Written by Sport Nova Scotia’s Participation Lead-EDI, Nick Lenehan
Nova Scotia Sport and Rec Anti-Racism Week 2022 has recently ended, but the learnings and teachings from it will definitely reverberate across the Nova Scotia sport and recreation sectors. It was a week full of educational opportunities, new commitments, and important conversations, all of which needed to be brought forward. As someone who’s been a part of this event from its early stages, I’m so appreciative of all the hard work that went into this project and honoured to have been a part of it.
The week started off strong with the launch of Canadian Sport Institute Atlantic’s new anti-racism e-modules for both parents and athletes. The two new resources were developed with the specific goals of educating both parents and youth on how to be positive allies and equip them with the necessary tools to create safe and inclusive sports environments.
Whether taking the parent or youth version, each e-module takes less than an hour, is offered in both French and English, and includes some of the most practical and real-world information for allies on how we can do better. A particular shout-out needs to go to Andrew Paris, the Coaching Lead for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Mentorship at the CSI-Atlantic, who took this project on and made sure it was the success it turned out to be.
At the same time as the e-modules were launched, the Recreation Facility Association of Nova Scotia released an Anti-Racism Declaration, and Recreation Nova Scotia started their week-long road show promoting their recently developed Anti-Racism Charter. Both of these initiatives highlight the important roles the recreation sector has in educating participants and creating environments free from racism.
RFANS developed their Anti-Racism Declaration with sport in mind, partnering with Hockey Nova Scotia to have it read aloud before games. The RNS Anti-Racism Charter was a massive undertaking where key conversations were had with a wide array of organizations and stakeholders in order to create something meaningful and useful. There is so much overlap between sport and recreation, particularly at the grassroots level, that without these important partnerships, I don’t see how any real change could be sustainable.
By mid-week, Sport Nova Scotia hosted the first BIPOC Engagement Session. This was a closed-space event, meaning only those from racialized communities were invited to attend. It was an unbelievably important step to engage with, and hear from, those who experience racism first-hand in a space where talking freely was encouraged.
Those in attendance were able to ask questions, create connections, and give important feedback on the barriers they face when accessing sport in Nova Scotia. Being an ally on a personal level means asking yourself what you can do to push back against racism, being open to criticism and feedback, and trying to constantly improve from where you started. Being an ally as an organization or institution requires all the same things, and more. These types of conversions and spaces are not only important but are necessary and integral in order to create change and levels of accountability.
The week ended with a panel discussion on anti-racism and active allyship. The panelists, along with the moderator, talked about the important realities of where we’re at now and how to support change moving forward. It was a powerful conversation from leaders across the sport sector, a must listen for anyone who considers themself an ally. This recorded discussion provides the opportunity to reflect on our own experiences, our own teams, and our own relationships in sport. The conversation provoked by such dynamic leaders of sport in Nova Scotia leaves anyone who has listened with the drive to not only seek out change, but to create it in their own world.
As a whole, the Nova Scotia Sport and Rec Anti-Racism Week was an integral step and call to action for all of us in the sport system in Nova Scotia. The stories shared, conversations started and resources developed will all help us be better tomorrow than we are today.
We got to hear the personal stories of both Mark Connors and Aiyanna Empringham, two athletes who have endured hateful and harmful experiences in sport based on their race. Their personal stories helped to give real-life examples of the harm which too many athletes and participants still feel. These stories, along with the already mentioned resources, can be found at www.showuptospeakup.ca and mark only the beginning of many future discussions.
For its first Anti-Racism Week, Nova Scotia has set the standard, and we will all be held accountable to continue to raise it year after year. It’s up to all of us to take these resources and stories as initiatives to continue the important work of allyship and anti-racism every day of our lives. The Department of Community, Culture, Tourism, and Heritage initiated the conversation and the sport and recreation partners in Nova Scotia definitely showed up.
As the Participation Lead with a focus on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion for Sport Nova Scotia, I’m really encouraged by the work started. One of our goals from the initial planning conversations was to engage with people and create change. Talking is one thing, but “doing” is something else completely. Hopefully, this will prompt more people to “do” when it comes to anti-racism.
Lastly, as a white man, I want to speak directly to all the other non-racialized people who have read this post. Being an ally means it’s up to us to do the heavy lifting. We are the ones who need to continue to educate ourselves and challenge each other to do better. The materials were created and conversations were had with the idea that great change is possible. Now it’s time for all of us to show up so we can speak up!
