Toronto’s black community has a serious problem with gang crime. There is no need to lie about it because the recent shootings in Scarborough this summer where two innocent young people died was pernicious. In addition, the shocking shooting at Eaton Centre in June is terrifying because violence can occur anywhere in the city of Toronto.
There too many young black who are so apathetic to the concerns of others. My question is, why are young black men getting involved with crime? What has happened to these young black men that they don’t value life or care about the well beings of others? Now, I know these young black males who get involved in crime have parents, families, siblings. So what happened to this generation? What went wrong?
Now, essentialists are going to make racist assumptions that it has to do with the “essence” within black males which causes some to commit crimes. The other possible explanations are poverty, unhappiness, despair, lack of education and employment opportunities leads young men to crime.
However, the white Canadian media never look beneath these surface explanations. Perhaps it is time for Toronto’s black community to not be so reticent and acknowledge there is a serious problem here?
There are programs for at risk youth, basketball camps, after school programs to assist children that are in danger of entering into crime. I believe these programs are important but are also band aid solutions to a deeper, more subliminal problem.
I can understand why some black people are irritated and annoyed by the media whenever gun violence occurs. Why should black people who are hard working and good citizens care about the bad behaviour of others? Why should the actions of a few tarnish the reputation of an entire race? It is ludicrous that people of colour are generalized in this manner.
Are white men generalized as psycho murderers like James Holmes shoots up a theatre in Aurora Colorado? Are young white men demonized in newspapers are psychopaths and killers?
Recently, a white supremacist murdered innocent people in Michigan at a Sikh temple. Are the media pathologizing young white men as being violent? Is there an essence to these young white males whiteness which causes them to go psycho and shoot and kill innocent people?
There questions are never asked in the mainstream white media because we live in a white society.
White privilege allows whites to generalize the actions of some in the black community yet the mirror image is never reflected at the majority.
Remember, white people control the Canadian media, the news which is broadcast on television, in the newspapers, and on the internet is based on white privilege. An editor decides in an editorial meeting what is the news. What sells more papers? What gets people talking? The media has a critical role in how race is shaped and constructed in Toronto.
In the classic 1988 essay, Peggy McIntosh a white feminist wrote an article called White Privilege The Invisible Knapsack. McIntosh’s article was groundbreaking because she is a white woman and she acknowledges the privileges she has simply because she was born white. According to McIntosh, whites are conditioned by the media and white society to ignore their privilege. Just like men ignore our male privilege and the freedom we have to walk freely in society, white people don’t have to think critically about race. A white person can live his or her’s own life in North America and not think about how race affects their lives.
People of colour we don’t have the luxury of not having to think about race. Race is in our face every single day of our lives whether we want to admit it or not.
It is understandable that some in the black community are angered that when crime occurs suddenly the entire race is to blame for some idiots dangerous actions.
Why are blacks generalized for the actions of a few? Why should I personally care if a black man shoots someone just because we are the same race? I don’t shoot anybody, I’m a citizen minding my own damn business.
The counter argument is, the white press in Toronto claim that black people need to become more vigilant and just trust the police force. The quandary is, a lot of black people in Toronto do not trust the police due to strained race relations.
Another point to consider is, some black people are terrified and afraid they don’t want to be the next statistic and get shot. It is a vicious circle that seems to be getting worse in the city of Toronto. There is a lot of bad feelings, anger, resentment.
It is disconcerting to see young black men shooting and killing innocent people. I think something has happened to the minds of these young black males who get involved in crimes.
Frantz Fanon the black psychiatrist and author of the book Black Skins, White Masks argues in chapter five called The Lived Experience of the Black man that the psyche of black males are shattered due to racism.
The black man sees himself in the third person he does not see himself as a three dimensional human being because the white man has the power to control the images and representations of the black man.
Now some people might argue that the city of Toronto is a multicultural paradise where racial harmony exists.
The danger of multiculturalism which the Toronto media engenders is it ignores racism and pushes it beneath the surface. Racism is a serious problem in Toronto yet Canadians like to pretend it does not exist.
The power structure in Toronto is still based on white privilege. For instance, Toronto has an idiot white mayor Rob Ford he’ is obnoxious, pathetic, unprofessional, and abhorrent. However, Ford is praised by the white right wing media in Toronto. The mayors of Toronto and all the police chiefs are white people. Even though, the city of Toronto has a very large non white population the people in power are still white.
The Toronto police force is also a problem there aren’t enough black officers on the force in positions of power. Real change needs to occur inside the police force in order for racism and barriers of indifference to break down. Why would a black person suddenly trust a white police officer in crime ridden neighbourhoods? The so called anti racism policies are a farce. The question still remains, why do people still not trust the police to inform them about criminal activity? Why are people so afraid to speak out?
The media is also to blame because the real subliminal problems that are not visible are not discussed in the public sphere. Serious and hard questions about inequality, racism, and discrimination, are not brought to the surface. Canadians still have an apathetic attitude towards race which is disconcerting.
In America, despite the race relation problems between blacks and whites they are more honest about racism. In the United States, people are not afraid to discuss race.
CNN, ABC, Fox News, NBC, and the major American media outlets constantly discuss racism in the public sphere. Americans are aware of racism in their country they don’t hide and pretend it doesn’t exist. By contrast, Canadians believe in the illusion of multiculturalism which is dangerous.
In order for Canada to progress, people need to stop being afraid to discuss race, inequality, white privilege, and other social problems in the public realm.
A scene from “Venus and Serena.” (Clive Brunskill / September 11, 2012)
By Steven Zeitchik September 11, 2012, 11:22 a.m.
TORONTO — In an about-face, Venus and Serena Williamshave chosen not to attend Tuesday’s Toronto world premiere of the documentary “Venus and Serena,” which they authorized and participated in for the past 20 months, because they are reportedly unhappy with the finished product.
As recently as several days ago, the tennis superstars had planned to come to the Toronto International Film Festivalto support the movie made by veteran broadcast journalists Maiken Baird and Michelle Major, according to a person familiar with the Williamses’ plans who asked not to be identified because the person had not been authorized to speak on their behalf.
But a disagreement between the sisters and the filmmakers over the movie’s content — particularly the portrayal of the sisters’ father, Richard Williams — has led to a reversal, the person said. The movie is at Toronto seeking distribution.
Festival organizers and the filmmakers confirmed that the sisters would not be attending. “It’s disappointing to us,” Major said. “We have a lot of respect for them and think their story is very inspiring.” She declined to elaborate on the reasons for the Williamses’ change of heart.
Venus Williams‘ manager Carlos Fleming and Serena Williams’ agent Jill Smoller would not comment on their clients’ decision.
The news comes just two days after Serena Williams won her fourth U.S. Open singles title, which was expected to give the premiere a celebratory air; indeed, Serena Williams has been making press appearances in the wake of the tournament, on Monday appearing on NBC’s “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.”
Festival organizers had scheduled the premiere after the tournament to allow the sisters to attend.
The movie has been a watershed event for the Williamses, who are famously guarded about their private lives. Baird and Major, who met while working for ABC News during Peter Jennings‘ tenure, have long been fascinated by the Williamses as tennis and public personalities.
After being wooed by the Baird and Major for nearly four years, the sisters agreed to participate in the documentary. In January 2011, the filmmakers began following the sisters around the world, having been granted intimate access to the cloistered stars as well as to their friends and family members; they shot more than 450 hours of footage. Major said that neither sister asked for any preconditions before filming began.
The finished film looks at the rise of the two Compton natives to the pinnacle of their sport, their lives behind-the-scenes and the colorful personalities who have guided them or been part of their rise. It is largely complimentary to the sisters, showing their work ethic and their humor.
But it does explore some of Richard Williams’ foibles, from his out-of-wedlock children to a 78-page manifesto he had plotting out his daughters’ success at a very young age. That angered the sisters, particularly Venus, according to the person with knowledge of the disagreement.
After viewing the film in August, Venus Williams had an extensive conversation with filmmakers raising her objections over how her father was portrayed. Though some small tweaks were made, they were not sufficient to change her mind.
The filmmakers said they were saddened by the Williamses’ response and could only hope for a change of heart down the road. “We think this is an important story, and
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