'BLACK ON CAMPUS' DEMO TORONTO

For the last week or so, protestors have been camping outside the Police HQ in Toronto (College St) following an announcement that an officer who shot & killed father of 5 (Andrew Loku) will not be named or charged. Sleeping bags were on the floor, posters were taped all over the building, tables of food was available and Kendrick Lamar was playing in the background.

On the day I went to check out the demonstration, an organisation called "Black Collective Liberation" came together with the protestors and decided to have a discussion about "Being Black on Campus."

What is the Black Collective Liberation? It all started when black students in University of Toronto organised an event last spring called 'Being Black in U of T', where over 100 students shared their experiences of racism on their campuses. Earlier this year, students at University of Missouri also took action to change the culture of anti-blackness too. So this is what led to the creation of the "Black Collective Liberation" - it is a space where students can share stories, help and liberate each other.

My cousin (who is a student at U of T) wanted to check out what this event was about so I decided to go with her. The atmosphere was pretty chill when we got there. Food was being prepared and we were told to sit down on the blankets and sleeping bags that were spread out on the floor. Policemen were watching from across the street waiting for something to pop off. Meanwhile, music was playing and people were sitting around talking to one another. It was a cold afternoon and people were handing out toe warmers (that I used for my hands), which was nice.

The discussion started at 6:00pm and a large crowd had already gathered. A group of organisers introduced themselves and read out some questions about racism, which led to a few girls getting up and sharing their experiences on a microphone.

One story stood out to me. A young woman named Mahlet Tilahun, who is a 3rd year student at U of T, spoke about what happened during one of her lectures at university. When she decided to speak up on black struggles during a discussion in her class, she found herself being bombarded with insulting responses from her peers, portraying her as the "angry black woman" for simply talking about what she is passionate about.

She stood up on stage and talked about how her experiences has changed her perception of U of T.

"The reason why it's so f***** up is because people don't understand how triggering it feels. It directly affects how we are on campus."

A few more girls stood up on stage to tell their stories about their time at university. One young woman named Sasha referenced the video of black children pointing at the white doll when they were asked: 'Who is the prettier doll? Who is the nicer doll?' and pointing at the black doll when they were asked: "Who is the evil doll? Which doll is uglier?" Towards the end of the video, it's hard to watch the black children feel upset or ashamed that the "ugly black dolls" they just pointed at look just like them. Children should not be hating themselves at such a young age. I already watched that video and it was uncomfortable to watch, but Sasha continued to explain how frustrated she felt when some of her white classmates were sniggering and laughing at the video.

I had a chat with Mahlet Tilahun before leaving the event and she explained why she enjoys coming together and having events like this:

"I'm here because I'm tired of my experiences and this is a place to discuss, mobilise and strategise all the things we can do to uphold all institutions. We're all getting together and it's like a community, it feels nice - and hopefully what we can do is raise awareness so we can create better lives for our children and generations to come."

Here are a few more snaps I took: