NEWS RELEASE
COMMUNITY SAFETY AND WELL-BEING THUNDER BAY
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THUNDER BAY – A public art mural was revealed at a community event Wednesday led by the ‘Youth in Solidarity Against Racism and Hate (Solidarity Collective) Project’. The project is the culmination of the work accomplished in the first year of a two-year project funded through the Ministry of the Solicitor General.
Led by youth and coordinated by the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association, Goods & Co. Lab, Community Safety & Well-Being Thunder Bay, and other community partners.
The youth participating in the project provided the following collective statement:“The Solidarity Collective unites emerging artists, activists and community members to organize and address racism and hate in our community. By working collaboratively to engage the community through art and hosting space for conversation across communities impacted by discrimination, we aim to inspire awareness, education, and personal commitment to taking action. An emergent theme
of the mural was revealed on what makes a strong community: interconnectedness and relationships. We acknowledge powerful seen and unseen relationships, diversity, cycles of life stages, and the impact we each make in relation to other people, the land, elements, and all things in our reality.”
They added that from the roots, they are finding themselves, are listening, and are creating a community that says there is no place for hate.
“This is a youth-led and developed project with a goal of strengthening their collective voice to challenge racism, discrimination and hate,” said Cathy Woodbeck, Executive Director at the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association. “Building solidarity and advocacy comes through the process of working side by side on projects such as the art wall, and it is a critical part of the journey of relationship building.”
