UNDERSTANDING RACISM AND ITS HISTORY
Virtual Workshop 1: UNDERSTANDING RACISM AND ITS HISTORY
Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Topic: Understanding racism and its history
Speakers: Cecilia N. Mzvondiwa – CEO & Managing Partner (Global People First) and Rehana Malik-Mbanga – CEO, Stimbok Corporation, Founder, When African Women Talk.
Panelist: Willis Bengnwi – Visioneer – Kingdom Men
Interactions
Cecilia and Rehana made powerful contributions to the multicultural event by addressing racism from personal, systemic, and faith-based perspectives. Cecilia emphasized the need to understand the impact of systemic policies, microaggressions, and to decolonize the mind by embracing self-love and challenging discriminatory systems. She shared personal stories of her experience as a Black lawyer, encouraging reflection on internalized discrimination and the concept of one human race. Rehana highlighted her experiences as an immigrant and underscored the importance of advocating against anti-Black racism while uplifting Black Canadians, especially women, to leadership roles. Together with the panelist – Willis, they explored how racism impacts mental health, how the Christian faith has been manipulated to support racial biases like the legacy of residential schools in Canada, and the challenges of code-switching in white-dominated spaces. They also highlighted that we can either accept victimization or find constructive ways to challenge racism. The key, they said, is to recognize how as a people, we can unintentionally perpetuate it and take meaningful, proactive steps; no matter how small, to stand against it. Their thought-provoking insights inspired the over 100 participants to take action, support one another, and invest in long-term change within their communities.
