Making public life safer for women
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Hi! Welcome to At The End Of the Day. I’m Hannah Sung and I write this newsletter for a people-first perspective on the news. If you like what you’re reading, share this with your friends.
Got Your Back
Last night, I had the pleasure of speaking with these brilliant women, on the topic of making public life safer for women.
Click through to watch. Clockwise, from top right: Ausma Malik, Sarah Polley, Chi Nguyen and me, Hannah Sung
This event took place last night after a long day of doing all the things.
Life is busy and sometimes hard. I get tired and cranky. But the energy of friends like Chi, Ausma and Sarah give me life and inspiration. Yes, I want to hear people talking about riding a pink Hello Kitty bike to work on the Hill in Ottawa and “the beauty of a movement” all night long.
When Ausma reminded us last night that when she became a school trustee in Toronto in 2014, her team realized she was the first hijab-wearing Muslim woman to be elected to a public office in Canada ever, I was both proud to know her but also a little sad. Her experience shouldn’t be so rarified or lonely.
In the event, I couldn’t get to all the audience questions. Today, I found myself thinking about one in particular that went unanswered: How can white women be allies to women of colour?
This could probably warrant a thousand pages. But what I do know from last night is that while allyship is important, we can also start by thinking about friendship, respect, time and simply being “present,” as Ausma talked about last night. Showing up for each other. Big thanks to everyone here who showed up last night!
Stay in touch with Ausma Malik and Chi Nguyen, and be sure, sure, sure to read Sarah Polley’s book, Run Towards The Danger, Confrontations with a Body of Memory.
Forward this email to a friend if you want them to know you’ve got their back, too.
What I’m listening to
I just got caught up on my current favourite podcast, Authentic: The Story of Tablo. He’s a Korean rap artist who grew up around the world, including teen years at a boarding school in Vancouver, B.C.
Here’s a list of everything I love about this show, in no particular order:
Stellar storytelling
A mystery in plain sight
Wild internet rumours and their real-world impact
Nuanced context around Korean culture and immigrant families
Every voice is compelling, including Tablo himself
I’m a big binger of shows and this is what I’m into right this second. Hope you have something that you count down to watching or listening or reading because it’s THE WEEKEND NOW.
Thank you for reading and take care!
Hannah
✨✨✨ At The End Of the Day is edited by Laura Hensley ✨✨✨
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After the Oscars, you can watch this
The blockbuster Netflix film Don’t Look Up is nominated for a bunch of Academy Awards this Sunday. A few days later, I’ll be in conversation with the co-writer of Don’t Look Up, David Sirota. He works in journalism, as an advisor to Bernie Sanders and hopefully, will have some Oscars tea. Even if you aren’t at the event in-person, as I will be, you can watch a live stream of our chat by clicking through below.
Calling all folks in Kitchener, Ontario!
If you live in Kitchener, consider going to the grand opening of a very special centre in your hometown. The brand new Rohingya Centre of Canada is opening in Kitchener, Ontario. Thank you to ATEOD reader Lara for letting me know. I met Lara, and a group of special friends who are Rohingya, back in 2015. You can read more about that in my Twitter thread.