Parents of Black Sask. teen who took own life call for stronger anti-racism action
Sandra Barker-Schmidt and her husband, Dean Schmidt, are grappling with a difficult question this fall: Should they send their daughter Kidist to the same school where her older brother endured seemingly endless racist taunts before he died?
It's where most of Kidist's friends will go, and switching schools would mean about a 45-minute commute to Regina every day.
"But then, there are schools in Regina that have more diversity," Dean Schmidt said.
Kaleab Dean Schmidt died by suicide on the family farm near Balgonie, Sask., on April 30, 2018. He was 13.
A coroner's inquest held in March heard that Kaleab was bullied repeatedly about being Black while attending Greenall High School in Balgonie. There was even a Snapchat group called "I hate Kaleab Schmidt."
Still no timeline in place for independent Sask. police oversight body
Agatha Eaglechief tries to live by her son's advice: "show a lot of love, and toss the hate," but sometimes it's hard not to be angry.
It's been nearly three years since her son Austin, 22, died during a high-speed chase involving Saskatoon police. Agatha has been calling for police reform ever since.
In August 2019, she joined a long list of others asking the province to create a civilian-led body to investigate serious incidents — like injury or death — involving police officers. Saskatchewan is one of the only provinces in Canada that does not have such an independent oversight body.
Four months later, Justice Minister Don Morgan agreed that the current model of oversight wasn't acceptable and there was a need for transparency and public accountability.
The ideas raised were not new. A justice ministry spokesperson said in 2017 this was something that needed looking into, but there has still been no change.
"It's heartbreaking," Agatha said.
Regina teacher says social post suggesting he was stealing from his own car highlights racial bias
Christian Mbanza has experienced racism before but says he's laid back and usually tends to let it slide.
This time, the 27-year-old grade school teacher from Regina, who is black, couldn't stay silent.
On Monday night, his phone was blowing up with messages from friends warning him about a social media post. It was a video of him, and the caption said "Just happened on Keller ave watched the whole thing happen lock your doors!!"
It was posted to the Greens on Gardiner Facebook group, an online group for members of the Regina neighbourhood where Mbanza lives with his mom.
"I'm laid back. I don't really like to say too much," said Mbanza, who teaches Grade 7 at École St. Mary Elementary School and coaches youth football in the city.
"But with everything going on, I felt like this was absolutely the right time to speak up."
Sask. Police Commission's use-of-force expert says cops need more money to learn de-escalation
Derek Lamer says municipal police forces need more money so they can do more training, "especially with the de-escalation piece and verbal communication," contrary to growing calls by Canadian lawmakers and activists to defund police forces with the hope of significant reform in the wake of George Floyd's death.
There have been changes in the local policing world during the last five or six years, with increased emphasis on "verbal judo" — using words instead of force to calm down a situation — said Lamer, who is the Saskatchewan Police Commission's use-of-force co-ordinator.
But he concedes that more needs to be done.