Racist graffiti not a surprise to Sask. Multicultural Council

Racist graffiti in Regina disappoints but doesn't surprise the Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan's executive director.

Recently, graffiti tags appeared near Oxford Park in the city's Glencairn neighbourhood saying "KKK" and "KKK is great." Others use offensive language like f--k and the "N-word."

"Unfortunately, I can't say I was shocked," said Rhonda Rosenberg. "We've seen a lot of that happening in the States in the last little while, as well as the upswelling of racism that we saw around Colten Boushie's killing in the summer."

Connection to U.S. politics

Echoing the neighbours who spotted the graffiti in Glencairn, Rosenberg connected the hateful messaging to similar sentiments heard during the U.S. presidential election. 

"The way that [president-elect Donald Trump] spoke about Mexicans, about Muslims, about immigrants, about the LGBT community — it gives people permission to act on their base instincts, and I think some of the base instincts are about fear," Rosenberg said. 

Multicultural council receives racist posts

Rosenberg said another reason the hateful graffiti tags didn't come as a surprise is that the Multicultural Council has received some hateful messages online.

'It really is true that when we come together, and have different perspectives, we build better communities.- Rhonda Rosenberg, Multicultural Council of Saskatchewan's executive director

Saskatchewan Multicultural Week begins Saturday and the council has been promoting the theme: "Who's your multicultural hero?" Rosenberg said people have been responding with racist and islamophobic comments.

"Our approach to that is to try to engage people in conversation about where those ideas come from, how they come to hold them," said Rosenberg. She thinks that's the best way to combat misunderstanding and fear of one another.

But the people posting those messages are rarely willing to have a conversation and dig deeper into understanding more about the people around them, she said.

"Saskatchewan's motto is 'from many people, strength,' and it really is true that when we come together, and have different perspectives, we build better communities," Rosenberg said.

Tips to combat racism

Rosenberg suggests the following when people you know make a comment based on prejudiced or outright racist information:

• Question them about it, using an approach of curiosity.
• Avoid telling them off because it won't help develop communication.
• Engage them in conversation and explore their ideas and the reasons why they have them.
• Share your own experiences to show their perspective isn't the only way to see it.