Tamu and Zia Stolbie: Now is the time to listen and pay attention to what people of colour truly want

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      by Tamu and Zia Stolbie

      The reality of the white experience is undoubtedly extremely disconnected from the reality that we as black people experience alongside many other people of culture. Since protests in the U.S. have ramped up, so many have asked us, what do you want?

      This isn’t an easy question. 

      The truth is that the wants and desires of the oppressed haven’t been truly realized yet because of the oppressive, elitist environment in which we live. We, as people of color, are always simply aiming to keep up with the demands of a predominately white elitist society.

      We are just trying to survive in a world where systemic greed and power feed into oppression, which does nothing to bring balance and equality to our communities.

      We are struggling to survive, when we really want to thrive.

      As two black biracial young women who have succeeded in an industry dominated by white men, we have been called bold. We have been called trailblazers. And for that, we have made people uncomfortable. 

      The reason for the discomfort is that we are disrupting the established narrative of power and white control. 

      The truth is that we had to work very hard—much harder than those who carry more privilege as a result of their skin colour or gender—to get where we are. 

      Even though some people will celebrate us and our accomplishments, we have to ask why it is, as we pay lip service to racial and gender equality, so many of us are so uncomfortable? Why are so many on all sides so reluctant to meet in the middle and confront the racist elephant in the room?

      No matter what, people of colour are consistently marginalized, tokenized, and targeted.

      No matter our success or our position, we are constantly being asked to uphold a regime that is harmful to us and that does not benefit us in any way. We are asked to uphold a regime that works against us and we are asked to do so while co-existing with it.

      We are not afforded with the same advantages, opportunities for advancement or security for ourselves. 

      This begs a huge question for us, internally, which is: why do we continue to do it and what are we really doing it for? Why do we struggle against a system that does not want us in it? Why do we continue to live in a society that does not seek us? Why do we participate in our oppression?

      We don’t have a simple answer for these questions, but the truth is that we—people of colour—are tired, exhausted, and depleted.

      This archaic and harmful regime has run its course. We cannot turn a blind eye to make people comfortable any more.

      Now is the time to listen and to pay attention to what people of colour truly want and what we are asking for right now, today.

      And right now, today, we are asking for justice. We are asking for equality. True equality. We are asking for an even playing field. We are asking for it to no longer be a question as to whether we have the merit to work alongside you, to laugh alongside you, and to simply be here on Earth, in society, alongside you. 

      We are asking for true allyship. 

      We are asking for our lives to be valued, all the time, across the board. We are asking to walk this Earth without threat. We are asking to laugh with one another, to embrace each other and to find commonalities beyond our physical appearances and cultural differences.

      We are asking for real change. 

      We are asking for a true new state of being that far exceeds what we live in today, that disintegrates the greed, destruction, and pain that we have inherited from our past lives.

      The onus for accountability is on all of us if we will ever heal. Now is the time to shape and to shift to a new world with a new set of values. A revolution is here and we have the chance to lead it. We have the ability to collectively come together and to work together to the benefit of all people—not just some people—and to do so each and every day, not just when it’s convenient or trendy. 

      In order to seize this opportunity, we need—among other things—more marginalized voices in the spotlight. We need the perspectives that they offer. 

      Our experiences are all different. It is important to always take the time to learn about others and to hear their stories. There is no better way to build a bridge between tremendously different worlds than to listen and to hear.

      As we watch the situation turn more and more grim, we need to listen, but we also need to root ourselves in hope. Hope for humanity. Hope for transformative justice and for change. Hope for the future. We have to hope because we cannot allow ourselves to fall into the shadows.

      We must shine the light on the truth that we seek.

      Tamu and Zia Stolbie, better known as The Stolbie Sisters, are pioneers in the cannabis industry. They are biracial sisters who were born and raised in Calgary. They relocated to Vancouver approximately a decade ago and were named “2019 Trailblazers in Cannabis” by the Georgia Straight. In 2017, the Stolbie Sisters cofounded the Coven Club, a nonprofit organization to empower and uplift women, alongside long-time friend Sarah Leamon. Sarah Leamon is a regular columnist with the Georgia Straight. In an ongoing effort to elevate lived experience, she has given her platform to Tamu and Zia this week so that their voices can be heard. Follow the Stolbie Sisters on Instagram @stolbiesisters. The Georgia Straight publishes opinions like this from the community to encourage constructive debate on important issues.

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