Photo by Irina on Unsplash

The Labour Studies Program at Simon Fraser University stands in Solidarity with Black Lives Matter and those participating in anti-racist protests in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere in the world. We are disturbed and angered at the recent instances of police brutality resulting in the death of unarmed Black civilians in North America. As critical labour scholars and activists we know that systemic racism is at the root of economic and labour-market based inequalities in North America. This systemic racism and the labour market outcomes it produces is the legacy of a history of colonialism, slavery, and white supremacy in both the United States and Canada, nations founded through the violent dispossession of Indigenous peoples. We need to look no further than our own university to see how income, job security, and workplace safety are distributed in a manner that highlights the structural disadvantages faced by racialized workers.

We urge those who care about addressing racial injustice to ask themselves what practical steps they can take to challenge these injustices in their own communities. Here are some ideas:

Find out more about Black Lives Matter Vancouver.
Donate to Black Lives Matter Toronto.
Donate to Black and anti-racist organizations in Canada listed here.
Donate to anti-racist community organizations and bail funds in the U.S. listed here or here.
Read and share the anti-racist education resources here and here.
Support and attend anti-racist protests occurring around the world.
Organize to support racialized workers in your community.

The Labour Studies Program and the SFU Morgan Centre for Labour Research commit to:

• Actively supporting antiracist and Black, Brown and Indigenous organizing within the labour movement and beyond.
• Amplifying the voices of racialized people and critiques of white supremacy, racial capitalism and settler colonialism in our curriculum and in our research collaborations.
• Engage with and support racialized workers on our own campus who disproportionately endure low wages, precarious employment, and unsafe working conditions, including cleaners and food service workers.
• Participate in discussions and activities related to reform of policing including defunding and use of saved funds to strengthen community based initiatives to address the determinants of racial injustice

Signed,
The Steering Committee, Labour Studies Program at Simon Fraser University