Asher Hill says Skate Canada ignored his complaints of "racism, misogyny, homophobia, abuse of skater"

[allezfred]

Réunion is not in Africa. It is in the Indian Ocean.

Geography lesson

Madagascar and the Seychelles are two countries that are both in the Indian Ocean and African countries. If Réunion wasn’t a French overseas department, it would be classified as being part of Africa too.

 

[Vagabond]

Geography lesson

Madagascar and the Seychelles are two countries that are both in the Indian Ocean and African countries. If Réunion wasn’t a French overseas department, it would be classified as being part of Africa too.

Would it? It's a volcanic island, not one that broke off from the African mainland, and it's far from the African continental shelf.

Would you consider St. Helena (the island in the South Atlantic) part of Africa too? The closest continent is Africa, but that island is really stuck out in the middle of the Atlantic.

 

[skatingguy]

Would it? It's a volcanic island, not one that broke off from the African mainland, and it's far from the African continental shelf.

Would you consider St. Helena (the island in the South Atlantic) part of Africa too? The closest continent is Africa, but that island is really stuck out in the middle of the Atlantic.

Both islands are on the African tectonic plate.

 

[essence_of_soy]

Obituary: Mabel Fairbanks

Figure skater kept out of the Olympics by racism.

www.theguardian.com

Surya Bonaly was practically chased out of the sport (by judges, officials, coaches, a hostile media...) due to the color of her skin (though the attacks on her were coded as "edges" or "her coach" or "wrong outfits," the real reason was obvious).

More than race, I think that Surya had a problem with thumbing her nose at ISU. She and her mom had quite the 'tude.

Does racism exist in FS? Probably. How did racism manifest itself? That would be interesting to know. Did she get 10 points off for skating while black? I would hope not. Reading Misty Copeland's story is really informative. How does a black woman dance the White Swan? Yet, she did.

How awful for the skater. I wonder if her mother's questionable behaviour stemmed from how Surya was treated by the 'establishment'?

But I have to say the overall quality of Bonaly's skating greatly improved between 1987 when I first saw her, and a over a decade later when she became a professional.

 

[starrynight]

Reading Misty Copeland's story is really informative. How does a black woman dance the White Swan? Yet, she did.

A bit off topic, but ballet is such an interesting thing. It really has that competing fusion of the technical with the artistic.

A great example of this was when I saw the Bolshoi I didn't rate them. I thought they lacked heart and were dancing like technical clone robots. (everyone literally had the same haircuts and hair colours, it was weird). To be perfectly honest I much, much preferred our local ballet company.

I mentioned that on here and I think I deeply offended and shocked some people who love the Bolshoi for their technical mastery. The whole clone army thing is on purpose too to create a unity of appearance.

But I liked my local dance company because all the dancers look different, are different shapes and sizes, many of from different ethnic backgrounds (and have different hair cuts) - which helps create an identity for each dancer... so you can remember who is who and appreciate them as individuals. I literally say this with no agenda. It's precisely how I felt.

(I also think that a regional dance company is always going to be danced with more heart and genuine enjoyment. Not like the Bolshoi where everyone is so competitive they literally throw acid at each other. That's another consideration).

So I think that in arts it's about finding your audience - there's so many different perspectives.

 

[MacMadame]

I wonder if her mother's questionable behaviour stemmed from how Surya was treated by the 'establishment'?

Well, Surya's mom was definitely a Skate Mom so...

Skating at even the lower levels tends to bring out the crazy in all the parents. It's really hard not to get pulled into that even if you come into it relatively sane.

 

[starrynight]

Also has anyone been watching 'The Great'?

Because it is a heightened reality/hyperbolic take on the events of Catherine the Great, a lot of artistic license has been utilised. One example is by using actors of different ethnic backgrounds that aren't necessarily historically accurate for a Russian court. Not only is it great at visually elevating the story into the dramatic ... it also gave us the pleasure of seeing some actors in costume drama roles they normally wouldn't get.

I really like Sacha Dhawan and have for a while. In the History Boys, An Adventure in Space and Time and Doctor Who (where he literally stole the whole season out from under everyone else's feet) .

So it was amazing to see him get the role of Count Orlo. No one could do that role better. A perfect example of the benefits of 'blind casting' of choosing the best actor regardless of ethnic background.

(I will just say that he was in the short list to be Doctor Who and I think he wuzrobbed of that role and I will never get over it and he needs a much much bigger part in the next season of Doctor Who but never mind not bitter at all )

I also think the BBC could take a leaf out of The Great's book and and cast him as Mr Rochester in an adaptation of Jane Eyre or something.

I think that in the arts (unless one is trying to create a documentary style recount of a story) there is a lot to be gained from thinking outside of the box when casting actors.

 

[mjb52]

I also think the BBC could take a leaf out of The Great's book and and cast him as Mr Rochester in an adaptation of Jane Eyre or something.

I think that in the arts (unless one is trying to create a documentary style recount of a story) there is a lot to be gained from thinking outside of the box when casting actors.

Have you seen the Andrea Arnold-directed Wuthering Heights? It's really excellent. I don't know that it even counts as thinking outside the box since some reviews mentioned that it was truer to the original text, but it's different than what you usually see in Wuthering Heights.

 

[starrynight]

Have you seen the Andrea Arnold-directed Wuthering Heights? It's really excellent. I don't know that it even counts as thinking outside the box since some reviews mentioned that it was truer to the original text, but it's different than what you usually see in Wuthering Heights.

I hadn't but I just looked it up. To me it seems like the casting of Heathcliff is way more accurate to the character described in the book. I think that the discrimination and abuse Heathcliff suffered as a child was what caused him to be so tragic and disturbed as an adult.

I must say that I've always found 'Wuthering Heights' to be very heavy going because of how dark and depressing the themes were. Very Bronte. I do like Jane Eyre more because at least there is a happy ending of sorts (even with the strange vaguely suicidal jaunt out onto the moors after the failed marriage).

 

[allezfred]

Would it? It's a volcanic island, not one that broke off from the African mainland, and it's far from the African continental shelf.

Would you consider St. Helena (the island in the South Atlantic) part of Africa too? The closest continent is Africa, but that island is really stuck out in the middle of the Atlantic.

Yes.

 

[kwanfan1818]

And Mauritius, the island and island group.

 

[aftershocks]

Thanks to allezfred and skatingguy for the geography lessons.

The geography discussion reminds me of how there have historically been so many 'bending over backward' attempts to suggest that Egypt is not part of Africa. I've known people who have insisted that Egypt is not in Africa, or that North Africa somehow has no relationship or connection whatsoever to southern Africa. At one point in history, the Sahara desert did not exist, so the interactions between all of Africa and southern Europe were widespread and very instrumental in the development of western civilization.

 

[aftershocks]

One example is by using actors of different ethnic backgrounds that aren't necessarily historically accurate for a Russian court.

Interesting. However, there were actually people of different ethnic backgrounds who were involved in and influenced Russian culture, including people of French, Finnish, and even African backgrounds, e.g., the great Russian writer, Aexander Pushkin (considered the father of modern Russian literature) is descended from an African great-great-grandfather, Abram Petrovich Gannibal aka Hannibal, who was a Russian military general. Abram was born in what is now Cameroon. He was kidnapped from his parents as a boy, taken to Russia and presented to Peter the Great as 'a gift.' Rather than the ruler treating the boy as a servant, young Abram was freed, adopted and raised in the Emperor's household as his godson.

Abram Petrovich Gannibal - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Another fascinating little known story I learned recently via the playwright Lynn Nottage's play, Las Meninas: French king Louis XIV's wife, Queen Maria Theresa (of Spanish & Austrian descent) had an intimate affair with an African dwarf from Dahomey, named Nabo (aka Osmin), who had been captured and brought to her as 'a gift.' From the union, the Queen conceived a daughter of normal size who was given to a nunnery to be raised. There are a number of accounts which try to dispute and cover up what happened, suggesting that the Queen's baby was purplish of skin because of a lack of oxygen and that it died. However, there's enough evidence available confirming that the baby who was born to the Queen grew up to become a nun, and became popularly known as the Black Nun of Moret. The black nun, named Louise Marie-Therese, was known to refer to the Dauphin as her brother, and there is no doubt of her close relationship with the Versailles court. There are also contemporary and historical accounts by well known writers confirming the details of her birth, despite the many historical 'bend-over-backward' attempts to dispute what happened. Nabo is said to have been put to death by the King after the Queen gave birth to the dark-skinned baby, but this is less documented.

Louise Marie Thérèse (The Black Nun of Moret) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

'Meninas' is an unsatisfying affair / Odd pairing lacks depth in new play

www.sfgate.com

Sex and Race II – Excerpts From J.A. Rogers | Rasta Livewire

This source includes contemporary accounts by witnesses at court, including Madame de Montespan, and a much later non-contemporary account by Voltaire:
https://andrewhopkinsart.blogspot.com/2011/02/louis-xivs-black-daughter-louise-marie.html (the account by Mdme de Montespan states: 'the little African was sent away' after the birth of the dark-skinned baby)

Plot synopses of tv series, Versailles:

Welcome To Versailles

Welcome To Versailles is the pilot episode in the series and the 1st episode of Season One. The episode opens with Louis XIV alone in bed, dreaming of his mother as she lay dying. In the flashback, his younger brother Philippe is sobbing by her bedside. Louis then begins to dream of a glorious...

versailles-tv.fandom.com

Nabo

Nabo (died 1667) was the African court dwarf at the court of King Louis XIV of France. He was a favorite of Queen Maria Theresa of Spain, Louis' wife, who enjoyed his company and played peek-a-boo with him. In 1667, he had an affair with Maria Theresa, resulting in the birth of a black baby...

historica.fandom.com

This source really goes to great lengths to explain it all away

Marie Thérèse's Black Child

Louise Marie Thérèse was a nun of the Benedictine order who made quite a remarkable claim: she was convinced that she was the illegitimate d...

thisisversaillesmadame.blogspot.com

This source attempts to protect the 'virtue' of Queen Maria Theresa

Maria Theresa of Spain: Betrayal, Incest, and Black Baby Rumors

Maria Theresa of Spain was an infanta (meaning ‘princess’) of the Spanish Empire who lived during the 17th century. She belonged to the Spanish branch of the House of Habsburg, and is best-known for being the Queen of France as a result of her marriage to the French king, Louis XIV.

www.ancient-origins.net

 

[layman]

This is the first time I've ever heard of Mabel Fairbanks. That says something right there. What a brave and gifted woman.

Mabel Fairbanks was inducted into the United Skates Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1997 (4 years before her death) by the same organization that barred her from competing.

Here is a story about her that uses quotes and interviews from people who knew her:

I've Cried Enough For All Of Us: The Mabel Fairbanks Story

A figure skating history blog. Rummaging deep into the archives to bring you the stories you don't always get to hear!

skateguard1.blogspot.com

It details how her coach Maribel Vinson Owen (who also coached Frank Carroll) coached her in secret. Maribel could not openly acknowledge Mabel Fairbanks as her student and would only say that "she gave Mabel Fairbanks a little skating advice."

In reality, Maribel Vincent Owen would wait until the rinks were about to close (and no one was around to see) and then she would give Mabel private lessons. Mabel would also be on the ice with her coach during the day (when the rink was packed) and even though Maribel could not acknowledge her as a student, Mabel managed to "overhear" lessons that Maribel was giving to her white students.

It is just incredible what Mabel Fairbanks had to go through to pursue her dream of being a figure skater. She never gave up, and she passed that dream on to the next generation of skaters (many of whom were her students), skaters like Atoy Wilson, Richard Ewell III, Scott Hamilton, Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner (who she teamed together), Tiffany Chin, Debi Thomas, Rudy Galindo and Kristi Yamaguchi.

Even though she was not able to compete herself, Mabel Fairbanks persuaded the Culver City Skating Club to accept her student Richard Ewell III in 1965, making him one of the first black skaters to gain admission into a US Skating Club (the Club system that had kept her out). Mabel Fairbanks was instrumental in integrating Figure Skating and opening a "Rainbow Door" for many skaters after her.

 

[LarrySK8]

SC ignored his complaints. Did SC ignore any complaints from his coach or partner on his/the team's behalf? Not everyone ignores these complaints, why would SC?

 

[mackiecat]

SC ignored his complaints. Did SC ignore any complaints from his coach or partner on his/the team's behalf? Not everyone ignores these complaints, why would SC?

The complaint that was ignored was based on his experience as a coach at Brampton Chica club.

 

[barbarafan]

The complaint that was ignored was based on his experience as a coach at Brampton Chica club.
/QUOTE]
I have never heard of this club?

 

[overedge]

@barbarafan Maybe a shortened name for this club?

Asher Hill - Skate Brampton

Certified Regional Coach StarSkate, Dance Partner

skatescbc.ca

 

[Sylvia]

"On May 1st, 2007, Skate Canada Brampton (formerly the Brampton Figure Skating Club) founded in 1952 and the Chinguacousy Figure Skating Club founded in 1967 were amalgamated to form Skate Canada Brampton-Chinguacousy (SCBC)." http://skatescbc.ca/about/

Asher is one of many skaters who appear in this new #DiversifyIce PSA video:

https://twitter.com/diversify_ice/status/1271579306372841472

"Over the next few weeks, we will be meeting to discuss how we can take action and move forward to bring more diversity into figure skating. This is just the beginning." https://twitter.com/rockerskating/status/1271583267561656323

 

[Anemone]

Elladj Balde has started a petition to get Skate Canada to reinvestigate Hill's complaint.

Sign the Petition

Get Skate Canada to Reopen Asher Hill’s Case

www.change.org

 

[MacMadame]

Signed

 

[alilou]

Signed

Me too. and shared on FB

 

[Lemonade20]

Signed, shared & tweeted! So happy this is happening

 

[Sylvia]

Asher and Elladj have started a GFM for Asher's twin sister's academy: https://www.gofundme.com/f/brampton-hill-skating-academy-bhsa

Founded and Directed by Acacia Hill, Brampton Hill Skating Academy (BHSA) is the first Black-Owned Figure Skating School in Canada. Based out of Brampton, Ontario, they opened their doors on September 9, 2019. The main goal of BHSA is to create a safe space for minority and figure skaters of colour to train at. They are actively fighting for more representation in the sport with the help of a diverse team of coaching staff.

 

[attyfan]

Signed.

 

[Sylvia]

Karina Manta chatted with Asher earlier today for SkateProud's Instagram Live series:

SkateProud Chat with Asher Hill

⛸🏳️‍🌈 @asherkwacie 🎥🎤 @karinamanta Follow 👉 @skateproud

www.youtube.com

 

[overedge]

And Skate Canada posted this on its website today Perhaps it should take its own advice about being inclusive.

Eight Ways to Make Skating More Inclusive to the LGBTQI2S Community – Skate Canada

skatecanada.ca

 

[greenapple]

Dr. William Bridel used to work for Skate Canada and has always been the "go to" guy when trouble calls. It is a tightly knit circle.

 

[skateboy]

Elladj Balde has started a petition to get Skate Canada to reinvestigate Hill's complaint.

Sign the Petition

Get Skate Canada to Reopen Asher Hill’s Case

www.change.org

Signed, thank you for sharing.

 

[Sylvia]

[email protected] - Canadian skater, coach, and co-host of "That Figure Skating Show" - discusses his career, institutionalized racism in skating, and Black Lives Matter with @namshine on TVO tonight at 8pm & 11pm. Producer: @PreetiBhuyan

Clip: https://twitter.com/TheAgenda/status/1276202189711724544