March 21 is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. It marks the anniversary of the 1960 massacre of 69 peaceful Black demonstrators in Sharpeville, South Africa by the apartheid regime. Mindful of the recent Mosque Attack in New Zealand, CUPE Ontario calls on our members to reflect on the racial discrimination and xenophobia that persists in our workplaces, our communities, and our union—while committing to challenge it wherever it appears. In so doing, we also acknowledge the uniquely pernicious nature of anti-Black racism and the fact that ultimately there can be no racial justice without economic justice.
