Like many in our community, I was deeply saddened to learn of the senseless death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25th. This is a tragic reminder to myself of the many others who have also lost their lives under similar circumstances.
As your Mayor I have spent my last few days reflecting and speaking to members within our community who have shared their stories, fears and hopes with me. I have asked for guidance on how our community can support anyone who experiences discrimination and oppression within their lives. This will simply not be accepted within our Town.
I am calling on all citizens to confront the racism that exists within our community. What we may widely see is overt racism, like messages of hate tagged onto public property, but the subtle and systemic racism that affects the little things we say and do, what we teach our children, and the assumptions we make about others is where we should focus our energy.
The time is now to reflect, to ask ourselves if we are indeed doing enough to ensure that every member of our community is being treated with the same humanity, respect, and compassion we all deserve.
Now, and moving forward is a time to listen, reflect and learn…after all our moto has always been Our Strength is our Unanimity.
Sincerely,
Mayor John Henderson
Town of Cobourg