its citizens are free from socio-economic tyranny. "We must be here to walk on this day to say that changes have to be implemented so that we get rid of anti-Black racism and the institutional discrimination that has been happening," Yvette Blackburn, a spokesperson for the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council, told reporters.

Canadians currently have the opportunity to vote on police reform bills being introduced by politicians like Toronto’s John Tory and Vancouver’s Councillor Jean Swanson. These reforms will decriminalize poverty and move funds to community programs like after school care, mental health intervention, and others that are known to reduce crime. The move would benefit all Canadians as it would put tax dollars into improving communities rather than tyrannizing them.

Although many regard 2020 as a year of chaos and fear, it has actually become our year of reckoning. Prior to this year, social media was flooded with selfies showing off new clothes and dance challenges. Now we see hashtags calling for the arrest of corrupt police officers, news clips about local and federal elections and companies sharing their alliance with those fighting for social justice. Rather than dismiss this year, as is the want of cancel culture, we should take this time reexamine our values and focus on what really matters.

Listen to the full unedited interview with Kordel Fermin here.