Elected officials, municipal administrators and special guests from the Region of Durham hosting a Telephone Town Hall on Anti-Black Racism.
It was a stark reminder of how rare it is to have a safe space to share deeply personal and traumatic experiences with those who can make a difference.
On August 6, the Region of Durham held an unusual Telephone Town Hall for residents of its eight large municipalities to share experiences of anti-Black racism in the Region. Converso and Environics Research partnered with the Region to produce the town hall. Converso dialled thousands of landlines and cell phones, streamed the event online, and integrated with YouTube Live to give participants the chance to raise awareness on the issue.
Those of us working the technical side of the event sat quietly listening in the council chambers alongside the panel of speakers -- municipal officials and members of the Black community.
It was emotional. Shocking. Humbling. Painful stories of the abuse inflicted by elementary school teachers, employers, co-workers, and others.
For some of us, the evening gave us a chance to reflect on our own similar experiences. Simmering, long buried. For others, it was an awakening that they have been living in a parallel universe. One 30-year Whitby resident shared that she had no idea such things had been happening in her neighbourhood.
An astonishing 7,000 people took part that night by phone, online and on YouTube Live.
It was unforgettable, and a privilege, to help the Region’s leaders hear the unfiltered voices of their residents, correct misinformation, and share messages of support. Most importantly, we gave people a voice who would not otherwise be heard.
Simi Junior - Converso Associate