For one man in Niagara the last week has brought a sea of emotions on a daily basis.
Executive Director of Leadership Niagara Shane Malcolm says it has been difficult to strike a balance between staying connected and plugged in, and managing the anger, frustration, and pain as he watches events unfold in the US.
"Its been hard...I feel like for the last week or so there's been a 10 pound weight on my chest that I've been carrying around. While it may not be the present reality or circumstance here in Niagara specifically, it is still something that you can't unsee. And it's not one of those 'Not my backyard, not my problem' type of things. So while we may not be in the States, and while I may not be a black man in the States there's still a psychological imprint that you carry seeing it there."
He says the path to change is going to be long and people will need to get used to a state of 'uncomfortableness' until there is real change.
Malcolm described his feelings as 'pain and heartbreak.' "It's almost like when you've personally felt grief because you've lost somebody in your life. It's that level of pain, even though it's somebody you've never met." he explains."It's an issue that is obviously close to home because it's people that look like you and sounds like you."
He points out these types of injustices historically shift. "We've gone through LGBTQ+ and continue to go through those challenges in those spaces, whether it was interracial marriages - all these things. There's never a time in history for anybody to take the stance of 'Well it's not my problem. Or it's not my backyard, it's not my problem.' You don't need to be of that group to be able to step in and hold hands and stand side-by-side, because at the core of all of these things are fundamental people issues and people injustices."
Click here to listen to Matt Holmes' full interview with Shane Malcolm.