Background on BIPOC and the Black Lives Matter Movement
A large part of our world’s history is rooted in the discrimination & mass oppression of minority groups including Black, Indigenous, & people of colour (also referenced with the acronym BIPOC). According to the BIPOC Project, this term highlights the unique relationship that individuals of colour have toward those who are white. They also aim to disassemble white supremacy while improving racial justice, specifically in the United States. While racism exists in Canada, & that is to be acknowledged, it is important to recognize & honour where a major call to action originated.
Mass Incarceration & Forced Labour
There exist many racial narratives associated with people of colour. Consistently, BIPOC are victims of mass incarceration stemming from the war on drugs. During the war, different drugs were associated with different races or ethnicities; bills were passed to make it easier for police to convict & arrest BIPOC. Indigenous folks are equally stereotyped within Canada for drug-related offences, crimes involving theft, & violence. The latest report of Canada’s Correctional Investigator, Howard Sapers, reveals that while Indigenous people comprise only 4.3% of Canada’s population, they represent 25% of all federal inmates. Melissa Gorelick outlines a troubling paradox in her United Nations article: 30% of female prisoners in Canada are incarcerated for addiction-related or self-defence crimes concerning domestic violence. There is a failure to recognize the prevalence of drugs & alcohol & violence within their communities, rationalizing their misconducts to be reactionary rather than premeditated.
As a result, prisons began to fill up, & institutions found a way to exploit victims of incarceration through labour. Prisons legally use forced/cheap labour of those incarcerated because the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects against the enslavement of Peoples (what was previously referred to as slavery & involuntary servitude), explicitly excludes from its reach those held in confinement due to a criminal conviction. In Canada, Prison labour is said to be a means of “rehabilitation”. Incarcerated persons receive a fraction of what they should be earning because prisons deduct their costs for keeping them in there from their wages & forcing them to continue working to avoid punishment.
Police Brutality
Historically BIPOC have experienced violence and harm at the hands of society, the police & the criminal justice system. This violence and harm continues today. The generational results of colonialism, enslavement, war, mass incarceration & forced labour have affected BIPOC in the worst way possible. Indigenous, Black and racialized Folx, 2SLGBTQQIA+ Folx, street-involved Folx, Folx living with mental illness, and the intersections of those communities are disproportionately killed by the police. As of April 2024, Tracking Injustice cites 748 police-involved deaths spanning from the year 2000 to 2022. That is approximately 62 deaths per year, consistent with the 53 that occurred in 2023. Moreover, 1,581 deaths occurred while in custody in the 22-year span, followed by an additional 79 in 2023.
Black Lives Matter (BLM)
Black Lives Matter, often associated with its hashtag (#BlackLivesMatter) is a global organization in the U.S., U.K., & Canada with a mission to eradicate white supremacy & build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by state & vigilantes. BLM was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murder. Trayvon was a 17-year-old who was followed & fatally shot by a neighbourhood watchman. His wrongful death sparked much controversy after his killer became victimized & his story is the unfortunate one of many racial injustices.
An additional influential case supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement, & a driving force toward change, was the tragic death of George Floyd. The 46-year-old Black man, died from having a knee to his neck for over 9 minutes by a police officer, while in custody for using a counterfeit $20 bill. His death was plastered on the Internet, sparking national controversy & global protests against police brutality. George Floyd’s murder was the catalyst for mass protest & re-igniting the defund the police movement across Canada, citing the importance of community-based solutions & restorative justice measures.
Black Lives Matter - Canada exists as a national resource for black activism in Canada. By supporting black-led community groups, like Wild Seed, & Book Stores, & coordinating national campaigns such as Defund the Police. Black Lives Matter - London is a powerful advocate for justice and Black liberation.
Defund The Police
Defund the Police came as a demand from the movement itself. Abolitionists, activists, & other patrons have used it to emphasize that more money given to police services does not equate to a better society. Interrupting Criminalization, for instance, has created a Zine on police abolition. Instead, these funds can be relocated from such organizations & put toward community-led alternatives including social workers, social institutions, food banks, housing for the homeless & other societal demands. For years, the police have failed to keep society safe, & each time the government provides a monetary band-aided solution.
Why Don’t We Use All Lives Matter?
When #BlackLivesMatter came in conjunction with the BLM social movement, some people began to question the partitioning that came with it. Controversy ensued, with questions of whether it should be corrected to “All Lives Matter”, yet this phrase is not what is important to the greater discussion. Systemically, BIPOC have been marginalized by their communities & countries, facing stigmatization & scrutinization. This is why the movement has come with the hashtag Black Lives Matter; it is not being divisive, it is fighting against the concept of segregation. All lives can’t matter if their lives don’t matter.
It’s important to note there have been many racial injustices involving fatal shootings by police in Canada; however, we must acknowledge the catastrophic deaths that took place (in the United States) & honour that it is because of these lost lives that movements such as Black Lives Matter & Defund the Police have originated. For further information on racial profiling in Ontario’s capital city, the Ontario Human Rights Commission has created a timeline of events, though their list is not exhaustive of all incidents & activities.
How Can We Enact Change for the Future?