A sociology professor at the University of British Columbia is urging people to consider another approach when reacting to the racist images of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau sa国际传媒� one of reconciliation and learning, instead of punishment and aggression.
sa国际传媒淲e are now treating racism as a crime that you cannot recover from,sa国际传媒� professor Rima Wilkes said in a phone interview Thursday, after two photos and a video surfaced this week showing a younger Trudeau in brownface and blackface.
sa国际传媒淥ther crimes, you can serve your time and you are allowed to come back into society. But what wesa国际传媒檙e doing with racism is that, if we find any indication that you have ever been overly racist, then you should lose your job.sa国际传媒�
The images, which Trudeau himself has dubbed as racist, are having an impact beyond the campaign trail, prompting many people to question how they react to people in power committing acts of racism, especially ones made decades earlier.
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Wilkes, who studies radicalization and , said labelling people as racist and shaming them leaves little room for mistakes to be resolved and learning to be had.
sa国际传媒淚f you stay racist and yousa国际传媒檙e promoting racism on purpose, that is one thing,sa国际传媒� she said, but society needs to accept someone when they act racist and apologize for it, and examine how they themselves can create a more accepting society.
READ MORE: Kelowna-Lake Country Liberal Stephen Fuhr sings vandalized with blackface
Trudeau was in front of the media issuing an apology within hours after Time magazinesa国际传媒檚 story broke on the internet, featuring a 2001 photo of him in brownface posing as Aladdin while a teacher at Vancouversa国际传媒檚 West Point Grey Academy.
sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 asking Canadians to forgive me for what I did,sa国际传媒� Trudeau said. sa国际传媒淚 shouldnsa国际传媒檛 have done that. It was a dumb thing to do. Isa国际传媒檓 disappointed in myself. Isa国际传媒檓 pissed off at myself for having done it. I apologize for it.sa国际传媒�
But another instance of Trudeau in blackface was released by Global News shortly after, in addition to a second incident Trudeau himself admitted to from when he was in high school.
Trudeau apologized for a second time Thursday, saying he didnsa国际传媒檛 recall some of those earlier images, he didnsa国际传媒檛 see at the time that it was wrong because of his privileged upbringing and he deeply regrets his behaviour.
Just as quickly to react were Trudeausa国际传媒檚 foes, including NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, the first visible minority to lead a national party in Canada.
Rather than condemn Trudeau, Singh told the cameras that his opponentsa国际传媒檚 actions will hurt Canadians who endured racism 20 years ago, and more importantly, will hurt young people facing discrimination now.
READ MORE: sa国际传媒楾roubling, insultingsa国际传媒�: NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh reacts to Trudeausa国际传媒檚 brownface photo
sa国际传媒淚 want to talk to all of the kids out there, all the folks who lived this and are now grown up and still feeling the pain of racism,sa国际传媒� Singh said Wednesday night. sa国际传媒淚 want you to know that you might feel like giving up on Canada sa国际传媒� I want you to know that you have value, you have worth and you are loved.sa国际传媒�
Satwinder Kaur Bains, the director of the University of the Fraser Valleysa国际传媒檚 South Asian Studies Institute, applauded Singhsa国际传媒檚 reaction, and said that while the photos are sa国际传媒渧ery disheartening,sa国际传媒� they should prompt a national discussion, rather than political division.
sa国际传媒淚 feel like times like these, we all go into our silos,sa国际传媒� Bains said, but instead, politicians should come together.
The photos can help Canadians learn why dressing up as visible minorities is unacceptable, she said, and how that is linked to the barriers and racism faced by people of colour.
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Both Bains and Wilkes acknowledge that an apology doesnsa国际传媒檛 instantly rid the harm and pain thatsa国际传媒檚 been caused.
Countless electoral candidates and community leaders, including those at a meeting of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations in Vancouver on Thursday, have rebuked Trudeau and called for his resignation.
Joan Philip, NDP candidate in Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola, has called for Trudeau to resign from his leadership position.
sa国际传媒淗is apology is hollow. Theresa国际传媒檚 two parts to the apology. Theresa国际传媒檚 the apology and then theresa国际传媒檚, sa国际传媒楬ow do I make it right?sa国际传媒� Just like Canada when they apologized for what they did to us. They have to make it right,sa国际传媒� said Phillip to The Canadian Press.
But Michelle Corfield, the Liberal candidate in Nanaimo-Ladysmith, said that though she is disappointed, she believes everyone deserves forgiveness when they ask for it.
sa国际传媒淚 hope the country learns a lesson from this,sa国际传媒� she said. sa国际传媒淗e has asked for forgiveness, he has said sorry. It is now time for us as a country to look at that and take something from it.sa国际传媒�
- with files from Tyler Olsen at The Abbotsford News and The Canadian Press
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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