VICTORIA: Almost$300,000willbegivento60community-basedorganizationsforprojectstodismantle systemic racism, address hate incidents and support racialized communities throughout B.C.
“Discrimination and racism are real, and too many people in this province continue to be victimizedbyhate,”saidNikiSharma,AttorneyGeneral. “I’mencouragedandinspiredtoseeso many organizations standing up and speaking out against racism and making B.C. a more welcoming place.”
The Historic Joy Kogawa House Society in Vancouver received funding to host safe and supportivebi-weeklywritingcirclesforwriterswhoidentifyasqueerandAsiantodevelop written work for publication.
“On top of the trauma of dealing with the pandemic, Asians have had to deal with feeling physically and emotionally unsafe in their social environments. For 2SLGBTQ+ Asians, who are already doubly marginalized as outsiders in straight and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, the layers of trauma are multiple,” said Ann-Marie Metten, executive director, Historic Joy Kogawa House Society.”Writerswhoonlymetinasafeonlinespaceduringthepandemicwillnowbemeeting in person to write together and develop new creative work. We are excited to see what results.”
NechakoHealthyCommunityAllianceSocietyinVanderhoofreceivedfundingtocreatevideos, podcasts and written pieces about life as a racialized person in northern B.C. and to demonstrate ways to get involved in fighting racism in the community.
“The’sleepymiddle’inourcommunity-thatis,peoplewhoareindifferentandcomplacentin anti-racismandanti-hateconversationsandactions-havealotofpotentialtosupportanti- racism and anti-hate education, and make real, lasting change,” said Sylvia Byron, Nechako Healthy Community Alliance Society. “Our hope is to inspire people to move from the silent, inactive, passive sleepy middle toward a more active, engaged community that will step up to supportanti-hateandanti-racismeducation,andwillstepintopreventracismandhatewhere they can.”
MableElmore,ParliamentarySecretaryforAnti-RacismInitiatives,said: “Indigenous,Blackand peopleofcolourcontinuetoexperiencediscriminationineverypartofsociety,andbecauseof this, they are often being left behind. These grants are one important way we are supporting grassroots organizations to address systemic racism in the ways they think will work best for
theircommunities,sowecanbuildamoreinclusiveprovinceforeveryone.”
Fundingpreferenceisgiventoapplicationssubmittedbyracializedandotherwisemarginalized groups. Projects must have started by March 1, 2023, and must end by March 31, 2024.
