Big Suitcases: Unpacking Racism in Canada

John and Cassel reflect on the echoes of racism in their own community, and unpack their similar but different relationships with the news.Doll Test Videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkpUyB2xgTMHow To Be An Antiracisthttps://www.ibramxkendi.com/how-to-be-an-antiracist21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Acthttps://www.ictinc.ca/books/21-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-indian-actBraiding Sweetgrasshttps://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/

The discussion turns to people’s similarities and differences, and how they can each be best used for the betterment of society. Later John talks about a friend who contemplated suicide, and Cassel confronts his own implicit bias.Trevor Noahhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6eW018NMSUJosiah Hensonhttps://www.josiahhensonproject.ca/

White fragility is unpacked along with how it may have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. What follows is an exploration of empathy and understanding, as well as privilege. The Antiracism Coursehttps://www.selamdebs.com/

Cassel and John unpack what it means to be white in North America, and just how deep white-centeredness runs through North American life. They also discuss recent “Karen” encounters.

The conversation turns to the subject of allies. Aba and Cassel discuss the recent influx of new allies, what they can do, and what they shouldn’t do.Let’s Talk Kingstonhttps://www.facebook.com/kingstonletstalk

Dr. Aba Mortley joins the discussion. The conversation starts with her upbringing in Trinidad and how it contributed to her efforts in starting the conversation in Kingston. She later explains how we might keep the momentum of the events of the last two years.

John and Cassel react to Wawahte and the discovery of mass graves at Residential Schools. Cassel compares Canada’s oppression of Indigenous peoples to that of Blacks in the US, and John shares some insights into the science of prejudice.University of Albertahttps://www.ualberta.ca/admissions-programs/online-courses/indigenous-canada/index.html Scientific Americanhttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-flexibility-of-racial-bias/?fbclid=IwAR1s2ugwUk-LPDnFhwkKNxqO-fnNswJ5BE-SNXFPjxVrhlHXUcxvgN4mI_4

John tells Cassel about his involvement with grassroots efforts to bring the residential school story to the greater public. This is followed by a portion of Wawahte which recounts stories of Residential School survivors.Wawahte Official Site - www.wawahte.comWawahte Documentary - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGrJNUCQ-r4

Cassel explains how the past year has affected him as an actor and how he portrays Josiah. This leads to an exploration of the concept of love and the connectedness of people. Then John and Cassel finally address the elephant in the room; the mass graves found at Residential Schools.https://www.kingstonist.com/news/letter-requesting-removal-of-sir-john-a-statue-in-kingston-city-park/?fbclid=IwAR0VM53SoIQsoa6S_VJuc0Wffx-TA_dX9ky58-dMTx6DWaMUnt3w-gY3XX0

With the growing awareness of systemic racism comes a great deal of angst and anger. The discussion continues with and exploration of awareness and what to do with it.

John and Cassel open the discussion by reflecting on a year of having the discussion, and how events have affected them and the world.

Cassel digs deeper into his suitcase and unpacks past trauma involving his own troubles with the police. A warning that this one’s a bit darker than usual.

The discussion reaches back to the roots of modern society, and how they affect us today, and how they relate to the economy, the environment, and systemic racism.

Cassel recalls a recent encounter with "Karen" in a small town, and expands on new apps that can help even the playing field. This leads back to unpacking human evolution and how it has lead to many of our present issues.

John and Cassel discuss race and voice - both in how we change our voice depending who we're talking to, and who is represented in the audio media. This leads into a discussion of how the slower pace of life during the pandemic has contributed to the recent awakening to racial injustice.

The discussion turns to climate change which leads back to the swing of the pendulum and how it affects issues of race, and the power of the individual. 

The discussion continues with the age old question, are people good or bad? Cassel takes this question back to the roots of modern society, and John waxes philosophical. This leads to unpacking the verdict in the George Floyd murder trial.

After a brief catch-up, John and Cassel ponder the post-COVID world; how life will be changed, and how racism will be challenged as life goes back to “normal”.

After some of the darker discussion earlier, John and Cassel wrap up the discussion with a bit of humour, and some hope for the future.

Cassel tells John how his love of acting lead him to take the roles of Josiah Henson and Martin Luther King Jr. Later they discuss finding peace and understanding in divisive times, and how things may unfold in the coming months.