City councillor puts forth motion to combat racism in Kingston

A city councillor in Kingston, Ont., is hoping to combat racism in the city.

Jeff McLaren will put forth a motion next week to review anti-racism policies, in an attempt to eliminate situations as the one that unfolded last month, when a woman can be heard shouting racial slurs to her neighbour.

That video went viral throughout the city, and led to a protest in the same complex where it was shot.

“I didn’t realize that this was happening in Kingston,” Coun. McLaren said.

However, organizers say since the rally, matters between the two neighbours have only gotten worse.

“Cops were there actually the day after,” rally organizer Amiee Van Vlack said. “Because the woman had been screaming at the neighbours for even attending the rally.”

The motion calls for more education about the various forms racism takes, as well as encouraging all city-funded organizations to do the same.

Van Vlack is hopeful the motion, should it be adopted, will encourage Town Homes Kingston, where the video at the root of the issue was shot, to do the same.

“So that racism is something that is not condoned, and that it would be considered equally as disruptive as something like violence against another tenant,” Van Vlack said.