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Teresa Enns Zehr's avatar

Thank you Shannan. I appreciate your thoughtfulness and humble heart. In Canada our most oppressed people group are the Indigenous People of Canada. Several years ago everything and anything with the Hudson Bay Stripe logo became hipster and trendy. Suddenly a store that was founded in Canada in the 1600’s was cool again. I’ll admit, I fell for it. Until I began to think deeper about the history of the original Hudson Bay Blanket, and what they symbolize. Small pox. Death of Indigenous People. The horrific attempts to oppress a people group. I threw out my “cool” striped mittens, and now walk around in ordinary red mitts. I definitely don’t always get it right, but it’s a good reminder to me to think deeper that what i first see in society.

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Marianne Beal Peters's avatar

Thank you for this essay, Shannon. Over the last year, like you, I have tried to read and listen and absorb. I've learned so much. But I think one of the biggest lessons is to just be quiet. I will stand against racism, especially when my voice is needed to communicate this to my white friends and family. But my friends who are people of color don't need me to be their spokesperson. I don't need them to keep patting me on the back for having their back. (I hope this makes sense--just this year, I learned that among the burdens POC carry, they have to keep explaining things to us white folks). Thanks for putting yourself in the middle of this discussion, by living it out and taking on the tough questions.

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