Tomi A.

Tomi A. writes from Kitchener, Canada, and is fascinated by hieroglyphs, literature, song lyrics, history and environmental engineering. He is currently working on his debut novel and writes at iamaworld.exposure.co and www.tomi-a.com.

Stories

Policing the Pandemic

Niara van Gaalen Seemab Zahra Yasmeen Nematt Alla Tomi A. Ryan Antooa

When the first wave of COVID-19 in March 2020 set off emergency orders in Ontario, police departments were given increased powers to enforce public health measures that called for self-isolation and physical distancing. Neighbours were also encouraged to police each other through the use of “snitch-lines”, and an expanded state of surveillance was assumed as a new normal. This deepened pre-existing police presence and control in neighbourhoods where more poor, Black, Indigenous, and immigrant communities live.

KW Article Club, a reading group and art collective based in Waterloo Region, informed by work from local and international Black activists and organizers, sought to address these structural inequities in March 2020 through a zine titled #PolicingThePandemic. The following feature is an adapted version of that zine that adds two pieces that delve into the impact policing has on Black people, making a case for why we continue to strive towards a future where we prioritize care instead of enforcement.

The Bitterness on Your Tongue

Tomi A.

Listen to Tomi read from this piece: Textile · Tomi A. - The Bitterness On Your TongueI am listening to Nina Simone sing “Strange Fruit” and I am trying to sleep and all around me float visions o...