Can you imagine for just one second, if a CPC or PPC candidate was found to have done blackface … not multiple times … just once! Not the leader of the Party … just a candidate. Imagine the mayhem. #Trudeaublackface pic.twitter.com/mY4mGCikip

— Natalie ?? (@iliveasnatalie) June 5, 2020

*Warning! Adult language.

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Today is an exciting, sad, overwhelming, happy, and angry day for me.

You see, while I’ve been at home for the past three months making and finishing my Toddler Country record, current events in the world and in my own personal life have been draining me emotionally.

I’m sure you all feel it too.

Today, I’ve been trying to feel excited and proud of the work I’ve done. I am excited. I do feel proud. But along with that comes a great amount of sadness and guilt. Sadness for my black, indigenous, and colored brothers and sisters. And guilt for not having posted anything about this recently.

Almost everybody on this platform has shared their thoughts—whether posting a black square, articles, hashtags, and pictures—everybody has had something to say.

Here’s what I have to say:

As a person of colour in the Maritimes, I’ve felt extremely confused about myself and have struggled with racism my whole life. Racism follows me wherever I go—in school, at work, with friends, and public spaces like restaurants and bars. Growing up brown in New Brunswick hasn’t been the most pleasant experience. The racism and discrimination I have faced since living in New Brunswick has left me angry, sad, silent, and insecure.

The truth is, all this shit has been happening this whole time. And right in front of our eyes. I already know all of you reading this have experienced or seen racism in one way or another.

And what have we done? Well, in an ideal world we would call these people out. But more often than not we say nothing. I never used to. Because it’s awkward. Because they’re old and that’s just the way they think. Because they’re a customer and you have to be polite. Because they are friends and that’s just their way of joking. Because they’re the boss and probably shouldn’t confront them because it might ruin the chances of getting promoted.

Fuck that.

And it may seem like in we’re in a perfect little bubble where everyone is nice and happy and cute. Fuck no. Wake up Fredericton. Wake up New Brunswick. Wake up Canada. We are no better than our neighbours. We too are built on racism, genocide, and violence.

My hopes are that with these current events and online protesting, we’re also able to stand up to our racist family, friends, bosses, and coworkers. Challenge those who need to be challenged. Go further than posting a black square on your Instagram. Donate to the cause. Get informed. Support artists of colour. It is a privilege to educate yourself about racism instead of experiencing it.

For a lot of white people reading this, life will resume. Your privilege will allow you to go back to your normal lives. For many, being black, brown, or any, POC is who we get to be for the rest of our lives.

That being said, my album goes on sale today on Bandcamp and I will be donating half of the profits to the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. If you’re thinking of how to help and where to donate, consider this organization.

 

“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist” ~ Angela Davis

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