THE WORD BOOKSTORE MAKES A DONATION IN SUPPORT OF CRARR’S ANTIRACISM WORK

Montreal, September 3, 2020 — Following the launch of a fundraising campaign in early July, The Word Bookstore, an independent family-run bookstore located on Milton street near McGill University, has raised and generously donated $1,000 to CRARR in support of its work against racial discrimination and profiling.

The campaign was launched in response to the violent police intervention leading to George Floyd’s death in the United States last June, which sparked an international movement that quickly made its way to Montreal, where thousands took to the streets to protest against police brutality.

Recognizing the need to address systemic racism in Quebec and in Montreal, the Word Bookstore wanted to contribute to the movement in a concrete way. To that end, all profits from the sale of “Policing Black Lives” by Robyn Maynard, “White Fragility,” by Robin DiAngelo, and “How To Be An Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi, between July and August have been donated to CRARR.

“It’s been encouraging to see so many people, especially young people, engaging with these books and ideas,” said The Word Bookstore manager Brendan King-Edwards. “I think that we’re experiencing a moment in time when these critical ideas are more important than ever to people of all backgrounds, and we’re happy to play a role to support that change,” he added.

“The books chosen by The Word Bookstore are excellent anti-racism resources, and provide an important opportunity for their authors to contribute to more critical discourse and social action against racism. Important books do change minds and public policy, and these chosen books will influence the thinking of a new generation who yearns for change,” CRARR Executive Director Fo Niemi said.

“And of course, as promoters of racial and social justice, we also need to support small independently owned English-speaking businesses such as The Word Bookstore, because they are very much part of the city’s economic, social and cultural vitality,” he concluded.

CRARR is deeply grateful for the generous donation, and would like to encourage Montrealers of all races and ethnicities to educate themselves on the issue of anti-Black racism and discrimination by visiting The Word Bookstore and making a purchase either online or in person.