|
Jessica Wilson
Ottawa XPress
Breaking the links between culture and violence
Last Friday marked the launch of Black History Month in the city, with the theme "Unity in Diversity." Dance performances and a spine-tingling rendition of "Amazing Grace" preceded Mayor Bob Chiarelli's official speech, during which he spoke of the black leaders, educators, entrepreneurs and cultural icons who have made our city what it is.
In the next breath, he spoke of investing in social programs for youth as a deterrent to gun crime.
"We're helping the Boys and Girls Club and investing in the Somali Youth Initiative... so young people don't get into the mode where they feel they need peer support of getting into drugs and guns," he said.
After the speech, he reminded XPress that Ottawa has the second lowest violent crime rate in Canada (second to Mississauga), and that the city - in line with the Conservative plan - is adding another 180 police officers to its roster.
The launch of Black History Month may seem an unsavoury occasion to delve into issues of gun violence and crime, but the press has recently linked hip-hop and black culture with gun violence to the point where it seems people are no longer able to separate the issues with much confidence.
A Toronto paper recently reported that in their search for those responsible for the holiday street shootings there, police were studying a locally produced hip-hop DVD for clues. The paper said that while the police have yet to find any links between the artists on the DVD and the Boxing Day shootings, they are investigating.
They said that the DVD, Premiere Edition Pt. 2, contained a couple segments in which the artists - largely black - were brandishing hand guns, calling on a rival gang and using threatening, violent language.
Critics have said that the investigation is too "cultural." What they really mean is that it's unfairly targeting African Canadians.
Local MC and producer K-DUB, who with 37 other Ottawa-based MCs was recently featured on the hip-hop DVD Hold It Down, said that the people - black or white - who own and use illegal hand guns aren't the ones participating in political conversation.
"The cops sometimes use these things as an excuse to come down on a certain demographic," he said. "But chances are the ones talking about it publicly aren't the ones doing it."
There's no denying that gun control triggers heated debate among Canadians.
As 2005 crept toward the new year and the death toll rose, violent gun crime and control topped the political charts in the election, again dividing the urban and rural communities, re-igniting talk of segregated schools in Toronto and sparking ongoing racial debates that have blurred some serious lines.
Black History Month committee member Beverly Brown said that the gun control issue has undeniable race implications that need to be put on the table. But use the word "race" (especially in the context of gun culture) and you'll likely hear sharp intakes of breath around the room.
So for the next few weeks, we're going to try and break apart the cemented relationship between gun violence and black culture while exploring some of the issues around who benefits, and who loses out, from such a relationship.
Source: Ottawa XPress, Feb. 02, 2006 |
