Saskatoon — Some Indigenous and Black-owned businesses in Saskatoon say they’re seeing more support as people around the world continue conversations about racism and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Petrice Miller is from Jamaica and moved to Canada in 2011. She works a full time job and also runs her own business out of her home.
Her business, Cradle By Jade, involves everything from event planning to decor. She hand-makes various items including gift baskets and even face masks.
As the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has grown, Miller said she’s been getting more calls from people wanting to find out about the services she offers — especially after the two BLM rallies that were held in Saskatoon in June.
- 2000+ gather for Saskatoon Black Lives Matter rally
“The support has been tremendous since then. It’s very important for us to support our own culture or communities, not that we don’t support any other culture but just to share the wealth as well and show the importance of Black entrepreneurs.”
While Miller said the recent boost in support has been encouraging, she stresses that it’s important for people to continue supporting local Black-owned businesses.
“It has been ongoing and that’s definitely something that we want is consistency. It’s not just to move when something happens and then we forget about it but there should be continuation. And I believe that that is happening,” she said.
Miller said she has experienced racism at various levels but hasn’t let that stop her from pursuing her passion and from encouraging her four daughters to do the same.
“Just to let them know that you deserve a seat at the table as well, irrespective of your colour or what you look like or the look of your hair.”
- Companies touting Black Lives Matter face workforce scrutiny
SheNative, an Indigenous-owned business in Saskatoon, has also been seeing an increase in support over the last few months, according to owner and CEO Devon Fiddler.
“I think people are starting to change their mindset. They’e starting to learn a little bit more about the movement and really become more aware about the Indigenous businesses that are out there,” she told CTV News.
SheNative is an online retail store that sells a number of leather handbags, accessories and apparel as well as some cultural items like medicine pouches.
Fiddler said she has experienced racism throughout her life and created her business to help empower Indigenous women and girls.
“It’s really trying to bridge the gap between Indigenous women and all women so that it’s really inviting the mainstream into our culture.”
Fiddler said the extra support she’s been seeing for her business has been encouraging and that the movement is helping create a sense of community locally.
“I think it’s important to really show solidarity too with the Black Lives Matter movement and with the Indigenous Lives Matter movement too. And it’s really showing support for reconciliation as well.”
Fiddler said there is still a long way to go to end racism in Saskatoon and across Canada, but she said a key part of that is to educate people from a young age starting at home.
- Six people of colour who live in Saskatoon share their experiences of racisim
“You can do as much education as you can in schools but you’re conditioned by your parents and your upbringing and your family, and so it’s really about undoing some of that from a childhood level,” she said.
Miller echoes this and said it’s important for people to understand that everyone should be treated equally.
“At the end of the day, we’re all made equal. It doesn’t matter the colour of your skin, what you look like, we’re all human beings," Miller said.
