Post by Atong Ater
A coalition created in direct response to the death of Abdirahman Abdi is evolving into a larger movement about what it means to be black in Canada.
On October 2, 2016, the Justice for Abdirahman coalition hosted a community conference to discuss mental health, racism, newcomers, criminal justice and self-care.
“We thought of Adbirahman Abdi and the intersections of his identity. He was a black man. He was a newcomer. He had a mental illness,” said Alliance of Black Community Organizers member Muna Mohamed, speaking the day before the conference. “This is an opportunity to have a discussion about what blackness looks like here. I would consider this conference the first time we are moving forward on that,” she continued.
Asked about the larger theme of the conference, coalition member Dahabo Ahmed Omer said, “We wanted to focus on this case, but it has become so much bigger than we had anticipated.”
Last March, black community organizers came together to discuss opening a Black Lives Matter chapter in Ottawa, said Mohamed, however the organizers decided to focus locally. “A lot of our work is really different from the States…we had such a profound interest in figuring out what blackness looks like here,” said Mohamed.
The coalition has also included Indigenous voices in their discussions and the community conference. Speaking to the coalition’s relationship with Indigenous peoples, Mohamed said “I’ve never seen solidarity stronger than Indigenous solidarity, not just in this city, but in this country. Aboriginal people are racialized differently and we recognize that, but we also make space for them to exist [in our discussions].”
Following the conference, the coalition aims to draft and share a consensus document composed of the discussions and the recommendations that come from community members.
“The consensus document will be reactive to the needs of the community,” said Omer. “The Somali community is no longer just talking. We want action.”
Mohamed said she is optimistic about the direction of the coalition.
“The first step is dialogue with the community,” said Mohamed. “Regardless of where this conference ends up or where the SIU investigation goes, it started a conversation with people who weren’t even thinking about this community at all.”
To learn more about the Justice for Abdirahman coalition, visit their website, or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
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