Last weekend, someone we respect and care for very much was physically assaulted while enjoying a picnic with friends. This attack was motivated by racial hatred. Thankfully, none of the victims suffered serious injury, however this was a traumatic experience that will leave a lasting impact on all of those present.
Too often, stories like this are dismissed as one-off occurrences and swept under the rug. It’s easy to turn a blind eye, after all; in fact, there were several bystanders that watched the attacks without interfering. This isn’t an indictment on the witnesses for not saying something; it’s the recognition that if we want these despicable behaviours to stop, we need to call them out whenever we see them. Racism is hateful, ugly, and unfortunately, it’s a lot closer to home than we sometimes want to admit.
IT/IQ was founded by an immigrant to Canada. A full 50% of IT/IQ’s team members are visible minorities; most of whom are either immigrants or first-generation Canadians. Due to the nature of our business, our team engages with an incredibly diverse group of people every single day. If not for the contribution of thousands of people of varying ethnicities and cultures, IT/IQ simply would not exist – and we’re proud to celebrate that fact, and the fact that our genesis story is not unique.
On sensitive topics like this, it is far too easy to justify remaining silent, but we feel it is too important of an issue to not take a stand. IT/IQ is committed to supporting our friend and speaking out against acts of this kind that divide us all.
Out of respect for the individuals involved, our team has been instructed not to discuss this matter further or share any details beyond this statement.
Photo Credit: Chris Barbalis
