In the Blog

Mid-Week Round Up: November 18

November 19th, 2014     by Jessie Hale     Comments

Illustration: Erin McPhee

A decision is expected any day now as to whether the white police officer shot and killed unarmed Black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, should be indicted. (An indictment would mean that the police officer will be formally charged with a crime.) The shooting, which took place in August, has caused widespread protests in Ferguson and elsewhere, drawing attention to police violence against people of colour (see here for a background on the shooting and the community response).

Expecting more protests when the jury makes its decision, the governor of Missouri has declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard. Ferguson Action is vowing to fight back if the jury decides not to indict.

From Idle No More to the Yinka Dene Alliance, rabble.ca profiles 11 Indigenous environmental resistance movements you should know about. Canadian Indigenous groups are key to resisting the export of oil from Alberta’s tar sands to the US and other countries.

Bitch magazine has a great roundup of a recent Twitter discussion of how media treat Women of Colour (#HowMediaWritesWOC). Among many other examples of disproportionate treatment, Bitch points out that the story of Jennifer Lawrence’s stolen nude photos completely overshadowed the disappearance of Misty Upham, an Aboriginal actress, who went missing in October and was later found dead.

This Magazine’s next issue will profile social justice activists across Canada. If you know someone who deserves to be spotlighted for fighting for a cause, whether it’s environmental justice, trans* rights or poverty reduction, let the magazine know! Find out how here.

This Friday, November 21, is National Housing Day. This nationwide campaign aims to raise awareness of homelessness in Canada. It’s estimated that at least 200,000 Canadians experience homelessness in a given year, and 30,000 Canadians are homeless (staying in shelters, in temporary institutions or on the street) on a given night. In Toronto, there will be a rally at noon in Yonge-Dundas Square, followed by a forum at the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity.

Tags: activist report, news flash, race and racism, recommended reading

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