It’s almost impossible to see signs of racism in Halifax.
Not because they aren’t there—because they’re hidden in plain
sight all around us.
Sure, we can convince ourselves everything’s just tickety-boo. We’re
a cosmopolitan city with a healthy respect for Charter rights, aren’t
we? Lynch mobs, last I checked, don’t roam the streets. So on the
surface, it would seem, all is well.
Underneath? Not so much. And locked-up black hair products at a
Dartmouth Shoppers Drug Mart might—key word: might—show
that.
Maybe you heard the story last week? CBC reported the drugstore kept
many of its black hair products under lock and key. A nearby salon
owner spelled out in the report her take on what that implies: Black
customers steal more than white customers.
The Shoppers franchise directed anyone seeking comment to its head
office. CBC.ca readers, however, didn’t
hold back.
There were 350 comments posted by the end of the weekend alone—the
overwhelming majority decrying the mere insinuation that there was
racism involved in the store’s policy. Racism? Well I never!
People were quick to draw parallels between the locking up of black
hair-extension clips to car insurance rates for men. Meaning? Insurance
rates are higher because men are behind more insurance pay-outs, just
like black Dartmouthians must be behind more shoplifting. Other
commenters made use of the logic theorem known as reductio ad
absurdum—saying their local drugstores must be sexist, because
they lock up men’s razor blades. In other words, if you agree that
argument is absurd, it follows that the people alleging racism for
locked-up do-rags are loonies, too.
What’s interesting here? Not that some people didn’t believe racism
was the root of the store’s practice. I would realistically expect some
people to say the act is discriminatory and others to argue that it
isn’t. But what’s really interesting is the public’s automatic,
overwhelming and in most cases vehement defence of the store. And not
one of these people had yet heard the store’s reasoning.
That response only shows that Halifax’s ingrained racism—which may
or may not have been a motivator in the store’s practice—is far from
being on its way outthe door.
No surprise. Africville and its destruction 40 years ago are still
thick in the soup of this city. (The city’s wrongs won’t be erased
quickly or easily; my personal dig is to say the bucking-up of
long-promised government cash to rebuild the Seaview Baptist Church as
a historic site would be a good gesture.)
Would the bulldozing of Africville happen today? Likely not. As a
city and a province we’re been cured of our most obvious discriminatory
missteps: from slavery and the lopsided Loyalist land grants of the
18th century to relatively more recent practices of prejudice like
segregated schools, separate seating in public spaces and white-only
clubs.
But generations of discrimination don’t disappear in a flash.
Slavery was outlawed, segregation found itself on the losing side of
our cultural norms and African-Nova Scotians began to take their
rightful places in our classrooms, courtrooms and boardrooms. So where
did the racism go? Into the catacombs of everyday culture.
Examples?
Consider the fiancee of a friend of mine, a 32-year-old human
resources manager who is black and who has more than once been denied
entry to a prominent downtown bar. Something about his clothing for a
night on the town just doesn’t seem to make the cut.
My friend herself? She’s walked into stores and been ignored—not
even greeted—while sales associates have helped the white friend
she’s been shopping with.
Another friend? Her black 14-year-old son was stopped and questioned
by police last month on his way home from his aunt’s. He matched the
description of someone, the officers told him, who had been reported
breaking windows in the area. That’s the MO of racial profiling
everywhere.
And consider the black hair products at the Tacoma Drive Shoppers
Drug Mart. Consider, for that matter, the placement of black hair
products in any drugstore. Just go check it out. See if there are
electronic theft-detection devices on the boxes and bottles. Is it
racist if there are? Perhaps no one can say for sure. And that’s the
problem.
A racial slur spray-painted on a building? Any idiot can recognize
and label that kind of bigotry. But when there’s just a shade of
doubt—a dress code, busy salespeople, eager cops, maybe randomly
locked-up merchandise—it leaves just enough room for that subtler
racism to stick around and fester.
Have you experienced racist behaviour?
Tell Lezlie Lowe what happened at lezliel@thecoast.ca.
This article appears in Jan 29 – Feb 4, 2009.
“Racism” doesn’t just happen to black people in this city. I know quite a few minorities who aren’t black and even white women who have been discriminated against because of their race/gender. In a few cases it was quite blatant. I usually don’t agree with much of what Ms. Lowe has to say in her articles, but I think she’s bang on with this one; but I think she should expand the scope of her stories to include other forms of racism because it certainly is alive and well in HRM.
It would be racism if Shoppers Drug Mart had no statistics that showed losses on those products were greater than on other similar products not aimed at blacks. However, what is it if they have such stats proving those losses are occurring at a higher rate? And what are they then supposed to do?
It is a shame that Ms. Lowe neglected to check that part out in her story. People are quick to play the race card, but not when it works against their motives.
Racism is indeed bad in Halifax; but it’s unfair to place blame on a retailer, because Keith is right, what are they to do? If they show considerable and consistent losses, they have every right to put a product under lock and key. If we take the approach that the CBC story and Ms. Lowe take, that means every product that a retailer sells and keeps under lock and key is potentially racist; take razor blades for example. I use razors because Shopper’s usually does two things with them, and they are a common item of theft. One way they prevent loss is by putting them in a case that makes a dinging sound while it is open, drawing attention. The other thing that they do is place it up for where you have to ask like a little child for a package of razors. Are we to take this as discrimination against people who use those razors? No we don’t. To take it further, the same retailer will lock up certain drugs after 10 pm due to theft and to protect the staff. Are we to take this as discrimination against drug addicts? No, we don’t. I could go into so many other examples of retailers locking up product (and more popular products). I really doubt that the retailer made the decision in question lightly (the story is read to make you think that of a room filled with white executive types saying stuff like: “what to do about the black hair product theft? Let’s lock it up and make them beg for it! HAHAHAHAHA!”) I’m not denying that Racism exists, it does. Know what though? It doesn’t exist in every little corner of society, and we need to find a way to get around that.
I’m a Middle Eastern man currently looking for an apartment to rent. For some reason no one would call me back to view any of them! Some have even allowed me to view the apartment, I like it, and they agree to rent to me. When I call them to complete the paperwork and pay for the apartment, after being approved for it, they never answer or call back! This has been going on for a week now, every night. I believe that NS is the second most racist province in Canada, Alberta takes first place.
Africville should have been bulldozed…a shanty-squatter town on city land…come on. It would have been bulldozed in a second today.
Africville would have been bulldozed in a second today, don’t think otherwise. People squatting on city land and not paying taxes…right because that would have went over so well in the halifax of today.
consider how many banks or grocery stores exist in halifax’s north end surrounding the segregated square and ask yourself if racism exists in halifax
I agree with Keith. This isn’t a case of racism, it’s a case of a business locking up certain products because that certain product is stolen more often than others.
Lowe has no grounds to call racism unless she checked up with Shoppers to see if they have statistics to prove that product is stolen more than others, or if they locked that item up based on racist assumptions.
Otherwise this story is sensationalist.
I heard that middle age white women in Dartmouth use that kind of hair product on there pubic hair .
I saw in a store a young guy dropping his money, expecting the cashier to walk around and pick it up for him , he called the cashier women a frking racist .
Who is here the racist ?
If an 8 year old girl on a bike killed some and black police man stop all 8 year old girls on bikes is that racism ?
I am foreign and I find it poor if people try to blame every thing on racism .
I think lotsa people who use the word racism most even don’t know what the word means .
I love being told I’m racist because I’m assumed white…Then I love throwing it back in their face because I’m not ‘whitey’, I’m native.
Example right back at you, busy dad trying to manage three kids happens to not see a black lady waiting in line at Tim Hortons, the lady then proceeds to demean him in front of his children, attributing his mistake to his inherent racism, why? Because he’s white.
Racism is rampant in any culture, whites, blacks, hispanics, indians of every variety, each have the hate on for some culture. What I detest even more is when articles like this pop up, somehow justifying racism from one race to another ‘because you did it first’. The coverage overall of racism is lopsided, mainly focusing on how blacks (alone) are discriminated against. When a guy gets beat up for being apparently white in a black neighborhood, it gets attributed to drugs.
Congrats, your article is about as unbiased as the KKK
To Steve Del Toro, who wrote:
“Africville would have been bulldozed in a second today, don’t think otherwise. People squatting on city land and not paying taxes…right because that would have went over so well in the halifax of today.”
What makes you think they weren’t paying property taxes? They were not only paying property taxes, but being denied services like running water, garbage collection, and sewers that all other areas of Halifax were benefitting from. So, if you’re going to make stupid comments, it’s best to know what you’re talking about, or else keep them to yourself. Ignorance is bad enough in the world without more people spreading it.
I haven’t heard about the hair product controversy so can’t comment. but as a visible minority person who grew up in Toronto and moved here a few years ago, let me assure you that xenophobia (probably more precise than “racism”) is certainly more pronounced here. I have walked out of stores I was ready to spend lots of money in because I got no service (sales people served “whites” first – even tho they came in much later). Took me 2 years to get used to being stared at on the street – some guy in a pickup truck driving by slowed down and leaned out just to have a good stare at me… I mean I’m ugly but not that ugly… 😉
This doesn’t mean other cultures aren’t xenophobic. Plenty of xenophobes in Toronto of all cultural backgrounds too – its just that the level is not nearly as high as in Hfx and here they’re mostly white (simply due to demographics I presume).
Guess what I hear when people say “the race card.” I hear “even though I’m white [and they’re always white] and have no direct experience with racism, I somehow know that a majority of claims of racism simply involve a scurrilous individual shamefully using GENUINE racism (deemed as such by me, not you, sry) as leverage to get what they want.” In this case, the ability to simply be able to get hair products made for your own hair without having to ask someone to get them out of a locked cabinet. OOOh, special treatment!
If it sounds like I’m saying using the term “the race card” is in itself racist, then you’d be correct. It IS in the little things…which I suspect was the point of this column.
Don’t flatter yourself, coolhand. People driving by stare at me too, I’ve noticed. And I look the same as they do. Don’t ask me why. I guess we just have a bunch of stare-lovers here.
Quote: “He matched the description of someone, the officers told him, who had been reported breaking windows in the area. That’s the MO of racial profiling everywhere.” unquote
He matched the description so he was stopped, and yet you still complain. Wow, what horrible police work.
What the fuck else can you use as means to stop somebody? What is so wrong about that? Sheesh.
In my opinion, as a black man who was born in Nova Scotia, a large part of the problem is that those in control are not ready to discuss the issue of racism. It’s as if they are automatically pidgeonholed as racists if they discuss the topic, when I believe just the opposite. An open and honest dialogue is really needed so folks can open up about the subject, vent and then move on. Ask Kirk Johnson, who was born in North Preston and raised in that community his entire life. He represented this country at the World Championships. He’s worn the Maple Leaf with pride. Yet he can’t have his car be driven here without being stopped and having the car impounded? The Chief and Deputy apologized to Mr. Johnson, but the officer who impounded the vehicle boldly stated “I don’t care what my Chief says, I’m not apologizing.” Ask Cecil Wright, who was born in Halifax, about the treatment he received when he asked if an umpire was a racist bastard when he was tossed from a senior league game for simply calling time. And he, to this day, protected that umpire by not giving his name to the media when they wanted it. For his trouble, he was suspended and told that racism doesn’t exist in the senior league. You really should speak to some Halifax Regional Police officers and firefighters of colour and ask them about the incidents of racism that they endure. Ask Robin Atwell. But let’s keep denying its existence and we will forever suffer in silence, pretending racism is someone else’s problem…certainly not one which is rooted in this region.
Happy African Heritage Month!!
People are not denying the existence of racism. It exists, as long as bigotry exists, racism will continue to. I think the point is however is that as a society, we’ve been trained to look for it everywhere. I grew up in Timberlea, literally 5 minutes down the road from Beechville. I had friends who had direct lineage back to the same people who originally populated the area. I saw what happened to them… direct racism rarely happens now, it is indeed done in a more indirect manner, but even they had to say a few times that people are way too sensitive about what could or could not be racism. My generation (Gen Y), grew up though school being taught that racism was bad (which indeed it is, as with all bigotry) but it was pounded into our heads, literally every minute of every day. This made people over sensitive. In fact, I feel guilty about writing this comment because I feel racist because it seems like I’m denying racism exists, even though I’m not. I tend to think of it this way: for every act of undeniable racism that was committed by some random redneck moron, there are 5 acts of genuine kindness from one person to another. It’s not a rationalization, it’s the truth. What I have a problem with however, is that we don’t celebrate our differences enough. We don’t dedicate a month to people with Russian heritage, we don’t dedicate a month to people with Asian heritage (and believe me, their history of slavery is just as long and bloody as those people who were brought here from Africa, not to mention it’s the second largest censused population in Canada) and if we do, we don’t publicize it to the fullest extent that it should. Racism exists, but I think it always will; because it boils down to a basic human issue: bigotry. And as long as humans beat their wives, think that they’re better than everyone else, think we have a greater purpose, we will always have racism. That said, we will be having this same discussion 400 years from now, just as our ancestors did, and further progress will have been made.
From what I’ve seen it’s mostly the expensive items which are locked up, because who steals cheap things? It’s not really worth it, but razors cost a stupid amount of money, and if I’m thinking of the right hair products, they do aswell. How about we make things cheaper so that they aren’t such a draw for stealing?
Or we could teach people that stealing is wrong…
I think it is absolutely ridiculouse to assume shoppers drug mart was acting racist. As a matter of fact I have worked in retail in the Tacoma shopping area of Dartmouth when K-mart was there, To be quite honest is was usually %80 blacks that were sitting in the security office waiting for the police to arrive, or being chased across the parking lot by floorwalkers, or security guards.
Reality hurts I know, and im asuming that some ultra left-wing liberal will relate my above experiences with racist whites opressing blacks, so its white halifax’s fault. will it ever end, if we dont lock up the merchandice.
Wow, where have people been? I have only lived here for two years and right away, I recognized what a backward, segregated city this is. HIDDEN racism? I don’t think so. Maybe to those who don’t have to deal with it on a day-to-day basis. But as a coloured person in Halifax, this is just a reality. The problem is a little more deep-rooted than locked-up hair products.
And for all the whites commenting here who grew up in dartmouth or any high school that had a substantial amount of black students. Just interested in how many times you experienced racism against whites, and/or violence (hate crimes). If your experiences were any thing like mine then you would have probably experienced and disproportionate # of black on white violence and racism by far.
P.S the reason why i mention high schools is because i feel this is the one of the most diverse enviroments people are apart of.
Steve Del Toro when it comes to Africville you are obviously and painfully ignorant of the facts and the matter in which it went down.
Africville was one of the longest standing communities in Nova Scotia, having been populated and depopulated through history by a number of situations. It was its own neighbourhood on plots owned by individual residents who were not welcome anywhere else. It did pay city taxes but received no services. The only development it received was for such things that resulted from NIMBY situations for such things as slaughter houses and infectious disease clinics. Africville became a fully self-policing community;in fact a lady by the name of Rose Fortune started it all, and became the first female police officer in North America… oh yeah and the first Black member of the Canadian Senate. It probably had more significant, non-military history than any other part of Halifax.
Furthermore it was a fully functioning community where the inhabitants scraped by to make livings bu could because social capital was high. Only after the community was knocked down were the former inhabitants forced to take handouts. Africville has been named as an egregious assault on human rights by all levels of Canadian Government and progress around the issue is still regularly updated by the UN. So in fact, it would not have been “bulldozed in a second”. It is more likely that international money would have come in to make it a UNESCO site… but what do I know I am just some white kid who don’t know sh_t about city history.
I guess that’s why I can’t make strongly grounded statements like the drivel that you posted.
JP— While I don’t agree with SDT wrote, your proclamation that Africville should be a UNESCO site is extremely short sighted, simply due to the fact that if we were to do that, every community in NS that has had a long history (practically every single one, Annapolis Royal comes to mind) qualifies. If you want to make a stand on what you call “drivel”, maybe you should make your statements less sensational, lest they themselves become “drivel”.
See this is why we cant fix things….there is racism in Halifax….a lot of it. Weather it be Black, Middle Eastern, Asian or being gay. No matter what the culture, religious, lifestyle or ethnic background is WE have a RIGHT to be here and be treated with dignity. Canada is the only country in the world with as many interacial relationships and biracial children so get use to us because I dont think we are going anywhere. Some form of racism can be found everywhere but if we brush in under the rug we cant fix it.
This is rubbish. People defend the right of the store to practice a rational policy because most are so utterly sick of the rally cry of “Racism!” for every perceivable slight whether it’s real or, more often, imagined!
Dr. Fever,
Mr. Wright was told that there was no racism in the senior baseball league. To me, that is a denial and a rather utopian, yet shortsighted description of the state of that league. Mr. Wright, the only black manager in the league is being told by an all-white governance that there is no racism in the league? Based upon what? I’m pretty sure the league, nor the umpires, have ever conducted any significant research on the subject, so how could it be considered fair that they took such action?
But what recourse does anyone have? Mr. Wright questioned it and the media tore him to pieces. He and his family had to answer question after question about it, while the instigator got off free, and in fact was not seen in action for the rest of the year.
Mr. Wright, I know for a fact, has done more around Halifax to address incidents of racism and violence among schoolage children and teenagers, than your average person. He didn’t deserve what happened to him and neither did Mr. Johnson or Ms. Atwell.
One of the problems, though, is that when a person of colour raises these topics, they get jumped on, belittled and castigated by the media and pundits who boldly state that any allegations are baseless, no matter how much merit there is to them.
Ron E— I do not question that racism is out there and what you outline is an unquestionable example of it. It’s also good that they were able to get out into the community to discuss their trials with racism. Here’s the thing though— the media cannot help in this situation. If they tear it apart, they tear it apart. Let them do it. That’s only one person’s opinion. However, the people who see that report or who read the article, make their own educated decisions about what they ingest. The issue I have is that we, as a society, do not give people enough credit. There’s a lot of educated and uneducated individuals out there that understand that racism exists and is a hate crime (understandably so). My point here is that I feel that eliminating racism is an unattainable goal; it’s just not going to happen. If we had a way to just stop being bigoted, it would have been put in place, and many of humanity’s problems would be erased. I just feel that my generation the one before it were trained to see racism where it sometimes doesn’t even exist. What this brings us back to is the original point of this thread, which is a retailer locking up products because they are stolen frequently. My point here is that plenty of products offered by the retailer have some sort of security measure on them. Should we call the same retailer misogynistic or misandric by locking up a simple product like a razor? I think not, nor do I think that we are sweeping it under the carpet.
There’s another kind of Hate in Halifax; the hate of ignorant people who slur and insult their innocent fellow citizens, accusing them of the dark and mysterious crime of “racism”. There’s always plenty of hate to go around. White people aren’t uniquely guilty of it. That’s a lie. Alot of people who accuse others of this subtle racism are really just projecting their OWN unconscious elitism, snobbery and…self hate.
A number of years ago such elitists complained that black Americans were being stopped by police more often than whites on a highway in New Jersey, USA.
A study was done, involving 40,000 different drivers under controlled, scientific standards. The results?
Black drivers really did speed 10% more than others.
Facts aren’t racist.
So, does this journalist really have PROOF that all whites should hang their heads in shame for some invisible racism they weren’t even aware of? Or should this “journalist” be challenged to provide PROOF. Do some blacks shoplift more often than others? Is this reporter calling the white store owners evil racist liars? PROVE it before they insult and degrade their neighbors with unfounded accusations.
Readers should demand PROOF or an APOLOGY from the powerful media that insult them.
Don’t believe them! You all know in your heart whether you don’t hate others for their skin color. Don’t let allow these people to fill you with guilt and shame that is based on their unfounded insinuations.
Store owners that have been insulted by this article should pool their resources and buy hidden video cameras. Then, put all the hair care products on the same shelf in some hidden corner of the store. Film continually for several months. Then they will have PROOF of who may be really stealing what. If the reporter is wrong, they should write another article offering their profound apologies. Otherwise, the store owners can do so.
Merchants and citizens shouldn’t let the media push them around. DEMAND real evidence, not slurs and theories based on what may simply be their OWN bias and ignorance.
Yes, I’ve experienced racist behavior. I was invited to a black friends wedding once; none of his relatives showed up. Why? Because he married a white girl. Why don’t these self righteous reporters ever write about other races hatred for a change? Whites are sick of hearing about how awful they are. B.S. Whites are the least racist people in history. There is still racism practiced by Arab Muslims in Africa. Why don’t you write about that hatred? In Saudi Arabia, a college dorm caught fire and the girls died because they tried to escape without their Hijabs; the morals police forced them BACK into the burning building. Why don’t you write about THAT kind of hatred? Jewish charity workers were tortured beyond recognition before being murdered in Mumbai; why don’t you write about that racism?
Todays media is hopelessly biased against European whites, as though they are uniquely evil and hate filled. Go study world history. Get some global and historical perspective. Stop browbeating people with your sickening self righteousness. No one wants to hear it anymore.
I married a white woman. Want to know how many attended the wedding from her family? None. And as far as whites being the most non-racist members of society, you must be excluding members of the Klan and the Aryan Nation and the Heritage Front and their supporters who regularly go out looking to kick the crap out of a minority for the rites of passage and initiation routines.
But even making blanket statements like that…blacks are…whites are…asians are…shows there is still alot of work to be done before we begin to truly accept our differences.
White isn’t a color – a “white” person, in my opinion, is just someone who has no visible ties to his ancestry. The fact that they are ignorant to their roots makes some of these “white” people extremely racist and prejudice towards people who do respect and honor their culture. So I do believe if you want to lump the white people in a box, yes you can say they form the most racist people in the world.
What absurd comments from “Anon,” saying that a white person is one who has “no visible ties to his ancestry.” My husband’s grandfather came from Nova Scotia to California, and his ancestors before that came from Scotland. My ancestors came as pioneers from various parts of the British Isles to found the U.S.A. I am white, my husband is white, and our children are white. We certainly bear visible evidence of our ancestry in our skin hue and our features, and we respect and honor our culture. It is the height of bigotry for “Anon” to degrade the rich culture and heritage of white people, and the innumerable contributions whites have made to create and sustain Canada and the U.S.A.
Many good comments here, i was a little surprise, White people are no more racist than any other race, but we seem to be reminded that we are over and over again in the media, american dad, family guy, they have a white family and make racist jokes, people see that and assume. Perhaps if we mass immigrated to africa, or pakistan, then they would be the racists, and white people the victims. Statistics are statistics for a reason, not because they are biased or racist, but because numbers don’t lie, they don’t have to. I am sick of holocaust movies with “Evil Germans” first of all Nazi’s were a political party, the german army was just doing what soldiers do, follow orders. And do you think white people invented slavery? Its been going on for centuries. We had nothing to do with what happened 150+ years ago. I think Lezlie Lowe should do some research instead of just spewing out what ever tripe she jots down. White people designed and invented modern math,modern medicine, computers, cars, and are helping africa build schools, and hospitals.
Just my little rant, because this was my home town, and I love it.
This is nothing but pure defamation against Canadians of European descent. Those who look for monsters in the dark can usually find them within themselves.
Wow… SS (interesting initials…) you should join a white supremacist group, because that’s sounds a lot like the hate speech and fact spinning they employ to spread their lies. Ever stop to think the reason why those stats are the way they are is because of American justice system targets people that are committing “poor” (crimes like theft) crimes. You’ll find a disproportionate number of the black people committing crimes live in impoverished areas. Do some fact checking and you’ll find white people doing the same thing. We in Canada have the same issue, and it’s not that the people of Europe or European decent are less violent (lest we forget WW I and II in recent memory, not to mention the Crusades, Colonialist England, the Roman Empire, the American Civil War). Oh yeah… people of African decent are inherently violent indeed. Those aren’t delusions, they are facts. Perhaps you should think about those FACTS and your own FACTS before you make your own assumptions and make biased comments.
I remember a few years ago, a pharmacist in Alberta was being charged with refusing to sell a can of lysol to a native person. He thought the native man was buying the lysol so he could huff it (a huge problem on reserves). The white pharmacist thought he was doing the right thing. He was branded a racist and taken to the human rights court. I am not sure what the verdict was but given the history of the human rights court, I can most assuredly assume it was guilty. The funny thing is that a short time later, the indian reserves were all bitching about the easy availabilty of lysol and the huge problem with natives (particularly children) huffing it. I believe at that time they all blamed white pharmacists who turned a blind eye to the sufferering of natives and sold them cans of lysol to make a profit. In short, damned if you do, damned if you don’t.
I was just recently in Hali and it never ceases to amaze me, the blatant racism that exists in my city of birth…embarrassing really. I’m not saying that in other places there is none…because there is, but in segregated Halifax, for example, people’s love for money is even overshadowed by their ingrained racism…I can say this because I feel weird and unwelcome when I go into a lot businesses around the HRM. You can be racist all you want, I don’t care…but serve everyone with the same respect and keep that shit in your own house…whatever, it’s your own gene-pool that you’re poisoning.
And to the bigots talking about the “Race Card”…what purpose would someone have to use this theoretical card …what game does one win by playing said card?
Seriously…why would I waste my time saying racism exists if it didn’t? WTF would I gain by fabricating racist situations? Oh right, because a minority highlighting racist experiences will benefit in some why by doing so…crazy
I could write another 1000 words but alas, this black boy is getting tired of this
I have found in traveling through Canada that racism in Nova Scotia is second only to that in Quebec. I have never anywhere, even in Quebec, seen police go out of their way to provoke and belittle. I am not talking about that Digby incident. I am talking about my own experience. And, sorry to say, word is spreading that it is not a place to do business unless you belong to certain heritages. That province is shooting itself in the foot.
Try living with people from New Glasgow and New Waterford. These people are my classmates and I wish could knock them out on a daily basis, however its not very reasonable.
Also, the excuse “Oh, I was raised that way.” makes me want to punch even harder. People are terrible.
(Ironic statement after saying i want to knock them out… i know)
racism is something to always be aware of, but in this case, if the hair products are being stolen at a rate that forces the owner to lock them up, i can’t for the life of me see the problem. if there was a huge surge of tampon theft, i’d expect them to be locked up, too. i wouldnt call it sexual discrimination, i’d call it “dealing with theft”.
I was so glad to read this article. I think this is a really important issue that is not being addressed. It’s ironic, because I find myself becoming more and more supportive of the Drug Mart’s choice to lock up the products. I am a young woman in my early 20s and was brought up with a generation that was taught to accept everyone- racism was a thing people thought about in the 60s and it was preposterous to even THINK that it existed anymore.
But now I live in Fenwick Tower and I cannot help notice things that make me change my mind every day. Down the hall from me there is a man of Middle Eastern decent that REFUSES to speak on the phone in his apartment. He sits outside in the hallway on his cordless phone and talks to this unknown person for all hours of the day. His apartment is right beside him and I’m pretty sure there are some doors in there he can hide behind if he is trying to escape someone’s ears. Here’s the part that digs me: every time I come out of my apartment to say, go to the laundry room, dude gives me this angry sideways look and wonders why *I* am wondering why he is standing there. Each and every time.
Ok so that’s one example. There are many examples in this building that push me over the edge … Like the four East Indian men that were drunk driving in the underground parking lot, smashing the garage door … Or perhaps the Asian men who won’t let me into an evaluator even though there is tons of room. I am half Asian myself, and I am at a loss here.
I am fighting this overwhelming feeling that I have to generalize about these races- and I am succeeded thus far. I know that the white people in this building had their issues too- everyone does. But why are these circumstances of public rudeness only displayed by other races lately? And not even all people of other races, but specifically non-white people in their 20s?
– Slowly turning racist
@Lezlie Lowe
Really Nice Article it a fact that Racism is still a problem in the Halifax Region and it nice at least it can be talked about even if some people are still in denial about it.
This is a Reply to Southendrage,
I can understand frustration, but you really can’t judge an entire race based on a few. I live in Ottawa in an area known for it’s bars and clubs.. and the rowdy people come in every shade. One needs to remember that every person is an individual,and will act out in their own way regardless of their ancestry. Try getting to know these people. Say hi to the man on the phone. You don’t know what his story is, so you shouldn’t judge. It’s like the rude waitress… she probably just had a very bad day.It’s ok and normal to sometimes have negative opinions of other races as long as you don’t let it affect you. Who knows… your very best friend might one day be asian or indian. People have to remember that hate doesn’t ever solve problems.
My first night in Halifax was in September 1988. My African-American best friend and I went to the liquor dome. The bouncer checked our ID– my best friend’s Harvard ID provoked a look of surprise from the bouncer, who then proceeded to charge us $30 to enter. Being from New York, we didn’t find that steep entry fee too shocking, though the bouncer seemed surprised again that we would pay it. It was only later that we noticed nobody else was asked to pay anything at all to get in. I’ve never been back to the dome. I’m of Irish descent like so many folks around here, but I’ve never forgotten how they treated my friend.
When people realize that we are ALL the same race, the human race, then certain incidents won’t be seen as a reflection on a person’s ethnic origin, but rather a reflection of that person, no matter the colour of their skin. Racism belittles the racist, not the race.
I moved here in 2002 from Ottawa but am originally from New Brunswick. I’m of French decent and gay male as well. Across the country you hear people telling stories of Maritimers are so nice and gracious and that’s the Maritimes are a great place to spend time. Well, all I can say is that I think Halifax and more so NOVA SCOTIA is the exception to that rule. In all the places I’ve lived, I have not come across such bigotry and racism in all my life. I went to school and lived in Ottawa for 8 years and I loved every minute, it was clean, alive, multi-cultural and inviting. When I moved here, I found it disturbing how many people have this negative outlook on Ottawa and most of Upper Canada which I can honestly say is based on nothing tangible. What shocked me the most was that I fully expected to encounter some sort of anti-gay sentiment when coming here, but apparently more people were offended by my French heritage than anything else. My point here is, unless you’re white, conservative and/or religious … people in NS will find something they don’t like about you!
To “Someone Somewhere”: Lets say you’re right and black people across North America and Europe do commit more crimes. The numbers are there yes, but only because we as white people allowed it to be. If African Americans were given complete equality, the financial gap between our 2 cultures would close and you’re statement would be baseless. The fact is, white people (and all supremacists) don’t like to see any other visual denomination prosper as well as them … or even at all.
I have heard many horror stories of racist attacks by the police since I arrived in Halifax. I ‘m sure there are some good police officers around but there is obviously a big problem which needs to be addressed. When will we end the violence and learn to treat each other as human beings. Students, refugees, immigrants, even tourists being the victims of racist attacks. It breaks my heart to hear of this endless cycle of violence.
In the limited view of many people, covert racism is not really racism. Someone who complains about it is accused of ‘trivialising’ racism. People who are targets of subtle, quiet and pernicious racial profiling are called paranoid. They are told that they should be grateful to live here in Nova Scotia rather than in their home countries. They are even themselves called racist, called bitches or idiots for saying anything critical about discriminatory attitudes in Nova Scotia. People largely do not want to know. They do not want to hear. According to them, the complainers just dont know or appreciate how good they have it in comparison to their home countries. Very interesting. I can’t wait to leave.
I grew up in Newfoundland, half-black/white with very light skin. My black father is a lawyer, my white mother a Doctor. Many people mistake me for Hispanic, middle-eastern, once even Greek.
As a result of my sometimes covert blackness, I believe I have had special insight into the racism that persists in the Atlantic provinces and across Canada. In one of my first law school social events a group of Canada’s “top” students started telling derogatory black jokes. They didn’t know I was half-black. If a dark-skinned black student had been there I can guarantee those jokes wouldn’t have been uttered.
Too many times have I been witness to racist comments from those not knowing that I am half-black. I doubt that if I was dark-skinned, many would have said the things in front of me. I’ve witnessed the racism that comes out in a room full of white and racist east-coasters and everywhere else.
Believe me, racism is alive and well in white Canada. And those who deny it are either deceiving themselves or are just being plain defensive. As if they have nothing to apologize for.
However many east-coasters are just good people, and for that I am grateful.
I have to agree with ajdube and add to his/her comment. “Jimmyjo” comments that it is “FACT” that more blacks ‘commit crimes’ etc etc, but aside from the historical socio-economic reasons that ajdube outlines, Jimmyjo also fails to recognize the institutionalized racism in which blacks or other visible minorities who are seen as being ‘too ever-present’ in a community are disproportionately targeted. Evidence of this can be found in almost all Anglo-Saxon settlements from here right around the world. Australia vs. Turks, Aboriginals and East Asians. England vs. Blacks and East Asians. It once was U.S. vs. Blacks, now it’s Mexicans and Middle Easterners.
Since you want to play the stats game, how about this one.
More African-Americans have been arrested and charged in the U.S. for minor marijuana charges, than any other race in the U.S. even though whites use the drug in higher numbers (this statistic has recently been shifting towards Latin Americans).
“And 83 percent of those charged in these cases were black or Latino, according to the study. Blacks accounted for 52 percent of the arrests, twice their share of the city’s population. Whites, who are about 35 percent of the population, were only 15 percent of those charged — even though federal surveys show that whites are more likely than blacks or Latinos to use pot.” – New York Times, “On Arrests, Demographics, and Marijuana” – April 30, 2008, Jim Dwyer
Or how about the disparity in jail time between cocaine drug and crack cocaine? Both basically the same drug, but used by different people. So, for you to brashly state “FACTS” about a subject you clearly know nothing about makes you come across looking pretty ignorant. (Thereby, not helping your overall argument).
The other day, in a training class. One of my fellow students blurted out “Where’s mine? Am I Black or something?” It was a highly tense moment, as the black student in the class of course called him on it.. although actually she was loudly laughing about it!
She was great, said she knew he didn’t mean the comment as it was worded, and let it go. He of course, will still have that on his employment record.. this is life.
Afterwards, outside at the smoking spot, my gal told him that she knew he didn’t mean it. That he didn’t come off as racist at all, and that she knew it was just “Conditioning”
Our younger generations grew up hearing it.. but they don’t believe it. I’m seeing proof of it every day. They sometimes spout off stupidly.. but most of them LEARN FROM IT and don’t repeat such blunders often.
Unfortunately, in the Atlantic Provinces, the older generation is slow to change. Hey, maybe it’s that way all over the world.. but I’m proud to see, in my children, my friend’s children.. that change is on it’s way. And the “Conditioning” will be less this next generation.
Sadly, this phenomenon is observed across Canada. Here in Guelph, my wife and I have experienced a very covert kind of racism, experienced one too many times in Toronto, Barrie and Burlington too.
When a white Canadian (even white European with a heavy accent, as long as the person is white that’s all that matters) says something, it is taken as a matter of fact unless something suggests otherwise. When a light skinned latin american (myself, my wife is very white and only gets bad treatment when people find out she is latin american!) or a dark brown or black person say the same thing, it is viewed as doubtful and not believable until proven otherwise.
It is not aggressive, or even easy to see, but it is very ingrained and when confronted, Canadians tend to be extremely defensive and have no regrets in attacking, insulting and crushing the offender.
Canadians like to believe that they are “too nice”, that a Canadian is a human, but better than the rest, specially Americans, but I tell you, I’ve been in the US many, many times and have NEVER experienced racism until I came to Canada. I always thought racism was also a responsibility of the people experiencing it, but that changed when it was done to me in Canada and has been done many times over. My children want to be blond, even though they are all light skinned, almost white… care to guess why?
and The Coast should realize racism exists everywhere or are they living in a Disney movie
I have immigrated to Nova Scotia in 2002 and it was the biggest mistake I ever made. Although the law does not seem to be racist but racisim is all over the society’s face. You are secluded, mistreated, under estimated and looked down by many people because you are simply not of a European decent. Interestingly I am orginally from an EU country but have brown skin. I have been subjected to many acts of racisim in Halifax that when I left this year I felt very relieved and as if I was being taken away from prison. For those of you who will get very defensive and ask me what on earth I was doing there from 2002 to 2012. It is not easy to move after you have immigrated and lost your home, your income and are trying to settle down. Plus I thought what is the point, all the other provinces must be the same. I live in Toronto now and I realised I was wrong. Ofcourse racisim exists in every part of Canada but N.S is simply a white province and yes I met some very good ppl in Halifax, who I will always remember, but the majority of my experience was simply bad and sad because of the people not the law.
There’s nobody who is white or one that is black. All man have brown skin; a dark brown, light brown and lighter brown skin colour. It was man’s greed for superiority, politics, religion, domination and power that made some people discriminate others by calling them selves white and others black. Man has created problems in the world that he’s generations cannot solve. The result of racism is crime, hate, evil, gangsterism, violence, war etc. because the ones that were denied love found a vaccuum within them which was replaced by hate and evil. The street showed no love to them, their kind showed no love to them, they became strangers among their kind. As Humans they have to survive through crime, drugs, evil etc. in a competitive world in which they inhabit.
Man has not seen anything yet. Man has been the cause of the first and second world war, terrorism, civil wars, disease outbreaks, blood bath, evil, the beast called man has been reproducing thorns and thistles of its kind and the evil(wrath) in man will destroy man.
we await when men will destroy themselves from the planet with nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction.
I grew up half-black in NS, both parents highly educated and successful professionals. You’d think I had it made. Wrong. By the time I was in my teens my self esteem was in the toilet because of the racism I’d experienced from elementary school on. I was suicidal. Someone calling me “nigger” followed by a fist-fight was a common occurrence for me. No wonder I’m a good fighter today and practice and love combat sports. I left the east coast and traveled overseas to big cities and have healed immensely since. Racism is insidious and its effects are psychological. Today I’m a lawyer (thanks to inheriting the smarts of my folks) and live in a big city. Sure racism exists here but much much less as the open-minded and educated tend to make their way here.
I am half white and black… A lot of times when I’m in a store I get followed by employees. Ive never stole in my life! It makes me feel so uncomfortable and embarrassed. I even cry when I get to my car sometimes.
All cultural backgrounds stereotype (from my experience). It depends on how you present yourself in a lot of cases… Sometimes you just have to be the minority in some.. Anybody can be ignorant.
Locking up the black hair products is the stupidest and racist thing someone could do!
I lived in Halifax since 1994. I have experiencef racisim at all levels. Over time I realized the longer I live in Halifax the more I am digging my own grave. why? Because all the good opportunities goes to the white people. If you dont know how to laugh on their jokes, or you dont know how to have their fun and on top of that you are not white then you are a worthless peice of shiiit. You are under estimated, you are unvalued and no one is interested to deal with you. Not even on business level. It was not until I moved out of Nova Scotia that I realized that all the suffering I was going thru is merely because its a racist society
I left Halifax back in 2002 for Florida and am amazed at the level of racism that existed in my birthplace. I could tell you many stories, but what is the point? Racism exists on many levels, but studies show that conservatism and racism correlates to lower IQ and at lack of education.
Part of the reason I left – and don’t visit or miss the place.
im from dartmouth my self and im white and i see things and here things that i hate to hear and make me sick both of my kids are mixed and my wife is black i think its really bad that humans have come so far and set are self back by not relizing that we are all the same and just because of the color of are skin we get judged i my self have a lot of tattoos and i get looks and people watch me when im in stores or people pull there kids to the side because look some way ether way im not going to keep going on about how mest up there world is im shore that we all really allready know
Racism is alive and well everywhere. It is up to us to make a difference. As I explained to my grandson just a few days ago, it doesn’t matter what color your skin is, we are all the same inside. Hearts, brains, liver, kidneys, all the same. If we cut ourselves, no matter what the color of our skin is, we all bleed the same color, and have the same feelings. Happy, sad, angry and hurt over comments that people make about us. I am white, but I hope I can make a difference with a new generation.
Racism is not so hidden in Halifax if you look well enough. I see no correlation only between racism and low levels of education. Has anyone been to a graduation ceremony at a college or university level in NS? The only culturally diverse population is that of the students. As a highly educated black (bachelor and master’s degree) who came in 2007 from Florida and worked all my life in the academia world, I have been working meaningless jobs since no post secondary institution seems eager to take non-whites. Nova Scotia is a friendly place but not a welcoming community – unless you are of European descent.
Only visited Halifax and Bedford from the states and never had any issues. I guess if you don’t live there full time, you might not see it all, but can’t be worse than any of our red states.
I agree with the article. I am a bi racial hairdresser and not only has the Cosmetology association of Nova Scotia not returned my calls they have also never helped me anytime I told them of the racism I have experienced. Every salon I apply to is ok until they see the color of my skin and even when I was working, clients and fellow employees doubted all my abilities and treated me as though I was an idiot who knew nothing.I was pushed out from the time I started hair school at HDC to working on Waverley rd and even when I applied at first choice who has one manager for all locations. This is a racist province and thats a racist industry!!
In the 60s white men with dump trucks and bulldozers took away Africville’s land. For the last three years and continuing to this day white men with bulldozers and dump trucks are taking away Africville’s access to and view of the water. The so-called Seaview Park upon which the Africville church is sighted is being cut off from the Bedford basin by construction. In the past and in the present economic necessity is given as the reason. I can’t see this happening at the Wagwaltic Club. Can you?