It might come as a surprise to some, but racism exists in Guelph
Although there are forces such as the Central Student Association (CSA), Guelph Resource Centre for Gender Empowerment and Diversity (GRCGED), and Guelph Black Student Association (GBSA), there are still issues of racial bias, hate crimes, and racism at the University of Guelph and within the city of Guelph. All the hard work these groups do is greatly appreciated, but it seems as though not enough people take advantage of their services.
As a campus well-invested in the news of the provincial, federal, and U.S. government, it is not surprising to have conversations in class or overhear something in the University Centre or library and have opinions on it. Unfortunately, some of those opinions can be ignorant or misinformed. But that’s okay! Professors, other students, and even passersby might be knowledgeable on those topics and have the capacity to educate. It’s important to listen to new information and understand where people are coming from as this allows us to grow as people and as a community.
If this is not done and people stay firm to their opinions then issues and conflicts are sure to arise.
What’s important to understand is that the opinions of some do not erase the lived experiences of others. If you are not of a certain minority group, you cannot tell people who are of that minority group that what they experience is or is not racist, derogatory, or hurtful.
Sometimes, in that conflicting stage of opinions versus lived experiences, unrestrained anger and hatred come out in the form of verbal and even physical abuse. We hope that things don’t come to this, but it is a reality in our community that we need to address and dissect.
Statistics Canada released a census of 2017’s police-reported hate crimes, and Guelph is high on the list of cities that have increased in hate crimes. There has been a 60 per cent increase in reported hate crimes (representing an increase from 7.6 to 11.8 documented hate crimes per one hundred thousand people) from 2016 and 2017 and most experiences are due to vandalism and graffiti. There are, unfortunately, many more hate crimes experienced by people of marginalized communities that go unreported.
It’s also important to realize that people find comfort in anonymity. Several years ago, when the mobile app Yik Yak was popular, people very openly made racist, homophobic, transphobic, and derogatory comments. Because the premise of Yik Yak was anonymity, some people believed they were totally free from all consequences. From that, we see a very pure form of hatred and the unfiltered opinions of our community members.
Sometimes racist actions come about because people allow their first thoughts to be their only thoughts. As someone who is actively unlearning, I try to stop myself from saying the first thing to come to my mind because it is usually based on stereotypes, biases, and incorrect information. Taking the time to think about a response and emotionally involving myself in conversations with people who I do not share the same experiences as allows me to better understand their truths and empathize with them.
Photo obtained via Unsplash