The Skin We're In

I don't think the subject matter lends itself to book form. Cole is a newspaper journalist and this feels like a collection of outdated columns and commentary (because I heard about these incidents when they originally occurred and due to style). Except for the May chapter, which was about lilacs and the writer's mom, and stood in stark contrast to the rest of the book.

This is an absolutely essential read for understanding the injustices and racism that Black Canadians face in the 21st century.

“Always pay extra attention to laws that contain the word safe and ask who's safety is being addressed.”

Cole's work details a year of activism against anti-black racism, bringing up cases of violence (both personal and institutional) in Ontario and Halifax. He writes about the practice of carding, immigration policy, and police presence in schools and community centers, as well as the Black Lives Matters work during Pride. One of the things I'm seeing is the close linkage of anti-black racist work with similar indigenous issues of police brutality and under-resourcing.

Horribly, the off-duty police officer who beat a teenager with a metal pipe in 2016 will get a court ruling this morning - livestream on YouTube!

Cole also speaks about the Fe

4.5