BIPOC and Politics

Here’s a recap of our latest talk:

Our speaker got into politics in her pursuit of being a lawyer. Her interest peaked after taking a few politics classes at U of T. After receiving a push from her professors she decided to pursuit politics.

Some messages our speaker spoke on included (but are not limited to):

• Diversity in political representation is typically only seen on a local level, not a provincial/federal level
• A diverse group of political candidates would promote the recognition and addressing of issues BIPOC face
• BIPOC tend to not get into politics because they’re not socialized to and the lack of representation

If you’re interested in getting into politics:

• Find people who motivate you
• Have a network of people who will support you
• Don’t lose sight of why you got into politics in the first place. Hold onto your core values when climbing the corporate ladder
• Recognize that getting into politics isn’t going to be an easy road. It can be emotionally draining

One current political issue that disproportionately affects BIPOC is the quality of the work environment

There should be mandatory policies that would encourage diversity at higher levels of a corporation.

It was mentioned that political leaders should engage with BIPOC communities by…

• Engaging with BIPOC youth and letting them know that they can be anything they put their hearts towards. This would have shape the future of politics
• Launch mentorship for BIPOC youth and provide internship opportunities to getinto politics

When asked if BIPOC should be mentioned directly in the policy objectives of political leaders

• Absolutely! When policies are written, there is accountability
• Typically when policies are not set up this way, it will not be done

For more about BIPOC in Politics follow
@bip.uoft
www.bipuoft.ca