Julie Bowser
Special to Tribune/Advisor
When I was young, I lived in the Lower Mainland of B.C.
In primary school my fellow classmates were from many different cultures and backgrounds.
I thought it was wonderful that some came from a different part of the world.
It was exciting when they shared stories about their culture.
They were my best buddies and shared in my adventures, pedalled their bikes as fast as I did, caught tadpoles in puddles and searched for crickets at night.
I loved them all.
I didn’t know what racism was.
Today, almost five decades later, it makes me sad, but I see racism everywhere. People not being treated with respect, not valued as individuals, or not being served in the retail sector because of the colour of their skin.
The list goes on and on.
I hear ignorant comments directed towards other cultures.
It saddens me greatly.
Why can’t we retain our innocence of youth and embrace our differences?
I have to ask myself, what can I do to encourage others to try and understand how much they are missing when they treat others as less?
I can only encourage my children and grandchildren to embrace the uniqueness of others and appreciate that we all contribute to this world and we all should be treated with respect.
We all matter!
Racism stops with me.
Julie Bowser is among people in Williams Lake who are telling their stories as part of the Cariboo Chilcotin Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association's Dirty Laundry campaign to raise awareness about racism and its detrimental impact on individuals and society as a whole.