By Geoff Smith (@GeoffSmithLNN on Twitter)

Stop Racism rally inspired by recent death

Oct 20, 2017 | 10:10 AM

LETHBRIDGE – “His name was Milton.”

That was the beginning of a message Mallory Kristjanson posted to social media earlier this week. But it’s also turned out to be the beginning of a movement.

“This isn’t just an individual issue. This is reality for many,” Kristjanson said in an interview. She’s co-organizer of a rally called “Stop Racism YQL” planned for Sunday, Oct. 22  in Lethbridge.

In her social media post, Kristjanson described the death on Oct. 3 of Milton Fair, who had lived on the streets of Lethbridge for ten years, and whom she had worked with as a volunteer. She said he pleaded for a second chance, as his health failed in Chinook Regional Hospital. But she explained there have been many others like him — hundreds, in fact — who have been let down by the system.

“We are a collective group of concerned friends and citizens, to bring community awareness to this issue,” she said. “This is to ask the community to come together to start conversations surrounding systematic racism.”

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Kristjanson said as a non-Indigenous person she has witnessed policies that fail to meet the needs of vulnerable people. Organizers of the rally are encouraging Indigenous people to tell their stories, to help start a dialogue. Dancers are also invited to take part.

She added they are hoping people will donate items that can be forwarded to organizations that help vulnerable people such as warm clothing, as well as water and snacks for the event.

The rally begins at noon Sunday on the west side of Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens.