Content warning for anti-Black police violence
This week is the end of phase one, the first 4 week section of this research project. And my mind is mush, I've been consumed by the horror of the current state of affairs, the disregard for Black lives - and have been overcome with anger for the white supremacist institution that is the institution of police. Art making, working or even just thinking about place was hard this week.
As I sort through these thoughts, I'm realizing there is a connection to place. The major event that effected my energy and depression the most, was the alleged murder of Regis Korchinski-Paquet. The fact that she lived, and died down the street was extremely disturbing. That could've been someone in my chosen family or community. I know racism lives here, and that KKKanada is no better than the States, but something about the local visual and connection has been gut-wrenching. The night I heard about her murder, I shared the news with my sibling and partner, we sat in silence for a while. And then I tried to think about what I could do to help.
I decided to create an art piece urging folks to tag Toronto Police Services (TPS) to create visibility, and accountability. To be transparent, I'm a prison abolitionist, but I was trying to think about what I could do as one person without an immediate complete system overhaul. This was the first draft, followed by the second piece, which is what I actually shared online.
As I'm writing this blog, this post reached over 30,000 individuals and was shared over 2300 times. I find some peace in knowing it's helping communicate to TPS that communities are watching, and to challenge their reports that Regis "fell to her death". These are my vague thoughts for now.
@Nozaknows on Instagram created a resource of "Steps you can take to push for justice for Regis...", it includes wording for what to say and who to contact.