National anti-racism summit kicks off in Winnipeg

Hundreds of people gathered at Winnipeg's Canadian Museum for Human Rights on Thursday for the start of a national summit, hosted by Mayor Brian Bowman, looking at ways to combat racism.

Bowman has organized One: The Mayor's National Summit on Racial Inclusion as a response to Maclean's magazine calling Winnipeg the most racist city in Canada.

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As the summit got underway on Thursday evening, a capacity crowd listened to the keynote speech from Canadian author Joseph Boyden, as well as presentations by U.S. human rights advocate Rev. Gerald Durley, local comedian and host Aisha Alfa and Manitoba Treaty Commissioner James Wilson.

Bowman's summit has been criticized for not being inclusive enough because there is a fee to attend and because it favours higher-profile guests, Boyden and Durley, over local activists.

"I've been in touch from the very beginning, as soon as I found out about this, and agreed to come here. I didn't know I was stepping into what is a bit of a bees' hive," Boyden said before giving his keynote address.

Boyden said he plans to donate the fee he'll be paid for giving the keynote speech to Thunderbird House, a local indigenous cultural and spiritual centre.

"I know they need a new roof, they need to stay alive," he said.

"That's not because I'm a nice person or good person. It's because I can do it. And so part of my message tonight is to everyone in that audience I can do it, you can do it, let's make a real difference."

Both Boyden and Bowman applauded efforts by community members to hold their own anti-racism summit on Thursday evening, called Our Summit.

"Something good is going to come out of this and I love that there's the alternative answer to this. I think that's what dialogue is all about," Boyden said.

"I don't think the mayor meant to be anything but inclusive, and I completely understand where a lot of front-line workers and people are when they feel about this.

"I think it can only help move the dialogue forward and real solutions forward."

About 100 people, includingsome of those who attended the alternative summit, protested outside the human rights museum during Thursday evening's keynote event.

Bowman's Onesummit continues on Friday with workshop sessions on recognizing racism, promoting healthy race relations and moving toward racial justice and reconciliation.