This is an excerpt from my piece "Modern Day Slavery". I decided to isolate this excerpt to emphasize the importance of the message it conveys. In this piece I "call out" Canada for centuries of complicity as a country while priding ourselves on being the "best country in the world". There is still so much work to be done in the fight against racial injustice and Canada is absolutely not innocent. Please enjoy the excerpt.
to Canada, the country in which I took my first breath, congratulations
you win the award for best country to mask their racial injustice in attempts to fool an entire nation
it’s amazing how you can compare yourselves to avoid the conversation
as if the lesser of two evils isn’t still evil
you claim
“the true north strong and free”
you claim that you
“stand on guard for thee”
but “Oh, Canada”
please tell me, would you really stand on guard, for me?
do not forget that “looters” stole this country
do not ignore the fact that what was once turtle island now houses your local Tim Horton’s, cut the impunity
I wasn’t aware that a medium double-double was the monetary equivalent of indigenous communities
this land has felt the affects of slavery too, and you had your prison, you just called it “school”
you wouldn’t know the blood on your hands
from the red on your own flag,
I’m extremely disappointed in you
but unfortunately, not surprised
for I’m not a stranger to the disregard of black lives
Written by Kimberly Douglas©
Personal favourite lines:
"congratulations. you win the award for best country to mask their racial injustice in attempts to fool an entire nation"
"you claim “the true north strong and free", you claim that you “stand on guard for thee” but “Oh, Canada” please tell me, would you really stand on guard, for me?"
"I wasn’t aware that a medium double-double was the monetary equivalent of indigenous communities"
"you wouldn’t know the blood on your hands from the red on your own flag"
Feel free to leave a like and any feedback below.
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