An Appeal To The Black/African Community To Collectively Support Black Lives Matter-Toronto

By Thandiwe Chimurenga and Sister Tiki-Mercury Clarke
PRIDE Guest Writers

Warmest revolutionary greetings Elders, Sisters and Brothers, we hope this message reaches you and our extended families in good health and Pan-African spirits.

On behalf of the membership of the Toronto-based chapter of the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party and Sister , we are appealing to the African/Black community in Toronto (and elsewhere) to intensify our individual and collective support for the Black Lives Matter Movement-Toronto (BLMTO) organisation.

The Sisters and Brothers in the BLMTO are doing excellent work under very challenging circumstances. Here is a list of some of their most recent achievements:

1. They convinced City of Toronto Councillors to pass a motion at city hall to investigate the lack of transparency and anti-Black structures of the Toronto police’s Special Investigations Unit. (I, Sister Thandiwe, was present at city hall when this motion was passed and it was definitely a victory for our community.)
2. Afrofest was restored back to its usual two days instead of the attempted reduced one day. (I, Sistar Thandiwe, was present at BLMTO tent city, in front of police headquarters, when BLMTO warrior, Alexandria, made this announcement. Yet another victory for our community.)
3. Premier Kathleen Wynne committed to having a public meeting with BLMTO.
4. Their protests have raised awareness about the devastating effects of anti-Black racism as it manifests itself in deadly police shootings of Black people such as Andrew Loku, who was gunned down by police outside of his apartment while wielding a hammer; the racist practice of carding; the inalienable and Canadian Charter right of Black people to walk around the GTA, this province, this country, without being mistreated and the target of racial abuse.

Our history has demonstrated that whenever we make progress fighting against the manifestations of White supremacy, there is always a vicious backlash from the system. It has begun against the BLMTO. For example, one of our shining BLMTO warriors, Yusra Khogali, has been vilified for telling the truth about racism in Toronto, contained within a prayerful tweet she made in February, as a reaction to racist aggressions taking place at the time.

For writing an honest tweet, she has received death threats from White supremacists from varying parts of Canada and is being hounded by the media.

Another BLMTO warrior, Sandra Hudson, did a live, excellent interview on CP24, in which she responded to the unwarranted hysteria over that same tweet message that Sister Yusra had sent.

Sister Sandra responded in a superbly appropriate manner but it was not the way the system expected, wanted, or was accustomed to. That interview was truly a milestone in our community’s journey to a healthy, strong unity.

All of this hysteria over a prayer-filled tweet is the typical tactic of White supremacy and its allies to deflect away from the outstanding, inspirational work that BLMTO is doing, and the very real, urgent issues they are insisting be addressed.

Please support our BLMTO warriors by doing the following ASAP:

1. Send letters of support, by whatever method, to as many of these outlets as possible: our local community newspapers; any/all of the major newspapers; City of Toronto Major John Tory; Premier Kathleen Wynne; Chief Mark Saunders; your local political representatives; and post messages on BLMTO’s website.
2. Donate cash, cheques, or send funds via electronic transfers. For donations, email info@blacklivesmatterto.ca with the subject: Donation.
3. Converse with family, friends, community members and folks outside of our community to educate them about the excellent, empowering work that BLMTO is doing.

We sing and say these words often:

“How long shall they kill our prophets while we stand aside and look?”

We must not stand aside and look while our warriors are attacked, maligned, threatened, brutalized by the police, scorned and abused – all for standing up for us.

Please Support Our BLMTO warriors! Indeed, Black lives are infinitely valuable and we do matter!