Hundreds attend walk in support of BLM

   Demonstrators gathered at the Windsor riverfront to attend the Walk for Regis in support of Black Lives Matter (BLM) last weekend.

   Supporters met outside The Bistro and lined Riverside Drive Saturday afternoon holding up signs and fists as cars drove by, with many drivers honking in support.

   The organizers of the walk, Sha McAbee and Maya Murphy, brought a megaphone to encourage chants such as “no justice, no peace,” “hands up, don’t shoot” and “I can’t breathe.”

   McAbee, a makeup artist to people of colour in Windsor-Essex, said they and their sister Murphy, a high school student, organized the Walk for Regis after researching how often Black Canadians die during mental health checks. 

   Regis Korchinski-Paquet, an Indigenous-Black woman in her 20s, died in Toronto May 27 after falling from a 24th floor balcony while police were in her home. Officials say the police were there because Regis’ mother called for help as Regis was having a mental health crisis.

   “Seeing Regis’ story reaffirmed my experience here that there was a serious issue in Canada affecting Black Canadians having valid concerns and issues in their community,” said McAbee. “I’ve switched all my platforms I used for business to informational content on Black Canadians and their deaths from mental health checks.”

   According to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, between 2013 and 2017 a Black person was 20 times more likely than a non-Black person to be involved in a fatal shooting by the Toronto Police Service.

   “I don’t think there isn’t a day where Black people cannot encounter racism from TV shows and movies… to hair discrimination, gaslighting and profiling,” said McAbee.

   Teena Handsor, a biracial woman living in Windsor, said she was protesting for her rights.

   “Black people don’t get treated as equal. [As a child, students in class] would be addressed White Teena, Black Teena, White Raquel and Black Raquel,” said Handsor. “Being biracial is very difficult because you get it on both ends … being trapped in a biracial family I do see the difference where there’s no equality at all. I pray for justice and peace that we’re all treated as equals and hopefully through protesting and stuff that we’ve been doing, it does get resolved.”

   McAbee said the first step to being a great ally is to hold the microphone and amplify Black voices.

   “It is okay to see colour in regards to acknowledging blackness and though our history here is widely looked over, I encourage people to learn histories outside the Eurocentric curriculum we have in place,” said McAbee.

   The walk, which went along the riverfront, near CBC Windsor and the Windsor Police Service Headquarters, lasted just over two hours.

   The Walk for Regis was one of several demonstrations in the area over the weekend. McAbee said to those planning on attending a rally or protest to stay safe, stay smart and wear protective masks as COVID-19 is still a threat