Hamilton group hosts International Day for the End of Racial Discrimination event

The Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre (HARRC) held a networking and speaking event Friday as part of International Day for the End of Racial Discrimination.

The goal is to build a more inclusive city with organizers saying racism is still very prevalent locally.

Racism is a topic that needs to be discussed and is still happening in the City of Hamilton.

Lyndon George, the HARRC’s executive director, said “so that’s the sad reality – that racism has be seen to be believed, and so we have seen now an increase in year-over-year of hate crimes and hate incidents. Not only in our data but in police data also reflects that.”

According to the latest stats from Hamilton Police from 2023, there was a 26 per cent increase in the number of hate or bias incidents and criminal offences compared to the previous year.

The HARRC held an event Friday to bring community members together, share stories, listen to speakers and to network.

George said, “it’s not just one aspect of racism we are trying to confront, there is the intersectionality of racism. So different communities experience it in different ways.”

WeSupportHamilton.ca is an online place to report hate in the city and reports are up, according to Ameil Joseph, an associate professor at McMaster University.

“The kinds of hate that people are experiencing is not getting any better and exacerbated by international discourse that also stokes racist ideas,” said Joseph.

All the more reason why events like these are important.

Dr. Ingrid Waldron is a social justice professor and was one of the speakers.

“Looking specifically at how anti-Black racism is imbedded within all of our social structures, how that leads to racial trauma for Black people, and how that then often produces mental health problems in Black communities,” said Waldron.

The Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre isn’t just a place for people who have experienced racism, it’s also an education centre,

For more information you can check out the website here.

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