Growing up in rural Alberta as a mixed Black person with a white Mother, I lacked a great deal of knowledge on matters relating to policing and politics in general. Though, most people have a skewed view of the world and its history because most people receive a very basic, surface level understanding and continue to be indoctrinated to believe these systems are just and fair, and that the atrocities that have happened are a thing of the past, if recognized at all. The George Floyd uprisings pushed me into activism and advocacy in a way I had never been involved before. Sure, I had voiced my opinions and shared my experiences with racism publicly throughout my life, but in 2020 I made it a point to dedicate myself fully to the movement and adjusted my life accordingly.
At the beginning, I was naive. I came into this work with the idea I think most people have when they start thinking about how to confront the system - we change it from the inside. In 2020 and 2021, I spent much of my time in police commission meetings, city council meetings, was a “stakeholder” for the Police Act review, became a member of the Defund2Fund Coalition, even briefly joined Courtney Walcott’s campaign team here in Calgary. It's fair to say that, at that time, my politics aligned much more with that of a Liberal than the budding Abolitionist I am now. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for me to recognize the dead-end I had headed towards and chose to pivot. I am grateful to those who were patient with me as I caught up, and to those who hold space for me as I continue to expand my knowledge. It’s why I try my best to share what I learn to help others in their own journeys.
But what would it look like if we were to listen to our ancestors and those who have been doing this work long before us? What would it look like if we were to come into this work truly ready to follow the lead of those who have already gone through the steps? What if we were to listen to those yelling from the rooftops now? There is no shortage of resources for us to pull from and tap into; everything we are saying now has already been said a million times and more.
My “activism” has already looked like many things, from sitting at the infamous “table” with other “leaders”, to organizing direct actions against far-right extremists with local anarchists, to mutual aid organizing with other poor and/or racialized folks to ensure our basic needs are met. What I have come to learn through my experience thus far: the most important and impactful thing we can be doing right now is organizing with those most impacted by these systems and bettering our material conditions together.
While we can argue that everyone needs to have their own experience in order to believe these systems really are as bad as they hear them to be, we waste valuable time and energy when we continue to focus on demanding change from a system doing exactly what it was designed to do. I often think about how much further we would be in this fight for liberation if we could just learn from the experiences of others rather than having to go through the same nonsense of finding out for ourselves. People have been trying to “change it from the inside” for decades and despite us being let down time and time again, people still seem to believe these systems will save us or that they can somehow be leveraged in a way that benefits all people. The reality is that these systems will always only benefit a few while the majority of us remain gasping for air.
As we watch what takes place in the US regarding the presidential elections, I want those of us in so-called Canada to keep our own elections at the forefront of our minds. Don’t allow yourself to get wrapped up in thinking we are shielded from what is happening to the south of us, maple-washing us straight into hell. We are not set to choose a new Prime Minister until October of 2025, at which time we could see Pierre Poilievre (Canada’s Trump) take over. This means you have over a year to organize - and I don’t mean organizing around political parties. I mean organizing to care for one another and support our physical, mental and material needs. You don’t need to wait to join in last minute mass panic, or until something directly effects you. Start now, do it NOW, because there absolutely will become a time when it’s too late.
"Taylor McNallie dedicates her time to seeking racial justice and collective liberation through education and hands-on work with both marginalized communities and accomplices alike. As the co-creator of Inclusive Canada, she provides education on anti-racism, white supremacy, and anti-Blackness. She is also a member of the Walls Down Collective which provides access to no-barrier resources and care such as Harm Reduction, free food programs and an alternative to local policing."
Pay Black people for their time, energy and labor.
Etransfer & PayPal: tmcnallie@gmail.com
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