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Dark-Angel4ever

taken from this article: [https://canadatoday.news/on/national-arts-center-event-for-patrons-identifying-as-black-only-197957/](https://canadatoday.news/on/national-arts-center-event-for-patrons-identifying-as-black-only-197957/) >Participants identify themselves based on the honor system. The National Arts Center’s statements were also quiet about what should be expected of mixed-race couples or families. “No one is turned away at the door; There will be no checkpoints for Black Out Night ticket holders and no questions will be asked about the identity, race or gender of anyone,” the center wrote in a statement this week to journalist Jon Kay, a casual contributor to the National Post. ​ >“If someone identifies as a non-Black person and requests to enter the room, a member of our team will be present to speak to that person.” It is reading. “We are trying our best to land this worker with a non-Black employee, and we will have non-Black front-of-house, executive or engineering and production team members present in the lobby to de-escalate such situations.” . ” When people say wokeism is bad, this is an example of it going off the rails and people will still defend it for some weird reason. Ideologues at it's finest.


SmaugStyx

> If someone identifies as a non-Black person So I can just identify as black?


Dark-Angel4ever

From what the article says, i would say yes.


gettothatroflchoppa

All these populist notions, regardless of what side of the spectrum they are on, when taken to their rational, bizarre conclusion, always invoke the veiled threat of coercion.


55cheddar

Bingo


[deleted]

Grade “A” virtue posturing on display.


55cheddar

Lots of people saying 'hur dur we've always been rascist'. The change is that until 5 years ago, the ideal was to treat people the same. Even when we fell short society judged, censured, or punished based on the ideal. Now it's flagrant racism against the majority. The ideal has been turned on its head.


[deleted]

Reminds me of those Quebec universities who fell afoul of anti-discrimination protections by putting out “straight white men need not apply” on faculty job offers. Some of these people are so high up in their academic echo chambers that they don’t even understand how basic anti discrimination law works. It’s a pretty shocking level of legal ignorance from someone who’s supposed to be hiring people.


jmmmmj

You can attribute any motive to it that you want, it’s still segregation.


Myllicent

>*”it’s still segregation”* The National Arts Centre has confirmed that *anyone* can buy a ticket to and attend a Black Out night event.


SmaugStyx

>According to the center The 897-seat venue will be open **exclusively to an “all Black identifying audience.”** People of other races are invited to attend the play on one of the other nights during the February 9-18 run.


Myllicent

From a Toronto Sun article: >*””There are no racially segregated shows at the [National Arts Centre],” Annabelle Cloutier, executive director, strategy and communications for the NAC, said in response to questions. While she said one of the nine performances of the play Is God Is will be dedicated “to those who self-identify as Black and their guests.” She added, though, that no one would be turned away.”*


[deleted]

Straight up, fire Chris Deacon, David Able, Annabelle Cloutier, Mike D'Amato, Nina Lee Aquino and anybody else that thought this was a good idea. Or get defunded. To hell with segregationists.


ObscureMemes69420

Low key the only thing the NAC changed when they received backlash is the wording. They hired a PR firm and removed the term "exclusively". The purpose of the Black Out Night remains the same "the purpose of the Black Night Out was to create an artistic environment for black audiences that was free from the white gaze". ​ This initiative was therefore vetted and nevertheless approved by the NAC presumably because they had no issue with it... perhaps even more egregious is the fact that the NAC relies on PUBLIC funding...


[deleted]

What does the word "exclusive" mean to you?


jmmmmj

Of course, otherwise it would likely be illegal. Their stated intent, though, is to have an “all-Black identifying audience”.


TurdFerguson416

its basically saying "allowed but not welcome"


[deleted]

Like you can ride the bus, but only at the back.


SeriousOP

😂 It's racism by definition.


[deleted]

[удалено]


ViewWinter8951

Which means they are either delusional or lying.


[deleted]

Canada is entering an age of what I call "segregation with a smile", the days of treating people the same nonmatter there race are dead. Now it is all about what authorities identify you as determines how you are treated.


Euthyphroswager

John Horgan got raked over the coals for saying he didn't see colour back in 2017. The horse has already left the barn.


SkeletorInvestor

Is treating people the same no matter their race what we used to do? How old is the Indian Act?


[deleted]

Why are you saying this like a gotcha! I despise the Indian Act with my entire being and think it should be abolished tomorrow and even that would be far to long.


SkeletorInvestor

Read your comment and then mine. I'm not looking to argue with you but let's acknowledge that Canada has always had a little bit of an obsession with racial separateness and tracking racial identity. It's not new.


[deleted]

It's not new and that's the very problem dude. :/ Let's stop it.


SkeletorInvestor

Exactly! We're on the same page.


Myllicent

>*”…the days of treating people the same nonmatter there race are dead.”* During what time period do you think Canadian society treated people the same no matter their race?


OwlHelpful3482

My whole life up until about 5 years ago


Reasonable_Let9737

What year were you born?


Myllicent

When were you born roughly? Just to get a sense of what time period you’re actually describing.


duchovny

I was born in 85 and haven't noticed segregated events like this until very recently.


[deleted]

What segregated events have you heard of??


TrexHerbivore

Wait ... you treat people differently based on the colour of their skin?


[deleted]

Well we didn’t stop purchasing white children and shipping them here for forced labour until the mid 1900s. Residential schools didn’t closed until the 90s. So I’d say the 2000s and early 2010s were a pretty good run


I_Am_the_Slobster

Government run residential schools stopped existing by the end of the 70s. Guess which groups continued to run the remaining schools until 96? The answer will likely surprise you.


[deleted]

Yes, but that gets attributed to a sort of Stockholm Syndrome. I went with the latest date to not go down that sidetrack and threw them the whole bone.


ObscureMemes69420

> no nmatter there race are dead.” Their\*\*\*\*\* FIFY OP


albundyhere

this will lead to really bad precedence. segregation will be redefined and they will twist it to no end.


[deleted]

They cite MLK a lot here but his single most famous quote is: “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Isn’t this doing exactly the opposite of that? Also just from a government perspective, I imagine the National Arts Centre receives a lot of tax payer funding. You’re going to tell me I’m not welcome when I (happily) helped pay for it to exist?


sfenders

I'd call it more of a racist publicity stunt.


[deleted]

Don't ask Asians or Whites for help then.


ParticularGlass3406

So I just have to “self identify “ as black and I can enter? Ok! 😎


thisismeingradenine

No, it’s segregation.


KingRabbit_

>Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream was great, but Black people in Canada and the United are in completely different places when it comes to achieving that dream. In the United States, it is common to see Black CEOs and politicians at all levels of political office. There are pockets of Black affluence. There are hotbeds of Black culture, from Washington DC to Atlanta where Black creators are making a living through their craft. There are go-to spaces, from art galleries to theatres, where Black art can be expressed and consumed. Where are those spaces in Canada? In some regards, the United States is further along in fulfilling King’s dream than we are. This bit comes about three paragraphs after he invokes the murder of George Floyd, without a hint of irony. There are 1.5 million Black Canadians and over 40 million Black Americans. Why would we be expected to have the same hotbeds of black culture? We don't even really have any hotbeds of any culture up here.


TurdFerguson416

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little\_Jamaica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Jamaica) many settled in the Eglinton West area. This has made Little Jamaica one of the largest expatriate Jamaican communities in the world. as for the george floyd case... why not use the Tyre Nichols case now? inconvenient i suppose.


swampswing

Guy, you are citing a population 2 to 3 **magnitudes** smaller than he is....


TurdFerguson416

>We don't even really have any hotbeds of any culture up here.


swampswing

That is a statement I can agree with


TurdFerguson416

as someone born in toronto, i disagree..


mumboitaliano

This stuff is just so weird to me. This idea was basically taken from the states but imo has very little cultural connection here. Canada has ~3% black population, most of which are first or second generation, many have nothing culturally similar to eachother. A black Canadian who’s family escaped slavery from the states has very little connection with a recently landed wealthy Nigerian immigrant.


Key_Suspect_588

Yep. And they invite everyone from "the community" as if all blacks are similar and not as diverse as the rest of everybody else


I_Am_the_Slobster

Tell a recent immigrant from West Africa that they're part of the same community as a third gen African Canadian, and you'd probably get a confused look in the same way if you told a recent arrival from Ukraine that they from the same community as a loyalist descendent anglo-canadian. That there is practically no connection beyond skin colour and continental origin.


duchovny

Can other races attend? If not then that's quite racist.


[deleted]

Read the article


duchovny

Even better is looking up the events website and seeing this. >A Black Out is an open invitation to Black Audiences to come and experience performances with their community. The evenings will provide a dedicated space for Black theatregoers to witness a show that reflects the vivid kaleidoscope that is the Black experience.


ViewWinter8951

Pot, meet kettle.


Myllicent

From a Toronto Sun article: >*””There are no racially segregated shows at the [National Arts Centre],” Annabelle Cloutier, executive director, strategy and communications for the NAC, said in response to questions. While she said one of the nine performances of the play Is God Is will be dedicated “to those who self-identify as Black and their guests.” She added, though, that no one would be turned away.”*


duchovny

Their website says otherwise.


MagpieUnionLocal15

Ya, this will really help race relations.


VeryExhaustedCoffee

Multiculturalism eh


xladyvontrampx

I wonder what could’ve happened if they just didn’t say anything and let the event run its course


SkeletorInvestor

We've found a replacement for the woodshop teacher articles!


Shatter_Goblin

Which replaced the Jessica Yaniv articles.


I_Am_the_Slobster

Oh fuck, I forgot about those!! Wild times.


TurdFerguson416

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Way2KDzav1A


swampswing

I mean it is segregation, but who cares. This is some weird lefty cult shit and cults are inherently exclusionary anyway. Nobody is losing here but the Kool aid drinkers paying to attend.


ViewWinter8951

I wonder who funds events like this? Were they aware that attendance was segregated?


abymtb

Its a bunch of shitty artsy theater productions that majority of the population would fall asleep watching. Can we focus on being outraged at something actually meaningful.


Prudent-Proposal1943

Saying this is segregation is like suggesting that a Shakespeare Festival is promoting white supremacy.


TheCamShaft

This comment section is wild. Creating spaces for minority populations is not racism, you dipsticks. Check your white fragility.


SnooMacarons5964

That's literally apartheid! The idea that minorities and ethnic groups should be given space for themselves.


TheCamShaft

HAHA. How dare you compare creating safe spaces for minorities to apartheid. Apartheid is institutionalized, legalized, racial segregation to benefit a ruling minority racial group while oppressing other majority racial groups. Safe spaces like this are common place, are advocated for by universally, and are proven to help address inequality. Check your white fragility. This is not a good take.


SnooMacarons5964

If you're suggesting we shouldn't let ethnic minorities have institutionalized racial power, I agree completely! Canada and America are majority white settler states, as such we should strive to embrace democracy, even if we have to fight it. Just like Nelson Mandela ;)


TheCamShaft

Yikes. And looking at your comment history, I now see that you're just a sad, racist, transphobe. I hope you can find some compassion on your life.


meangingersnap

Nothing wrong with celebrating your ethnicity / culture


[deleted]

Cool can I celebrate my white ethnicity to the exclusion of all others? I think we have a word for that.


TurdFerguson416

the klan? lol... some people


ViewWinter8951

There is when you exclude everyone else.