Fredericton forum highlights path forward for a more inclusive community

“Systemic racism is like the air that we breathe. We live it everyday and if it works for you, you don’t notice it. However, for others, they cannot breathe,” stated Manju Varma in the Systemic Racism Commissioner’s Final Report.

On May 22, 2025, community leaders, educators, healthcare professionals, and advocates gathered for the Fredericton Forum on Anti-Discrimination, Decoloniality, and Equity, hosted by the Canadian Network for Equity and Racial Justice (CNERJ). CNERJ is a national network that focuses on addressing systemic racism, discrimination, and hate, while emphasizing the importance of advancing health equity, economic inclusion, and access to justice. Local organizer, Joanne Owuor, cofounder of the Uzima Network, partnered with CNERJ to coordinate the full panel, secure the venue, and handle all the logistics. The Uzima Network is an organisation ‘dedicated to improving the health and overall well-being of Black and racialized immigrant communities’ in Atlantic Canada.

The event, held at the Saint Mary’s Maqiyahtimok Center in Fredericton, brought together voices from across the province to discuss systemic barriers faced by radicalized communities and the path towards a more just and equitable future in New Brunswick.

During the morning, the forum consisted of an eight-person panel on anti-racism, decoloniality and equity, and occurred.

Panelists were from a variety of institutions and associations: Lisa Perley Dutcher, Founder of Kehkimin Wolastoqey language immersion school, Jennifer Russell, Executive Director of the UNB Institute of Population Health, Ana Santana, Operations Director at HOLA Atlantic, Nadia Richards, Associate VP of Human Rights and Equity at UNB,, Carmen Budilean, Director of Membership and Intersectionality Initiatives at the New Brunswick Multicultural Council, Yusuf Shire, President of the New Brunswick African Association, and Henrietta Obajemu with Black Moms NB.

In the afternoon, individuals were invited to collaborate in a workshop and discuss questions within their groups that covered topics such as censorship in the media, the importance of representation and connection, and the need for shifts in policy to name a few.

The first panelists to speak was Lisa Perley Dutcher, an Indigenous educator and community advocate, and she set the tone by sharing stories about how accessing language and culture and how this is an “act of good health.” Dutcher founded the Kehkimin Immersion School, a land-based education project which is centered around revitalizing the endangered Wolastoqey language, as there are fewer than five hundred native speakers.

Principles of reciprocity and mutual learning were highlighted when Dutcher shared how working with children gives her hope, stating that, “It is a gift that gives back… we are both teachers – as I teach you, you teach me”.

This message of shared responsibility and continual exchange was echoed throughout the day, forming the basis of conversations on equity and justice.

Health and public policy expert Jennifer Russell addressed the structural gaps that perpetuate inequality, outlining why we need policy. She emphasized how policy is crucial and can help advance certain disparities, and without intentional and inclusive policies, systems will continue to fail the communities that are most in need of protection.

Nadia Richards added to the urgency by putting an emphasis on the need for culturally relevant education, the need for safe spaces and the avenues to provide these, and the need for true decolonization by calling racism what it is and not shying away from this. To move forward, these steps are crucial to reflect on before we focus on the future.

Decolonial and anti-racist work begins with an honest acknowledgement of current harms and systemic failures. Richards also emphasized that “racial justice is a safe place where [racialized individuals] feel as a part of a community.”

One of the recurring themes was focused on the importance of representation – across education, media, leadership, and community life.

“Representation matters,” said community organizer Yusuf Shire, a belief shared by Henrietta Obajemu, another panelist.

Obajemu shared that representation is showing advocacy and that it can be present in books, through teachers, classmates, mentors, educational assistants, etc. Obajemu shared the sentiment that children should feel safe, and it contributes to an overall sense of community. Her words spoke to the need for radicalized individuals to see themselves reflected in the spaces that they occupy daily.

Other themes touched upon in the morning included accessibility, language, collectivism, and unlearning silence while de-centering Western standards.

Moving forward together

Another key discussion at the forum focused on carving the path towards a society that is better equipped to handle the most marginalized individuals in our community through actively practicing anti-racism and utilizing de-colonial strategies. Many of the conversations that took place in the workshops in the afternoon focused on moving forward together.

Participants mentioned the challenge in finding a way to do intersectional, decolonial, and anti-racist work to move towards more transformative solidarity building. Some examples of this work include focusing on ways to give back; going beyond the shame and guilt and rather acknowledging what has happened; unlearning colonial practices; creating intersections; eliminating isolation and working in silos; and connection building.

Most people doing this important work are under-resourced, understaffed, and underfunded which places individuals at a higher risk of burnout. This can have a detrimental negative effect across the field as it mitigates individuals’ capacity to show up for each-other and provide support.

Promoting the importance of communal sharing by supporting one another, allocating resources, and building capacity is a way to support this important work moving forward. Richards stated: “we need to find ways to speak about our own experiences and speak to our own indigeneity without feeling shame.”

It is through sharing stories and centering marginalized voices that safe spaces can blossom and resilience is able to shine through, lighting the way for others.

Along with stakeholders from government and non-government organizations the Promise of Home project’s research team was present for the event. Through enhancing visibility, supporting each other through showing up, and actively advocating to improve the experiences of marginalized individuals, this opportunity offered a chance for the team to align their research with this initiative.

Relying on techniques similar to CNERJ’s, the Promise of Home project is a four-phase community-based narrative research project exploring newcomer experiences of belonging in Fredericton. It focuses on a holistic, ground-up approach to welcoming, supporting, and retaining immigrants in a place where they can feel comfortable and at home.

Creating a space to share narrative stories from local voices and strategize with individuals and activists that are engaging with anti-racism, decoloniality, and equity daily is crucial in paving the path forward.

Many participants voiced their enthusiasm: forums like these often can be a catalyst for future action and addressing ongoing injustices that are evident in various levels of government, policy, legislation and communities.

Taylor Gyuk is a student in the Master of Social Work program at St. Thomas University and a Research Assistant with the Promise of Home project.

Correction: An earlier version of this story omitted the co-organizer’s central role in holding the event and incorrectly foregrounded a local organization. It was updated at 5:33 p.m. on June 26, 2025, to include the correct information.