Racial justice educator & author Rachel Ricketts on why society needs to reckon with the stress and trauma it inflicts on Black women and femmes.

Excerpt from Rachel’s book Do Better published in Glamour UK

Though Canadians are often quick to condemn the overt racism witnessed from our neighbors to the south, we are also quicker to ignore, deny and defend the violent systems of white supremacy in our own settler nation.

Black people are still not safe. Have never been safe. So what exactly are we celebrating?

This is for every White hue-man in my life — past, present or future. Major newsflash ahead so buckle the fuck up.

Holidays are here again, check out my suggested offerings for taking care of you, giving thanks AND calling out racist shit…

I’m not surprised by Charlottesville, but what is shocking is how many white folks are trying to distance themselves from the problem instead of being part of the solution.

Though assisted death is now officially legal in our fair country, we have yet to formalize a national framework and the debate over the specifics of the regulations seem to omit the most critical voice -- that of the individuals and families who have and continue to be subject to archaic mindsets that deny certain patients the right to end their own life, and control their own destiny. It is imperative we hear these voices -- and so here is mine.

This is the perfect time for pure, unadulterated optimism. In order to hone in on the power of collective hope, we gotta get intentional. Not only dream big, but pull up those gumboots and get ready to get dirty, cuz creating change requires creating some mess. Oh yes.