March 21: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

"Are you going to stand up?" the bus driver asked.
"No," she answered.
"Well, by God," the driver replied, "I’m going to have you arrested."
"You may do that," replied Rosa Parks.

Eleven years before the United Nations proclaimed March 21 as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the late Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man. Her arrest on December 1, 1955, spawned a 381 day boycott of the Montgomery bus system and the mass movement that led to the 1964 Civil Rights Act and an end to racial segregation in the US.

On March 21, 1960, South African police opened fire at a demonstration in Sharpeville, killing 69 black demonstrators, including 10 children. More than 80% of those killed were shot in the back as they tried to flee the police bullets. Six years later, the United Nations proclaimed March 21 as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

March 21 remains an important day to recognize. In Canada, a recent study by the Canadian Labour Congress reminds us of the continuing strength of racism. The study confirms that the job market discriminates against workers of colour, and more so against young workers who are Canadian-born.

The study by Leslie Cheung, a graduate student in public policy at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, explains that “the fact that Canadian-born workers of colour are doing badly cannot be explained away by reference to lack of Canadian credentials and experience.”

“With the young Canadian-born worker of colour population now entering the workforce in large numbers, and the ever-increasing migration of people of colour to Canada, the reality of racism must be confronted from all sectors of society, rather than denied,” wrote Cheung in the introduction to her study. The full study, Racial Status and Employment Outcomes, is available at the Canadian Labour Congress website.

Information and action
Using film, music, publications and cartoons, the Action Week Against Racism site provides users with insights into racism and tools to fight it. It’s well worth a visit.

The Racially Visible Action Committee of the PSAC carries out important work on racism and is marking March 21 with an event featuring Richard Pennington, the President of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. Pennington is the Chief of Police of Atlanta, Georgia. More information is available here.

March 21 cannot pass unrecognized. There is more work to be done, and the efforts of those who came before us provide the inspiration to move ahead. “I am leaving this legacy to all of you," said Rosa Parks in 1988, "to bring peace, justice, equality, love and a fulfilment of what our lives should be.”

In solidarity,

Jeannette Meunier-McKay
National President