Written by Senator Mobina Jaffer
Our country made history at the end of February when Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Canada’s first Black Canadian Head of State welcomed to our soil Barak H. Obama, the first African-American President of the United States. It was a poignant moment for all Canadians. It spoke to our minds and hearts much the same way as Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have Dream”. It was an emotional event at the end of Black History Month. President Obama’s visit was eagerly received by all of us. We must now use this same zeal to welcome all Canadians. This means addressing inequality in our country.
In November of last year Ontario released the Roy McMurty and Alvin Curling report entitled “The Roots of Violence”. The report was commissioned after the shooting death of a grade 9 student at a Toronto school. The violence of it shocked all Canadians.
According to this report, Ontario is at a crossroads in dealing with the roots of violence involving youth. Deep concerns about racism pervaded the report consultations. The report’s authors said, “We were taken aback by the extent to which racism is alive and well and wreaking its deeply harmful effects on Ontarians and the very fabric of this province.”
It goes on to say, “Racialized groups are highly diverse and the manifestations of racism affect them differently. Most encounter subtle and systemic barriers, including ‘glass ceilings’ and other limits on their ability to participate fully in society. Others, in particular Blacks, continue to also suffer from a seemingly more entrenched and often more virulent form of racism.” It is an unfortunate reality that this statement could apply to every province in Canada, albeit to different degrees.
Solutions, according to the report’s authors, will be found in a comprehensive and community-focused approach addressing youth issues.
It recommends anti-racism initiatives – calling for the establishment of a Cabinet Committee on Social Inclusion and Anti-Racism, as well as the training of front-line police officers, teachers and school principals to “better reflect the neighbourhoods they serve”.
One of the most important tasks that Canadian Parliamentarians are entrusted with is protecting the rights of minorities. Our country is a beautiful mosaic of different cultures, and we have every right to be proud of the peace and harmony that we have achieved in this area. This report points out that we have some serious work to do.
In the afterglow of President Obama’s visit, let us bottle this sense of pride that we all collectively felt, roll up our sleeves and address how to completely eradicate racism from our midst. I believe it is our collective responsibility.
