I didn't want to give the white reader an opportunity to think of racism as imaginary - a sentiment that is already a central barrier in addressing the problem.

Music is my first love, where my artistic journey began.

Now is not the time for Canadians to be sanctimonious. It is time for us to be prudent and active.

I used singing as a safety measure. I would pay attention to what songs the popular girls liked, learn those songs from the radio or library cassettes, and then "accidentally" sing or hum these songs in class. This would impress the girls, who would then defend me from the boys.

I recently did a reading at an elementary school in Ottawa, and one of the children asked me if I was a girl. I said yes. Another child commented that I had a deep voice. I responded: "Can girls have deep voices?" There was a pause and then the group responded, "Yes!"

As a brown artist, I have mixed feelings about my relationship to art and my "responsibilities" post-Trump.

My interest in language is steadfast, but I think each project and its accompanying intentions dictate how language must be used.