April 16, 2015 - The City of Thunder Bay's Anti-Racism Advisory Committee is hosting a community engagement session on April 21, at the Italian Cultural Centre.

Residents are encouraged to attend "˜Shifting the Lens: Understanding Racism', a session aimed at helping participants understand issues surrounding racism and develop recommendations to move the community forward.

Expert Becky Sasakamoose Kuffner, Cultural Diversity and Race Relations Consultant from the City of Saskatoon, will help participants shift the lens from cross-cultural awareness to a full transformational understanding of racism. She will then guide the group in the development of recommendations for our community.

"People don't always want to talk about racism for fear of making a mistake," said Becky Saskamoose Kuffner. "But it's not about guilt; it's about taking responsibility for addressing and removing systemic and institutional discrimination."

"Racism is present in our community whether we choose to acknowledge it or not," said Amina Abu-Bakare, Anti-Racism Advisory Committee Chair. "It's up to us to make a change. It's important that the next steps are developed by the people of our city. We need each individual who calls Thunder Bay home to share their views, knowledge, and experiences to help create solutions specific to our community."

The public is invited to join the conversation and help develop recommendations on Tuesday, April 21, from 9 am - 1:30 pm at the Italian Cultural Centre, 132 Algoma St. S. Tickets are $15, lunch is included.

Register online at VolunteerThunderBay.com by Friday, April 17.

- 30 -

Contact:       Rebecca Johnson, Member of the Anti-Racism Advisory Committee, 577-2807, johnson@thunderbay.ca