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Waves of difference: A personal reflection on racial discrimination and the ocean’s lessons

Posted in : Blog
Posted on : March 21, 2025

By: Rochele Padiachy, Manager and Team Lead, Learning and Knowledge Solutions

I’ve always loved the water. My mother used to say I could swim before I could walk. Growing up in a land blessed with stunning coastlines, the ocean was my joy—a place where I felt free, where the waves seemed endless, and there was always the promise of adventure. But one sunny day, on a family trip to the beach, I learned a lesson no child should ever have to learn. That day, the waves didn’t just crash against the shore; they crashed against my understanding of the world.

I remember it clearly. The car door swung open, and I bolted toward the ocean with excitement. My mother yelled after me, her voice sharp and panicked, but I didn’t stop. I ran as fast as I could, the water calling me with its beauty. It was only when she caught up with me, pulling me back, that I realized something was very wrong.

“You can’t go there,” she said, her voice trembling. “That’s the White beach.”

In my confusion, I looked around. To my right, families sat on soft sand, shaded by umbrellas, laughing and playing in the water. They didn’t look like me. To my left, other families climbed over jagged rocks, finding small, uncomfortable patches of space. They looked different too. And there I stood, in the middle of it all, a child whose only crime was loving the ocean. That was the moment I realized my difference—not just as a personal identity but as something that shaped where I was allowed to be.

The innocence of difference

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was established by the United Nations to commemorate the tragic events of March 21, 1960, when police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire on peaceful protesters opposing apartheid pass laws, killing 69 people.[i] This day serves as a global reminder of the pervasive impacts of racism and the importance of standing against it in all forms.

Children see the world without borders, without the constraints of race, class, or privilege. But as we grow, the world teaches us its divisions, its rules about who belongs where. That day on the beach, I learned that the beauty of the ocean couldn’t wash away the ugliness of segregation. The sand beneath my feet wasn’t just sand—it was a line drawn by history, by power, by systems designed to exclude.

For many of us, this international day is a reminder of these lines, both visible and invisible. It calls us to examine the systems that uphold inequities, even in the most seemingly mundane places, like a day at the beach.

The legacy of segregation

What I experienced that day wasn’t unique. It was part of a larger legacy of segregation and exclusion, rooted in systems like apartheid in my homeland or redlining in other parts of the world.[ii] These systems didn’t just dictate where people could live, work, or swim—they shaped how we saw ourselves and each other.

Today, these systems persist. The lines may not always be drawn in the sand, but they remain etched in the institutional structures of our societies.

Intersectionality and responsibility

On that beach, I also noticed something else: the diversity within difference. Each family—whether sitting on the soft sand or climbing the rocks—had their own story, their own challenges and privileges. This is where intersectionality becomes critical.

In a UN message of observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 2024, Secretary-General António Guterres acknowledged that “Racism is rife, but it impacts communities differently.” (United Nations. n.d).[iii] Thus, the fight against racial discrimination isn’t just about race in a silo; it’s about understanding how race intersects with gender, class, ability, and other aspects of identity

As we work toward equity, we must consider these intersections. It’s not enough to address one form of discrimination while ignoring others. The systems that uphold racism are interconnected and so must be our efforts to dismantle them. Recognizing the multifaceted nature of discrimination allows for more comprehensive strategies in promoting social justice and equity across all lived space.

Awareness and action

That moment on the beach stayed with me. It planted a seed of awareness that has grown over the years, shaping my commitment to equity and justice. It reminds me that while systemic racism often feels insurmountable, change begins with these moments of awakening—both personal and most definitely collective.

The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is more than a day to remember. It’s a day to act and to reflect on the ways racial discrimination continues to shape our world and to commit to dismantling it. It’s a call to recognize that the fight against racism isn’t just about addressing the past—it’s about shaping the future.

A call to action: Honoring the past and fueling the future

This day serves as both a solemn remembrance of lives lost, and a powerful reminder of the resilience and victories gained through collective action.

Between 2019 and 2023, the number of police-reported hate crimes in Canada more than doubled, increasing by 145%.[iv] According to Statistics Canada (July 2024), reported incidents rose from 3,612 in 2022 to 4,777 in 2023—a 32% jump in just one year.[v] This followed an 8% increase in 2022 and a staggering 72% rise from 2019 to 2021.[vi] It’s important to note that these numbers reflect only reported cases, meaning the true scale may be even higher.[vii]

While the present moment and days ahead are leaving many of us feeling uncertain and at times defeated—amid rising hate crimes and threats to safety—it’s critical to remember that our actions today honour the standards set and successes of those before us.

We must channel this day as an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to equity and inclusion, to see it as fuel that powers our collective movement forward. Let it serve as a reminder of the work that remains—not as a burden, but as a call to action that connects us deeply to our shared humanity.

W.A.V.E.S. of action

To honor this day and stay engaged, consider this easy-to-remember framework:

• W – Witness the past: Learn and reflect on historical events like Sharpeville and consider their contemporary implications.
• A – Acknowledge inequities: Recognize the systems that continue to uphold discrimination in your context.
• V – Value intersections: Understand how race intersects with other identities, such as gender and ability, to create complex forms of discrimination.
• E – Engage in action: Take tangible steps—advocate for policy changes, participate in equity-focused initiatives, or have difficult conversations.
• S – Strengthen communities: Build connections across lines of difference, fostering mentorship, allyship, and shared learning.

Concluding thoughts

As we observe the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in 2025, I invite you to reflect on your own moments of awakening. What lines have you seen drawn in the sand? How have they shaped your understanding of the world, and what can you do to erase them?

The work of eliminating racial discrimination is ongoing. It’s in the policies we advocate for, the conversations we have, and the actions we take to ensure that no child ever has to face their difference in a world divided by hate.

This year let’s commit to more than reflection. Let’s take action—big or small—to continue this work and carry on! — so that the only thing dividing us on the beach is the joy of building sandcastles or diving into the waves. Because the joy of the ocean doesn’t belong to one group of people. It belongs to all of us. And so does the work of equity.

 

[i] UN Human Rights. (2021, March 19). The Sharpeville Massacre - standing up against racism. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3s4OO6Ch2A  

[ii] Jackson, C. (2021, August 17). What is redlining? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/17/realestate/what-is-redlining.html

[iii] United Nations. (n.d.). International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/observances/end-racism-day.

[iv] Public Safety Canada. (2024, August 7). Parliamentary committee notes: Rise in hate crimes. https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/trnsprnc/brfng-mtrls/prlmntry-bndrs/20240719/34-en.aspx#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20police%2Dreported,the%20previous%2010%20year%20average.

[v] Ibid, Public Safety Canada, 2024

[vi] Ibid, Public Safety Canada, 2024

[vii] Ibid, Public Safety Canada, 2024

 

Resources for continued learning

Apartheid Museum. (n.d.). Resources page – Apartheid Museum. https://www.apartheidmuseum.org/resources  

Antifaeff, P. (2024). Transforming Hearts and Minds: Racial Equity Through Human Resources Policies and Practices.

Canada’s action plan on combatting hate. (2024). In Government of Canada (ISBN: 978-0-660-73772-0). Canadian Heritage. https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/combatting-hate/action-plan.html   

United Nations. (n.d). Observances | United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/observances

SABC News. (2023, March 21). Sharpeville massacre on the 21st of March 1960 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1lZ199S8bU 

 

References (click here to review the sources)

Tags CDNdiversity CCDI Diversity Inclusion Equity Accessibility DEI DEIA IDEA Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion