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Carnival as Resistance

his year, we mark the 52nd anniversary of ’s , still affectionately referred to as ‘Caribana’. What began as a gift from the Caribbean community to Canada’s Tcentennial celebrations in 1967 is now Canada’s largest cultural event. The festival originally took place on Simcoe Day, which marks the legal abolition of slavery in Canada on , 1834.

Carnival is not only a celebration of Caribbean culture; it also symbolizes the revolt of the Caribbean people against oppression through creativity, music, dance, communal gatherings and masquerade. CUPE believes that the original spirit of resistance should be preserved by continuing to challenge the oppression of and discrimination against Black and racialized people. CUPE Ontario calls on all levels of government to adequately fund the festival for the public benefit. Despite bringing in millions of dollars into the city, province and country on an annual basis, Caribana remains severely underfunded yet over-policed. Over-policing and police violence towards Black and racialized people in Toronto, remains a major concern. The Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has found that “between 2013 and 2017, a Black person in Toronto was

“Carnival is not only a celebration of Caribbean culture; it also symbolizes the revolt of the Caribbean people against oppression.”

nearly 20 times more likely than a White person to be involved in a fatal shooting by the Toronto Police Service (TPS)”. The OHRC also found that though Black people make up 8.8% of Toronto’s population; 61.5% of them experienced deadly encounters with the police; and 70% were victims of fatal shootings by the police. While the previous Liberal government largely banned carding, police are still free to card while investigating crimes or during traffic stops. To make matters worse, the current Ford government has narrowed the scope of the Special Investigations Unit which previously investigated circumstances involving police and civilians that resulted in serious injury, death or allegations of sexual assault. The daily reality for Black people hasn’t changed much. Moreover, there is no federal ban on racial profiling and racialized people remain overrepresented in our prison system and underrepresented in economic, social, and political life. CUPE Ontario joins with organizations such as Black Lives Matter to identify and challenge anti- Black racism. We also stand in solidarity with all Indigenous peoples of this land as we strongly believe the struggles of Black, racialized and Indigenous peoples in Canada are intertwined. Carnival is an opportunity to acknowledge anti-Black racism, the devastating legacy of enslavement and colonization in Canada and to continue working towards reconciliation and reparations. From ensuring that workers are adequately paid, that their working conditions are safe and that masqueraders are able to safely connect with one another and the public; not only should we celebrate the joy and coming together of communities during Caribana but we must also recognize that carnival is, and can be an act of resistance.

CUPE Ontario Racial Justice Committee

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