Opinion: Reimagining Black futures in Vaughan requires empathy

Addressing anti-Black racism starts with believing people even when their experiences don’t match ours, Jumol Royes writes

Yorkregion.com
April 5, 2023
Jumol Royes

Sometimes a hood is more than just a hood.

It’s cold outside, but you feel like going for a walk so you dress warmly and pull a hood over your head without giving it a second thought as you scurry out the door to brave the elements.

Sounds harmless, right? For a Black man like me, it’s much more complicated than that.

When I decide to go for a walk around my neighbourhood, I usually make the conscious choice not to pull a hood over my head. I’m hypervigilant about the sad reality that society often views Black boys and men wearing hoodies as being menacing and potentially dangerous. In some cases, that perception can lead to violent confrontations with deadly consequences.

Even though I’ve lived in the community of Maple for close to 25 years and am friendly with most of my neighbours, I sometimes still find myself trying to blend in -- the memory of being called a racial slur when my family first moved here never far from my mind.

So, when I learned the City of Vaughan was recruiting Black residents to sit on its Anti-Black Racism Special Advisory Committee, I had to take a deep breath, pause and ask myself: do I have the capacity to navigate the emotional labour that comes with doing this work?

Civic engagement was always modelled for me by my parents, both of whom immigrated to Canada from Jamaica in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and by my sister, who has spent most of her career working in and with equity-deserving communities on a local, regional and international level.

With the refrain “nothing for us, without us” echoing loud and clear, I felt called to seize the opportunity to champion and drive change benefitting diverse Black communities in the city I call home.

But addressing anti-Black racism isn’t just the responsibility of a special advisory committee or Black residents who step forward to help identify and address anti-Black racism by improving city programs, policies, procedures and services.

It’s the shared responsibility of all residents of Vaughan.

Each person must be willing to get uncomfortable and curious about how they actively participate in or passively observe anti-Black racism, and then commit to listening to and learning about the lived experiences of Black people, even when those experiences don’t match their own.

That requires empathy and it’s a collective step we can all take toward reimagining Black futures.

If you’re a Black person who lives, works or plays in Vaughan, I encourage you to bring your voice to the table. Complete a confidential online survey or sign up to participate in a virtual focus group session.

To learn more about the City of Vaughan’s Addressing Anti-Black Racism project, visit: vaughan.ca/AntiBlackRacism.