Your Voice Against Racism: Colleen James
Originally Published by the Cambridge Times
Your Voice Against Racism is a campaign that aims to shine a spotlight on diverse and marginalized communities
As part of a campaign to meet and highlight diverse voices in Waterloo Region and to welcome discussion about how communities can work together to combat systemic racism, we asked members of marginalized communities the question: "How can our community fight racism together?"
Here's what Colleen James has to say:
"First, we need to, as individuals, look inward, doing the self-reflection needed to understand and question what we have been taught, what has shaped our values, beliefs, attitudes and, more importantly, our behaviours. This means taking a deeper look at how your entire way of being in the world has been socially constructed. Once you do that, you need to listen and believe the narratives that differ from what you may think and believe. This is necessary to bring people in the community along with us on our journey of eradicating racism."
Your Voice Against Racism is a campaign that aims to shine a spotlight on diverse and marginalized communities in a series of photo essays discussing diversity and inclusion and social justice, with a goal of creating change in our communities. Want to join the conversation? Send your answer to the question: "How can our community fight racism together?" along with your photo to editorial@waterloochronicle.ca.
The blog is curated by Colleen James, Principal and Founder of Divonify Incorporated. Colleen’s work is centered around the dismantling of oppressive systems by working with organizational leadership to address issues of systemic racism, equity, diversity and inclusion. If you enjoyed this blog, please share with others you feel would gain value from it.