Google – Be the change

BY: KATHY MCDONALD 

Black History Month has arrived, and it entered with great hoopla and fanfare. I attended several events that day and the sense of urgency and the call to action was evident in every environment. There appeared to be a dramatic shift from rehashing the atrocities that were committed against people of African descent to a deliberate, intentional effort to dismantle anti-black racism as well as all structures that stand in its way. With all the exuberance and the messages of hope, it’s important to remember that it is one thing to embark on an undertaking to dismantle systems, it’s another thing to change hearts and minds.

Beneath all the celebrations, discussions, presentations and partnerships formed, the simple truth still remains: “Culture eats strategy”. Mark Fields, the then president of Ford Motor Company popularized Peter Drucker’s phrase “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”.  Simply put if the culture of the organization does not change then the strategies will never be successfully implemented. At the Greater United Way Black Leadership and Recognition Breakfast this was one of the prevailing themes of the panel discussion. The moderator of the discussion, Nation Cheong, highlighted that words have to translate into action and that if the two are not in synergy then the chance of #systemschange being a reality is merely a pipe dream.

At the Peel District School Board (PDSB) the professional development on February 8^th  will focus on “deepening our understanding of broader systemic issues that lead to inequitable outcomes for black students”. At last month’s Ontario Public School Board Association’s (OPSBA) annual Symposium, it was inspiring to see meaningful and deliberate steps being taken towards addressing systemic anti-black racism in school boards across the province. It is important to be mindful of how such efforts are packaged and marketed as this work should not be seen as a conversation about blame and shame. It is about having courageous conversations, it is about listening and it’s about deliberate meaningful actions of all levels of government and corporate structures. There were several creative, intentional and authentic initiatives that are being rolled out to sincerely tackle anti-black racism. Let me highlight the importance of just naming the problem. It is HUGE. The fact that directors of education and senior leadership have embraced doing the work. HUGE. The fact that the work is beginning to trickle down system-wide. HUGE.

I sat with pride in the conservatory of Brampton’s City Hall on Friday and listened along with hundreds of Brampton residents, city councilors, members of both federal and provincial parliament, as Mayor Patrick Brown read the Black History Proclamation. It was a beautiful thing to see a politician not just forget about his campaign promises but to witness his plan for the black community unfold. Charmaine Williams, the first black female City Councillor of Brampton, shared her story of faith, strength, and perseverance. The irony was not lost of the fact that the flagpole was frozen so the Pan-African Flag was presented inside and will be hung ASAP.  This emblem represents the African Diaspora and symbolizes worldwide liberation of black people.

One of the most harmful and oppressive characteristics of anti-black racism is the subliminal messages whether consciously or unconsciously perpetuated. It is in the preschool workbooks that are teaching kids basic writing skills that has a picture of a caucasian face and below the word happy then a black male’s image has below it, sad. The caucasian male has “proud” and the black female has “angry”. It is in the power points that perpetuate the negative stereotypes of our black children. It is in the flyer that goes home encouraging kids to enroll in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) programs that have images that don’t include students of African heritage as our children’s faces are reserved for places of prominence on the athletic programs’ flyer. It is the Black History Celebrations that speak solely to the accomplishments of Barack Obama, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, and Harriet Tubman; as if to say these are the only black people that have made any significant contributions to Canada and the world. The irony of the fact that these individuals are not even Canadians (Yep! I know Ms. Tubman once called Canada home).

I would encourage everyone reading this to stop what you are doing now and Google “professional hairstyles” then Google “unprofessional hairstyles”……OK, now take a deep breath. Visit @TrusteeMcDonald and go on my Facebook page, Kathy McDonald. Retweet and Like spread to all your networks and join the petition to have Google put an end to this hurtful lie that they are perpetuating weather willfully or otherwise. Let us all implore Google to #Googlebethechange.

While there is not a single human being on this planet that was responsible for, or participated in the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade, there are several, thousands of people that can mitigate and alleviate its impact. Remember the words of Alexander Den Heijer “When a flower does not bloom you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower” I urge you to journey with me and hold Google accountable to the propaganda and all negative racist hurtful subliminal and overt messages that are being disseminated on their platform. Walk Good! Belle Marché.