It’s been 10 years since Spice Radio CEO Shushma Datt started Raise Your Hands Against Racism (RYHAR). The veteran Burnaby broadcaster launched the annual campaign in 2015 on the 86th anniveresary of Martin Luther King Jr’s birth. As part of this initiative, participants are encouraged to dip their hands in colours and leave a palm print on a white sheet alongside an anti-racism greeting.
On Monday, December 23, Datt unveiled a calendar dedicated to 10 years of RYHAR in her studio. Former parliamentary secretary for anti-racism initiatives and ex-education minister Rachna Singh was also present during the brief ceremony.
Published annually by the online magazine Radical Desi in partnership with Mehak Punjab Di TV, People’s Voice, IndigiVision, and Spice Radio, this year’s calendar features Grand Chief Stewart Phillip and his partner and NDP MLA Joan Phillip. Both attended the yearly RYHAR event in Surrey last March.
Stewart Phillip was honoured for his anti-racism work on the occasion.
The calendar bears several important dates in the history of resistance against racism and colonialism across the globe.
Gurpreet Singh is a B.C. author and co-founder of Radical Desi. He’s married to Rachna Singh. Follow Pancouver on Twitter @PancouverMedia and on Instagram @PancouverMedia.
