Reading the #SaferYEG Task Force report, I can’t shake how a white-dominant Edmonton City Council—in appointing the police to this task force—reproduced the same systems of oppression 15K+ Edmontonians rallied against last year after George Floyd’s murder. A THREAD... 🧵
I have a world of respect & gratitude for the racialized TF members on their impossible task: negotiate with police behind closed doors to create this report. This report was never going to be a full expression of the community’s desires with police at the table. How could it?
Why did the police need to be on this Task Force at all? Why couldn’t EPS make a presentation to the Task Force like other orgs did? Would the recommendations have been stronger if police hadn’t been at the table? Did #yegcc leave BIPOC to take on the cops so they don’t have to?
An anti-racist approach would’ve been to shift power to community members to develop recommendations independent of EPS or the City.
But #yegcc didn’t. They tasked the oppressed to challenge the oppressor, unaware of the power imbalance.
This is how #SystemicRacism shows up.
But #yegcc didn’t. They tasked the oppressed to challenge the oppressor, unaware of the power imbalance.
This is how #SystemicRacism shows up.
So I'm not surprised that 1,400+ have emailed their Councillors to go further where this report simply couldn’t—on divestment, accountability & more. The recs are the floor & tomorrow #yeg will see which Councillors want to dismantle systemic racism, and which will reproduce it.
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