June 06, 2020
Like you, we have been deeply affected seeing the anti-Black racism and police brutality happening across North America. It is horrific and appalling, but it is not unfamiliar. We have seen these violent injustices play out time and again in the past, and we know that to remain silent is to be complicit.
We recognize the tireless, ongoing work being done every day by BIPOC leaders and community activists across this country and we stand in solidarity with them. We acknowledge that if we want to dismantle systemic racism and white supremacy, we must do so in ways that are substantive and that extend beyond language alone. We must start by listening to the BIPOC members of our community who are fighting for justice, and by providing material support by donating to the organizations that uphold their efforts, many of which we will detail below.
If we do not experience racism or these threats of violence, we must also do the work to learn how to take anti-racist action in our own lives and how to become better allies. Some recommended resources are detailed below if you’d like to learn more about taking this on.
We recognize that, while we love what we do, as with all fields, our industry is not exempt from the effects of racism. Historically, we have seen this play out in the ways that surgeries like rhinoplasty were designed to conform to typically white beauty standards. Thankfully, this has changed, but there are still many other areas where we need to do better. People of colour are underrepresented in recruitment for new plastic surgeons. Training for some of the technologies we use for non-surgical treatments is optimized for light skin tones, and we’re often instructed that some treatments don’t work for darker skin. In fact, it’s not because this is inherent to the technology, but because there has not yet been sufficient research, education and training to address these treatment gaps.
Our team is actively discussing how we will tangibly back our statements with action. We’re donating to these organizations and we’re looking inward to identify our own shortcomings and blind spots that contribute to upholding white supremacy in our workplace. We want to let you know more about the results of these conversations. We know we have more work to do, and we want to do it meaningfully, which requires time and significant dialogue.
In the meantime, please check out these resources and, if you have the means, please donate to support the important work done by these organizations.
Black Legal Action Centre – a non-profit community legal clinic that provides free legal services for low or no income Black residents of Ontario
Black Lives Matter – a non-profit platform for black communities across Toronto that supports actively dismantling all forms of anti-black racism
Black Health Alliance – a community-led registered charity working to improve the health and well-being of Black communities in Canada
Minnesota Freedom Fund – pays criminal bail and immigration bond for those who cannot afford to as we seek to end discriminatory, coercive, and oppressive jailing
Reclaim the Block – organizes Minneapolis community and city council members to move money from the police department into other areas of the city’s budget that truly promote community health and safety
Black Lives Matter – the US platform for Black Lives Matter
The American Civil Liberties Union – works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve individual rights and liberties
Justice in June – A daily workbook by Bryanna Wallace and Autumn Gupta where you choose how much time you have each day to become more informed as step one to becoming an active ally to the Black community
Policing Black Lives – a CBC national bestseller by Robyn Maynard, currently in its third printing, designated as one of the “best 100 books of 2017”
Until We Are Free – a collection some of the very best writing on the most important issues facing the Black community in Canada
The Skin We’re In – a perspective-shifting book from one of Canada’s most celebrated and uncompromising writers, Desmond Cole
White Fragility – a New York Times best-selling book by Robin DiAngelo exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged
Support a local business – check out more books you can order at A Different Booklist , a Canadian multicultural bookstore specializing in literature from the African and Caribbean diaspora and the Global South.
Did we answer all your questions? Our goal is to ensure you have the best information possible to make your decision. If you still have questions, we’re here to help.
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