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Just saw the video Hal Johnson put out about his experience with #racism. Such class he has to talk so candidly about it. Reminded me of my own Dad and how much his way of looking at the world has influenced me. The name I was born with was my Dad’s name. Kaboni. Sounds Italian.
My Dad was a hardworking man. Raised 4 (yes 4!) daughters as a single Dad when our mom passed away when I was 14. Worked as a Millwright with the @CityofEdmonton. When he showed up for work his foreman said “Oh....I thought you were Italian...” My Pops said “Is that a problem?”
Took 3 people to replace me here?!? That’s how awesome he is at what he does. He never held a grudge. And he landed in a place that appreciated his work ethic and skill. FF 25 years and I marry a Cree man who has many of those same traits that makes my Pops so great.
My Dad! What a treasure.
We both work hard. We pay our taxes. We paid off our mortgage. We want the same things all people want. To live a good life. That’s it. Simple. But first we have to change minds. First we have to have someone take a chance. And we aren’t one off’s. We come from hardworking people
This is the narrative that needs to change. Maybe those indigenous people who only last a paycheque leave because it’s too hard to change minds? Maybe? Maybe it’s not laziness. Maybe. Maybe they didn’t get that job to fill a quota? Maybe a Whiskeyjack will be the best hire ever?
He’s had co-workers confess that they never thought he’d last more than a month. Cause they heard indigenous people get one pay check and quit coming to work. My hubby said “oh no...last job I had I was there for 18 years before I decided to move on” Yeah...we heard that
They said. But they thought it must be a lie. Why? Because in their minds he was only gonna work long enough for one paycheque! So 18 years had to be a tall tale! That’s cognitive dissonance...in the face of compelling truth, they still chose to believe the false narrative.
It was but his foreman acted like it wasn’t. Eventually our province went through one of its bust cycles and my Pops was served with his pink slip by this foreman. WITH A SMILE! Asked my Pops what his plans were? Well as it turns out he already had another job lined up!
Was hired by another county whom the COE had lent him out to as they built their plant. My Pops is an excellent tradesman. They snapped him up and he worked there till his retirement. What a find for them. He’s THAT good. So good that in a gesture of reciprocity, they lent him
To the old plant that he worked at with the COE. Whoever they had issues they couldn’t solve. My Pops was happy to go back and visit his old buddies at the COE plant. The racist foreman grudgingly greeted him. Asked how things were. My Pops chuckled and said great! But I hear it
