The last couple weeks have been rough.

This statement is a privilege: uncovering and learning about systemic racism has been emotionally draining. The black community have been wrongfully incarcerated, assaulted and killed by police a countless amount of times. And here I am complaining about being drained emotionally.

And while it is a privilege it is real feeling. Our mental health while we support this movement is just as essential as making sure our voices are heard by the right folks who pass laws and create systemic change.

So over the last week I’ve been trying to assess where and how I can make a better impact. Of course I’m signing petitions and anything that helps create change right now. But as a mom my biggest contribution is raising my baby girl. 

Here are some of the things I am and will be doing:

Toys

Up until last week Maya only had one doll-like figure (it was more like a teether) and it looked like Dora the explorer. I made a quick trip to the local Indigo and was disappointed by their lack of variety in dolls (books is another disappointment). I managed to find an Ada Twist, Scientist doll in the clearance section and took her home with me. I’m committed to making sure all Maya’s dolls and toys will look like people of all races.

Books

After doing a quick audit, 95% of Maya’s books are of animals and no real people. Of the 5% that depict people are varied in race. We have books on Little Trailblazer women including Malala, Sonia Sotomayor, Rosa Parks and of course Maya Angelou. Going forward I am committed to selecting books that are written by the black community.

Social circles

There isn’t much I can do about this at this time. We used to attend lots of babytime at the library and find social play dates with a variety of people of all races. I am committed to ensuring we continue as the province loosens it’s covid health restrictions.

I’m sure I will add more to it as I go. For now I will focus on ensuring my baby girl grows up to see the systemic racism and give her the courage to speak.