OLDS — An anti-racism rally held in Olds July 4 heard several harrowing personal stories of intolerance and discrimination.
And organizers are vowing to hold another local rally this fall to continue to call for needed change.
“We’re going to come back; had a great conversation with the mayor,” organizer Sadia Khan of Red Deer said in an interview.
She said no specific date for another rally has been set yet, but she anticipates it will be held in the fall when students are back in school.
She said that’s because although it’s important to engage all people of all ages in the battle against racism, youth are the future of the movement.
About 130 people attended Saturday's rally, held in Centennial Park. It was sponsored by the activist organization Ubuntu - Mobilizing Central Alberta.
The rally lasted just over an hour and took on a sort of festive atmosphere.
People gathered on the lawn in a wide swath in front of the gazebo to hear a variety of speakers.
Some people sat on the ground, some in camping chairs, some relaxing under the shade, enjoying the hot, sunny weather. Some came by on their bikes.
People of all races and ages were there, from those in their 80s to little toddlers.
Several got food from a food truck parked nearby. Water bottles were available for the thirsty.
A couple of police officers attended, but the event was peaceful. They chatted with organizers and attendees.
The event ended just before dark clouds gathered over the area and thunderstorms began.
Olds Mayor Michael Muzychka was among the local residents who addressed the crowd.
He told the gathering that Olds is a progressive community and as such, in 2019, town council decided to participate in the Understanding and Addressing Racism in Rural Canada project.
However, he said, unfortunately that project was put on hold, due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Conversations change communities. It is events like this that create opportunities for sharing experiences. Many of us are here today to listen and learn,” Muzycha said.
“We are grateful for those who have the courage to share their stories. Thank you to the many in the community who are supportive, with open hearts and open minds that hear your voices.
“Rural communities are becoming more and more diverse and it is important, both in terms of social cohesion and in terms of cultural and economic development, that we come to better understand this diversity.”
He pledged that the Town will continue to foster dialogue and “continue to take steps to grow our community together.”
Olds resident Sharon Saby spoke to the crowd on behalf of herself and her daughter, Tyisha.
She recalled an incident this past February when someone sprayed an offensive message on the wall of the girls washroom in École Olds High School, threatening to shoot up the school, starting with black people.
“My daughter was terrified and so was I,” Saby said. “Ironically this happened in Black History Month, which has never been addressed in our school.”
Saby said instead of dealing with the issue head-on, she felt that school and town officials swept it under the rug.
Saby said she and her daughter have suffered several other racial incidents in Olds.
The N-word has been uttered in Tyiasha’s presence – even by the children of a teacher and a pastor.
And Sharon has had a couple of encounters when, because she is white, people have assumed her daughter was adopted.
“Black Lives Matter is near and dear to my heart,” Saby said. “Since I can remember, I’ve hoped for equality for everyone.
“We are all one race – the human race – and we should all be treated equally, especially by people in power.”
Roseline Eslinger also addressed the crowd. She and her family lived in Olds for four years, until last December.
She said they moved to St. Albert mostly due to racism in Olds, but also because they have family there.
During her speech Eslinger recalled an incident when a pharmacist’s assistant couldn’t believe she could be married to her white husband and continually referred to her as his ‘health care aide.’
Eslinger also talked about how, at a grocery store, she was told how lucky she was that a white man had married her.
“She (the clerki) continued to tell me how I should be so thankful that my child wasn’t as dark as me,” Eslinger said, adding she "went home and cried."
“How could someone ever say such things about my beautiful child?” she asked.
“To all my friends of colour, I know it seems ridiculous to say this right now, but you must be patient,” Eslinger said.
“Help your friends out, let them ask you the hard questions. Offer to teach them about your culture and history. It is our time and our time to be the teachers, and we must do a better job.”
During a later interview, Eslinger expressed disappointment with the size of the crowd and blamed that on racism in the community.
Olds resident Tiauna, 17, who described herself as “a mixed queer, mentally ill person” also spoke.
“Whether it was me having panic attacks in school at the age of eight or being called the N-word at the age of 10, I have been pretty much pushed down, and every time I rose above, people got angry,” she said.
She said recent news reports of people being killed in New Brunswick and Toronto by police during wellness checks only exacerbate her fears.
“My biggest fear is not things like spiders or dark closets or the night, but what is a wellness check?" she said. “As a queer mixed mentally ill person of colour, if I were ever to have an issue at the age of 18 living on my own and had someone call the cops on me, I fear that I wouldn’t make it out alive."
Tiauna said when she lived in Didsbury she was bullied and called names for not being straight or white.
“I thought once I moved here, I would be free. That was not the case,” she said, “because no matter where you go, racism exists around us, whether we like to admit it or not.
“So for us to be together here today makes me so happy and makes me feel so much safer and less alone, because it’s beginning to change.”
Several speakers from Red Deer and area also addressed the crowd.
