Have You Heard of Artists Against Racism?

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Have You Heard of Artists Against Racism?

Gouache tubes set

Racism has plagued the world since before written history, and it doesn’t seem to be going away. There are many people who work hard to change the culture. One group, Artists Against Racism, teaches youth that “we are all ONE PEOPLE” in the hope that these young people will not adopt prejudiced attitudes. AAR has a list of more than 100 role models who are internationally known and who cover all artistic genres:

  • Celine Dion
  • Aerosmith
  • Indigo Girls
  • Meredith Brooks
  • Barenaked Ladies
  • Ellen DeGeneres
  • Dan Aykroyd
  • Mike Myers
  • Ricki Lake
  • Alice Munro (author)
  • Kurt Swinghammer (visual artist)
  • Atom Egoyan (director)

History of AAR

It was in the 1990s when the ethnic wars in the former Yuogslavia broke out. Rwanda had an ethnic cleansing plan. Against this international backdrop, white supremacist groups in Canada began playing hate music in churches and targeting the youth in schools. The anti-racist riots in January 1993 shook all Canadians, but one journalist, Lisa Cherniak, conceived an idea for a campaign to prevent racism. She joined forces with Mendelson Joe. Together the two of them went forth with a nationwide campaign of a poster to go in more than 20,000 schools.

In April 1995, the unthinkable happened. A federal building in Oklahoma was bombed. The man who did the horrible deed subscribed to a Canadian magazine that was filled with white supremacist hate. It was in November 1995 that Artists Against Racism was born. Joe brought prominence to Cherniak’s efforts. Through him, many other musicians and artists would join. The mission of AAR is not research, but is focused on activism through public service campaigns by famous artists to provide an inspiring and educational message around the world.

What AAR Does Today

AAR works through many different platforms. One key effort is to get artists to join and do radio or TV PSAs to speak out about anti-racism. Artists are encouraged to take on projects that deal with civil rights and to help individuals who are affected by racism today. AAR has materials for artists to promote anti-racism through wearing the violet ribbon or a t-shirt or placing the AAR logo on CD covers. AAR brings anti-racism information to schools and gets students to take a stand against racism. Encouraging kids to discuss their experiences and thoughts about racism helps everyone be more articulate when confronted with it in their community.

Why Should We Care?

Globally, it’s estimated that racism is the main cause of most of the world’s wars and crises. It’s not happening only in the Middle East, but also Ireland, Myanmar, Sudan, South Africa, and Bangladesh. These wars destroy people, culture and heritage. Even if you’ve never experienced racism or been affected by it, you can surely empathize with those who have. Since 1948, there have been more than 15 declarations to “end all forms of racial discrimination.” Still, the wars keep happening. People are dying. Canada has been directly affected by the onslaught of more than 25,000 refugees just from Syria.

AAR Is Not Alone

Canada has many organizations that deal with anti-racism. One called The ARC Collective monitors the activities of extremist groups and provides information. The Canadian Anti-Racism Education and Research Society started out in BC addressing issues of racism in the workplace, but it has widened its activities to include lobbying, research and monitoring hate groups. The Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) “foster(s) racial harmony and cross-cultural understanding and help(s) to eliminate racism.” Surprisingly, the CRRF actually was formed to acknowledge the treatment of Japanese Canadians during WWII, which violated numerous principles of human rights. The National Association of Japanese Canadians contributed $12 million to establish the foundation, a generous gesture after the treatment of Japanese citizens.

Get involved, because change is possible. It starts with individuals making a difference in their communities.

Have You Heard of Artists Against Racism?
Gouache tubes set

Racism has plagued the world since before written history, and it doesn’t seem to be going away. There are many people who work hard to change the culture. One group, Artists Against Racism, teaches youth that “we are all ONE PEOPLE” in the hope that these young people will not adopt prejudiced attitudes. AAR has a list of more than 100 role models who are internationally known and who cover all artistic genres:

  • Celine Dion
  • Aerosmith
  • Indigo Girls
  • Meredith Brooks
  • Barenaked Ladies
  • Ellen DeGeneres
  • Dan Aykroyd
  • Mike Myers
  • Ricki Lake
  • Alice Munro (author)
  • Kurt Swinghammer (visual artist)
  • Atom Egoyan (director)

History of AAR

It was in the 1990s when the ethnic wars in the former Yuogslavia broke out. Rwanda had an ethnic cleansing plan. Against this international backdrop, white supremacist groups in Canada began playing hate music in churches and targeting the youth in schools. The anti-racist riots in January 1993 shook all Canadians, but one journalist, Lisa Cherniak, conceived an idea for a campaign to prevent racism. She joined forces with Mendelson Joe. Together the two of them went forth with a nationwide campaign of a poster to go in more than 20,000 schools.

In April 1995, the unthinkable happened. A federal building in Oklahoma was bombed. The man who did the horrible deed subscribed to a Canadian magazine that was filled with white supremacist hate. It was in November 1995 that Artists Against Racism was born. Joe brought prominence to Cherniak’s efforts. Through him, many other musicians and artists would join. The mission of AAR is not research, but is focused on activism through public service campaigns by famous artists to provide an inspiring and educational message around the world.

What AAR Does Today

AAR works through many different platforms. One key effort is to get artists to join and do radio or TV PSAs to speak out about anti-racism. Artists are encouraged to take on projects that deal with civil rights and to help individuals who are affected by racism today. AAR has materials for artists to promote anti-racism through wearing the violet ribbon or a t-shirt or placing the AAR logo on CD covers. AAR brings anti-racism information to schools and gets students to take a stand against racism. Encouraging kids to discuss their experiences and thoughts about racism helps everyone be more articulate when confronted with it in their community.

Why Should We Care?

Globally, it’s estimated that racism is the main cause of most of the world’s wars and crises. It’s not happening only in the Middle East, but also Ireland, Myanmar, Sudan, South Africa, and Bangladesh. These wars destroy people, culture and heritage. Even if you’ve never experienced racism or been affected by it, you can surely empathize with those who have. Since 1948, there have been more than 15 declarations to “end all forms of racial discrimination.” Still, the wars keep happening. People are dying. Canada has been directly affected by the onslaught of more than 25,000 refugees just from Syria.

AAR Is Not Alone

Canada has many organizations that deal with anti-racism. One called The ARC Collective monitors the activities of extremist groups and provides information. The Canadian Anti-Racism Education and Research Society started out in BC addressing issues of racism in the workplace, but it has widened its activities to include lobbying, research and monitoring hate groups. The Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) “foster(s) racial harmony and cross-cultural understanding and help(s) to eliminate racism.” Surprisingly, the CRRF actually was formed to acknowledge the treatment of Japanese Canadians during WWII, which violated numerous principles of human rights. The National Association of Japanese Canadians contributed $12 million to establish the foundation, a generous gesture after the treatment of Japanese citizens.

Get involved, because change is possible. It starts with individuals making a difference in their communities.

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