Nanaimo comes together to share their visions on building stronger responses to racism

On the evening of May 29, more than 150 local leaders and citizens of Nanaimo came together to share their visions of how the city can build stronger responses to racism and advancing reconciliation between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations. The community discussion was one of the responses to the events of March 27 when a letter to the editor in the Nanaimo Daily News sparked a public backlash because of comments it made about First Nations peoples and their cultures. The Snuneymuxw First Nation applauded the response of the citizens of the region to the letter, “and the creative and constructive approach that has been adopted to focus on building greater understanding, harmony, and respect,” said Chief Douglas White III. “… people spoke from their hearts. It was emotional, meaningful, and powerful,” he added.  A working group of community leaders, educators, businesspeople and others will be organizing a series of follow-up events to deepen and broaden the dialogue in response to the challenges of racism.