HALIFAX -- Few moments define an era. George Floyd's murder at the hands of a Minneapolis Police officer one year ago is one.
"It occurred in the time of social media. Somebody was there to courageously record it despite facing the pressure of the police not to do so," said Isaac Saney, a professor of Black History at both Dalhousie and Saint Mary's University.
The outrage echoed around the world, resonating with Canadians and sparking conversations about systemic racism and police funding.
"It sparked a lot of good conversations and a lot of uncomfortable conversations," said Quentrel Provo, founder of Stop the Violence.
In the year that followed, Provo says organizations have changed their policies on diversity and inclusion. Saney says many universities have also brought in changes.
"What we've seen, particularly at university levels, is the hiring of Black faculty the promotion of Black courses and programs and an attempt to sort of deal with this history of racism," Saney said.
A report released in March 2019 found African Nova Scotians were six times more likely to be stopped and questioned by police in the Halifax area than white people. In October that year street checks were permanently banned across Nova Scotia and their associated systems have been disabled.
Kate Macdonald, Founder of GameChangers902, has joined her voice to the calls to defund the police and divest some of its funding into housing or other community initiatives.
"The justice system is still fundamentally the same. I think it's time we reimagined what justice actually looks like," Macdonald said.
Macdonald believes more people are now willing to have conversations about anti-Black racism and police brutality, but believes a lot of energy still needs to be shifted into what can be changed.
"What are people willing to face within themselves? I think a lot of times we focus on what we can change outside of ourselves but if we are perpetuating as individuals the same behaviour that these systems of oppression are then we're a part of the problem as well," Macdonald said.
While Black Lives Matter signs now stream across Halifax Metro Transit buses and are painted on city streets, Saney believes more substantive change needs to happen.
"I think what's required in a societal way and particularly when it comes to policing is fundamental policy and structural change and requires significant input of the people who are significantly affected by it," Saney said.
A spokesperson for Halifax Regional Police said the organization introduced a new anti-Black racism training course in October 2020 after developing the program for a year. Police say it's rooted in understanding the community's lived experiences.
