The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

3 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,June 11,2020 theifp.ca Spring is back, and so is our 15th Annual Super Spring SpecialON NOW ! - Oil & Filter (Includes up to 6 litres regular oil.) - Complete top to bottom check over - Installation of summer tires (already on rims) included. - $5.00 Tim's Card - Windshield Washer Fluid eXTraS $8995* Call for an Appointment *Most Vehicles. Prices are +HST 45 Mountainview Rd. N., Georgetown 905.877.7958 hassellsauto@bellnet.ca • hassellautomotive.comSALES & SERVICE $6995*69 Only Gold 2018 Halton Hills Silver 2018 Halton Hills Synthetic oil (up to 6 litres) We're Still Open! Due to COVID-19 we are taking every precaution by implementing extra sanitizing measures and limiting contact. *Most Vehicles. Prices are + HST. FINAL WEEK! A group of local resi- dents have come together to tackle racial inequality issues in Halton Hills. Called the Halton Hills Alliance for Social Change, the movement has quickly attracted hundreds of citi- zens interested in address- ing matters that impact the Black, Indigenous and Peo- ple of Colour (BIPOC) com- munity. "Some events unfolded in the United States that brought us all together," explained alliance acting president Bonita Uzoruo. "We recognize there's also a need in Halton Hills for an- ti-racism education. But we (BIPOC) haven't been given a platform to speak from locally. We want to amplify our voices and be heard and seen and recog- nized in the community." The alliance is planning its first event for this Sun- day (June 14) -- a peaceful march in solidarity with national and international Black Lives Matter demon- strations, and to also take a stand against anti-Black and systemic racism facing the BIPOC community of Halton Hills. "One of the comments I've heard is, 'I haven't seen racism in Georgetown.' But just because you don't see racism, that doesn't mean it doesn't exist," said Josh Nelson, one of the alli- ance's founding members. "There's covert and overt types of racism that exist in society, and I think they're very prevalent." Both Uzoruo and Nelson say they've experienced ra- cial incidents in Halton Hills. Shortly after moving to Georgetown a decade ago, Uzoruo said a swastika was carved into her fence -- an act the community re- sponded to by coming to- gether and painting over it with a mural of peace. She said her 12-year-old son has also been called the N-word in school. "That's not his first inci- dent in town," she noted. Meanwhile, Nelson said he was put in an uncomfort- able position at a George- town family restaurant near his home when a man approached him and struck up a conversation full of dis- criminatory, prejudicial language. After trying to verbally de-escalate the sit- uation, Nelson said the man continued with statements like, "You're what's wrong with Canada." "I was put in a position where I had to get up and walk away," he said. "Then he followed me as I was try- ing to de-escalate by walk- ing away. I had to leave the building because I was so furious." The Halton Hills Alli- ance for Social Change is led by the local BIPOC com- munity and aims to bring together people of all eth- nicities, including white people of all backgrounds interested in supporting the group's mission. "We are actively seeking more people from the BI- POC community to join the group," said alliance admin team member Melissa Krause. "One of our goals is to educate Halton Hills on the presence of racism and the history of oppression. There's a lack of education here on these issues." Krause said the group is facing challenges in re- cruiting BIPOC, with many seeming fearful to come forward due to racial issues in the community. She pointed to a recent social media post by one of the alliance members about the march that drew prejudicial commentary. "People feel it's safe in Halton Hills to throw racial slurs around, and it's not OK," she said. Uzuruo said the alliance will create a safe space that she feels doesn't currently exist in Halton Hills. "There are many people of colour in town that haven't had that safe space. It's been a long time com- ing," she said. "We want to represent their voices, es- pecially those that have never been given a chance or silenced through sys- temic racism." The Halton Hills Soli- darity March will start at Mold-Masters SportsPlex at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Partic- ipants must wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth, and maintain so- cial distancing. For further details, visit the Halton Hills Alliance for Social Change page on Facebook. NEW ALLIANCE TAKES AIM AT RACISM IN COMMUNITY Rallies supporting the Black Lives Matter movement are being held throughout Halton, like this one in Milton. Graham Paine/Torstar MELANIE HENNESSEY mhennessey@ metroland.com NEWS