What went down at the TL Insider Fireside Chat with Rodney Diverlus, Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter – Toronto

What went down at the TL Insider Fireside Chat with Rodney Diverlus, Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter – Toronto

Nearly a month following the shooting of Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, which prompted the first Black Lives Matter protest in the United States, a similar event took place north of the border. It was in response to the shooting of Jermaine Carby by Peel Region Police, and the little to no news coverage of the incident, that inspired the Toronto formation of Black Lives Matter. This past Tuesday, one of the organization’s co-founders, Rodney Diverlus, joined TL Insider for a vital discussion on the movement, the importance of keeping momentum, and what the future of Canadian law enforcement could look like.

In conversation with St. Joseph Media’s Head of Business Development, Jason Maghanoy, Rodney spoke on the history of racialized violence at the hands of police in Canada, the reality that “black communities have been talking about police violence for generations”, and what makes this moment in time different from others. Where the public perception of the movement was at first viewed in a negative light, Rodney explained how he recognizes the narrative shift of the BLM movement as a victory in itself. There is of course, much more work to be done.

Understanding that progress can come and go within the span of an election, Rodney emphasized the need for sustainable solutions. Today, Black Lives Matter – Toronto is organizing and working alongside numerous anti-racism groups to not only demand change, but to offer solutions surrounding issues of systemic racism in Canada. He gave an informative introduction for those who are newly invested into the conversation and eager to learn more, as well as a mapping of the popularizing demand to defund the police.

Watch the recorded session here to learn more about the anti-racism movement in Canada and the work of Black Lives Matter – Toronto.

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