I would like to start off by congratulating you on yet
another stellar event. This festival
ranks at the top of my list of things to do in Edmonton, and your continued
efforts to improve upon it, year after year do not go unnoticed. It was great to see Colombia and Brazil come
out with such a bang on the first go! As
a person of mixed-heritage, I love this opportunity to celebrate
diversity. My family and I are there for
all three days gorging on the sights, sounds and foods on display. With over 80 distinct cultures participating
it surely must be the largest celebration of multiculturalism in the
world. You prove that the Canadian ideal
of a peaceful, multicultural society is not only possible, but is a
reality. You should be proud of what you
have built.
It is precisely because I have such respect for the work
that you do, that I find your silence on the recent controversy surrounding the
judges for the event, perplexing. What
seemed to start out as a simple observation on the part of some attendees, spiraled
into a vitriolic attack on those who noticed, those who were asked to judge and
those who weighed in on the issue. I
suppose we have social media to thank for that.
But your silence on the matter served to, in my opinion, exacerbate the
problem. You left your “celebrities”
high and dry to defend themselves for a decision I can only assume was made by
you. Some apologized. Some freaked out. And some made comments that could be seen as
demeaning to visible minorities. They
should not have been put into the position to comment. But you should.
I feel it fitting that you offer an explanation to the
public outlining your selection criteria.
I would also like to know if you feel there is any merit to the
controversy and if so, how you will handle it moving forward. I feel strongly that Edmontonians from every
corner are awaiting your response.
No comments:
Post a Comment