TORONTO -- In the wake of another week of racial reckoning around the world, two Black Canadian students are opening up about the realities they鈥檝e faced and what needs to happen when the protests end.
High school student Shelby Jean-Pierre found out early in her life that the colour of her skin mattered. Her parents, like many others she says, had to have a talk with her.
鈥淚t was always like, when you get to school, if a white student gives 100 per cent, you have to give 200 per cent. It they give 200 per cent, you have to give 400 per cent. And even then, when I give 200 per cent and they give 100 per cent, my 200 per cent will only give me half of what they have,鈥� she tells 麻豆影视.
She says being told this when she was young forced her to grow up early.
鈥淚t makes you question yourself. Did I commit a crime by being born Black? Why am I judged by the colour of my skin? Why does the colour of my skin change whether I will get a job or not? Whether I鈥檒l be accepted in certain places or not? It鈥檚 not fair.鈥�
Jean-Pierre says she remembers a time she asked her school for a tutor list and was told to Google one, while her white classmates received a list.
鈥淭he racism in Canada, personally, I believe is very subtle. It is swept under the carpet very, very often, and you don't know that the racism is going on unless you're the victim,鈥� she says.
Fritz Okrah has also experienced this. The Carleton University student says a security guard, who didn鈥檛 believe he was a student, racially profiled him.
He presented the guard with his ID badge, which had his picture, name and his student number.
鈥淚 even presented a second set with my driver鈥檚 licence, with my name and picture and everything. I was accused of essential identity theft because he didn鈥檛 want to take it, he didn't buy it.鈥�
In a statement to 麻豆影视, Carleton University said the complaint, which happened more than a year ago, was 鈥渞esolved through a confidential alternative dispute resolution process to the satisfaction of both parties.鈥�
鈥淪ince then, Campus Safety Services worked with our Equity and Inclusive Community Department to design , in the spirit of continuous improvement, to ensure safe and inclusive practices on campus,鈥� it states.
However, Okrah says the university never admitted he was stopped for the colour of his skin.
鈥淭he cost of education here in Canada and in many parts of the world, it's not just money for Black people, we also pay with our dignity, and that's not right,鈥� he says.
Okrah has a complaint in front of Ontario鈥檚 Human Rights Tribunal.
WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE
Protests have been taking place across the world since the death of George Floyd, the Black man who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck during an arrest.
These protests have included people of all races, genders and ages. It has also sparked movements online, with many people speaking out against racial injustice.
But Jean-Pierre says 鈥渋f you鈥檙e going to post about it now, make sure you鈥檙e going to act upon what you鈥檙e saying.鈥�
鈥淲hen you walk outside of your house, if you see something going on that is racist, you need to use your privilege to step in. You can鈥檛 just say it online and then when you鈥檙e face to face with the situation in person it鈥檚 completely different.鈥�
鈥淲hen all of this is over, we're still going to be Black. The colour of our skin isn't going to change because the protest are over,鈥� she says.
Okrah says Black people need to see they have support around them, adding that people shouldn鈥檛 be using the current conversation for social media popularity.
鈥淲e all need to realize that first of all were all people. I鈥檓 growing, we鈥檙e all growing as humans and we all have things to learn, and if we let our egos get in the way of that we鈥檙e not going to be able to learn, understand and help each other.鈥�
