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Everything lately has me reflecting on my position in Edmonton as a Black man.
idk why but I want to reflect on my life experiences and how they inform my understanding of police and justice in Edmonton.
This will be stream of consciousness so sorry if it doesn't make sense.
idk why but I want to reflect on my life experiences and how they inform my understanding of police and justice in Edmonton.
This will be stream of consciousness so sorry if it doesn't make sense.
I grew up on the northside of Edmonton. Dickinsfield. Social housing. This is my home and is where I grew up.
It's where children played but according to police I was in a ‘rough area.’ This influenced how they policed us and criminalized us. https://twitter.com/BashirMohamed/status/1251384601022521346
It's where children played but according to police I was in a ‘rough area.’ This influenced how they policed us and criminalized us. https://twitter.com/BashirMohamed/status/1251384601022521346
Growing up there were a wave of young Somali men murdered. The deaths were tragic and the community wanted peace.
However, police were hesitant to investigate our murders. One cop openly suggested focusing on 'other' cases. He stayed on the force. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/acting-police-chief-apologizes-to-somali-community-1.1008977
However, police were hesitant to investigate our murders. One cop openly suggested focusing on 'other' cases. He stayed on the force. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/acting-police-chief-apologizes-to-somali-community-1.1008977
I only just realized how traumatizing these experiences are. The murders but also the lack of care shown by government, schools, and the police.
I visited my old home a couple weeks ago and memories flooded back of one young man murdered in our park and another outside our home
I visited my old home a couple weeks ago and memories flooded back of one young man murdered in our park and another outside our home
It was a constant struggle. I remember how open the discrimination was against Somalis in Edmonton. By both cops and businesses.
I got through this pain by bottling in my emotions and focusing on academics. It was unhealthy but I was a lucky one. https://twitter.com/BashirMohamed/status/1076700927485067265
I got through this pain by bottling in my emotions and focusing on academics. It was unhealthy but I was a lucky one. https://twitter.com/BashirMohamed/status/1076700927485067265
Back then I thought the best thing to do was keep my head down and go to university. My mom would always talk about how important post-secondary was even tho she didn't understand the Canadian education system or how expensive tuition was.
I listened and got accepted at the UofA
I listened and got accepted at the UofA
A lot of my friends entered the RAP program. Registered Apprenticeship Program. They'd be streamed into lower academic streams to fit in trades training.
We were all pulled out of class and they showed us a graph of how much you'd make in the trades vs uni.
We were all pulled out of class and they showed us a graph of how much you'd make in the trades vs uni.
I remember my friends would usually roast me. They would brag about making 7 grand a month while I was paying 7 grand a year for tuition lol.
Unfortunately, oil crashed and many would be left unemployed. It's fucked that so many were sold on a lie with no backup.
Unfortunately, oil crashed and many would be left unemployed. It's fucked that so many were sold on a lie with no backup.
Heres a scam...when you are under 20 a 5 credit high school course is like $40. When you turn 20 that same course becomes $500.
Upgrading becomes financially impossible and the system succeeds in locking us up academically. Fuck em.
Upgrading becomes financially impossible and the system succeeds in locking us up academically. Fuck em.
idk how I got so lucky with the path I chose. I just knew I was lucky but I always felt alone.
I would feel most alone in my government summer jobs. These were always wild because I went from making $8.80/hr to $18/hr. I always tried my best but I hated the work.
I would feel most alone in my government summer jobs. These were always wild because I went from making $8.80/hr to $18/hr. I always tried my best but I hated the work.
Not because it was hard or anything. It was always easy.
But something to note...each year I was always paired with another summer student. This student would almost always be the son/daughter/nephew of a higher up gov official.
Apparently this was a common hiring stream?
But something to note...each year I was always paired with another summer student. This student would almost always be the son/daughter/nephew of a higher up gov official.
Apparently this was a common hiring stream?
For example, the summer student I worked with at the Law Courts was the son of a government director.
While in Advanced Education the other summer student was the nephew of an executive hired for a special project created by the executive.
I always felt alone in each position.
While in Advanced Education the other summer student was the nephew of an executive hired for a special project created by the executive.
I always felt alone in each position.
One day I was at the courts and ran into a friend from high school. We embraced each other and were really happy to see one another.
But then we both realized where we were. The moment became more timid and he told me he was there to deal with some stuff. I went back to work.
But then we both realized where we were. The moment became more timid and he told me he was there to deal with some stuff. I went back to work.
I ran into him later that year at Northgate transit centre. We shared a moment and he told me about his life plans.
Two weeks later he was murdered. It threw me off for years - he didn't deserve this. https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2018/10/16/cannabis-prohibition-is-over-but-the-ravages-of-the-drug-war-that-took-my-friends-life-are-still-with-us.html
Two weeks later he was murdered. It threw me off for years - he didn't deserve this. https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2018/10/16/cannabis-prohibition-is-over-but-the-ravages-of-the-drug-war-that-took-my-friends-life-are-still-with-us.html
I guess all these life experiences is what made me so determined to start challenging things.
The first thing I did was when I was 17 and tried to ask then Immigration Minister Jason Kenney a question about health care cuts.
I was arrested lol https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/former-refugee-arrested-at-kenney-bbq-1.1144214
The first thing I did was when I was 17 and tried to ask then Immigration Minister Jason Kenney a question about health care cuts.
I was arrested lol https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/former-refugee-arrested-at-kenney-bbq-1.1144214
All charges were dropped and the cuts were later ruled 'cruel and unusual.' As you know, Kenney is now Premier of Alberta.
This experience showed me that I had to be more careful going forward. Other people did what I did but I was the only one arrested. https://ipolitics.ca/2014/07/04/court-calls-federal-cuts-to-refugee-health-cruel-and-unusual/
This experience showed me that I had to be more careful going forward. Other people did what I did but I was the only one arrested. https://ipolitics.ca/2014/07/04/court-calls-federal-cuts-to-refugee-health-cruel-and-unusual/
I never considered myself an activist or anything. I just felt tired and hated when I felt like powerful people were lying to us.
This would lead into the whole carding stuff. Which all started cause I asked a cop if police racially profile. The cop said no. I didn't believe him
This would lead into the whole carding stuff. Which all started cause I asked a cop if police racially profile. The cop said no. I didn't believe him
So I filed a freedom of information request and the data showed that Black and Indigenous people were disproportionately carded.
The funny thing was that - during all this - I TRIED to work with police but it all failed. They just ignored us. https://edmontonquotient.com/2017/07/04/edmonton-police-street-checks-show-racial-profiling/?doing_wp_cron=1590683643.0665130615234375000000
The funny thing was that - during all this - I TRIED to work with police but it all failed. They just ignored us. https://edmontonquotient.com/2017/07/04/edmonton-police-street-checks-show-racial-profiling/?doing_wp_cron=1590683643.0665130615234375000000
People talk a lot about 'good cops' in Edmonton. But not a single 'good cop' attempted to challenged the Chief of Police on carding.
It was messed up cause we tried but they kept their blue wall of silence and defended racial profiling.
It was messed up cause we tried but they kept their blue wall of silence and defended racial profiling.
This whole experience made me realize how working with police is never an option. They will always protect themselves.
As a result, we failed on this campaign even tho carding rates did decline after our stats. https://edmontonjournal.com/news/crime/carding-stops-by-edmonton-police-drop-30-per-cent-in-one-year
As a result, we failed on this campaign even tho carding rates did decline after our stats. https://edmontonjournal.com/news/crime/carding-stops-by-edmonton-police-drop-30-per-cent-in-one-year
