As Black History Month comes to a close, in addition to spotlighting Black creatives, we want to re-state our ongoing commitment to anti-racism work here at the DGC.

At the DGC BC we condemn racism in all its forms, whether subtle or overt. Let there be no doubt about our position: Black Lives Matter. We stand with those facing racism. Hate has no place in our union. Hate has no place in our society.

As a Union, our Collective Agreement is unequivocal regarding the responsibility of Employers to not discriminate based on race and other characteristics. Article 4.3 states:

“The Employer agrees that it shall not discriminate against or engage in any harassment of any applicant for employment or Employee for reasons based on race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, political belief, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, union membership or activity, criminal or summary conviction offence that is unrelated to the employment of an Employee or to the intended employment of an applicant or any other basis prohibited by applicable federal, provincial or territorial law.”

But that is not enough. We have responsibilities as a union and as individuals. We all share the responsibility to listen to those affected by racism, to set aside our defensiveness and sit in our discomfort. We have the responsibility to educate ourselves and each other. Know better, do better.

Words without action are not enough. At the DGC BC we have:

• Developed a library of anti-racism materials available for loan to all Members--learn more under LATEST NEWS in the Member Section here (login required--scroll down to see LATEST NEWS)
• Implemented an ongoing review of our training materials, adding anti-racism instruction and discussion
• Continued to prioritize bringing equity and inclusion to our Membership. Working with the BC Human Rights Tribunal, we operate a program to promote the hiring of diverse Director Members. We are in the process of making an application to expand this program to our entire membership.
• Worked with Employers and other industry unions to facilitate an entry-level equity stream for workers from under-represented communities.

Something we can all do right now is to start educating ourselves about issues of race and racism in our society. To do the work to understand privilege, and micro-aggressions, and unconscious bias. We need to dig into systemic issues and intersectionality. We need to recognize the ongoing trauma inflicted on our Black colleagues, and we need to step up and be allies in the moment, calling out problematic behaviour when we see it. Most importantly, we need to avoid centering ourselves in the conversation and making our racialized peers take on the task of comforting us in our defensiveness.

The way we treat each other has a profound impact on our community and our lives.

Lean into empathy. Lead with kindness. Let’s all hold space for this work, and educate ourselves on how we can contribute to a more just and equitable workplace, industry, and society. 

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” ― Martin Luther King Jr, Letter From a Birmingham Jail

Recommended reading:

• So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo is a good place to start. You can borrow it from the DGC BC Digital Library as an Ebook or Audiobook.
• Variety has created a list of anti-racist social media accounts to follow. 
• Canadian-focused information can be found here. 
• British Columbia’s government page on anti-racism can be found here.