Angela Bowden read this terrific poem at the rally in support of Santina Rao, the young mother falsely accused of shoplifting at the Mumford Road Walmart and violently arrested by four police officers in front of her little children.

Wet’suwet’en land defenders have called for solidarity actions from Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities worldwide who uphold Indigenous sovereignty and recognize the urgency of stopping resource extraction projects that threaten the lives of future generations. Please join us for a solidarity rally in downtown Halifax on Thursday January 9, at 5:30, corner of Cogswell and Gottingen Street.

This weekend’s weekend video features Toronto activist and singer Faith Nolan, with a rousing song about Viola Desmond. I found out about Faith’s connections with Nova Scotia while reading Before the Parade, a great book by Rebecca Rose about LGBTQ activism in Halifax in the seventies and early eighties. Watch the video and buy the book!

Raymond Sheppard explains why Nhlanhla Dlamini is his nomination for person of the year. “He has shown courage in the face of adversity, he tries at all costs to avoid confrontation, and he has spoken truth to power and privilege. He is a silence breaker while sending a clear message. He is gentle, loving, caring and respecting. As a young man he has become a role model to other young people and to those not so young.