Conquering the mountain of racism
I vividly remember the first time I was called the N-word.
I was 11 years old, visiting an unfamiliar Canadian city on a church retreat. I separated, briefly, from my chaperone to double back to the hotel and retrieve my Bible. As I raced to catch up with the group, a truck full of men rode by slowly, spitting and yelling profanities at me, asking what I was doing there. Their words dripped with a raw hatred that I had never previously felt. I had experienced anti-Black racism before, but usually of a subtle flavour, steeped in politeness. I was terrified.
It wasn’t the last time hateful words would be directed toward me, but it took years to shake the impacts of that particular exchange meant to demean, devalue and diminish my sense of belonging in my own country.
What were five generations of my family doing here?
They were freedom-seekers. Building communities, fighting for Canada in two world wars and raising their children with a hope that their paths would be made easier and their full potential could be reached.
Few Black people are ever surprised to read or hear about the latest racist incident occurring in their community. As more Canadians wake up to the reality of the hatred that has always existed, and of the deep fissures in our society, I hope that it will move them from a place of seeking understanding to a motivation to contribute to action.
While speaking in Toronto a couple years back, former first lady Michelle
Obama acknowledged the intergenerational efforts to move the flag of racial equity further up the mountain of systemic racism. Striving toward justice, each subsequent generation would plant the flag as far as they could climb while teaching their children how to ascend, hoping they may make it a few yards further. In the meantime, we would celebrate the exceptions, the one or two individuals who could, with great effort, successfully make it over the summit.
My hope is that in post-2020 Canada, the mountain can come down through our collective efforts.
For those willing to dream, we must
also be willing to do the work. Change is achieved by a combination of inspiration, education and collective action.
This is why I will be stepping away from my work as a political analyst, in order to do some of my own heavy lifting within a system committed to transformative change.
As an expectant mother, my next mission is clear — to positively shape the educational institutions that will one day shape my children. So they may take pride in their history, know their value as Canadian citizens, and bring their talents to dreaming and shaping a better Canada for future generations.
Young Black Canadians are unable to run the same race as their peers, because their path is designed on a steep incline with many obstacles. While each deterrent teaches us to be resilient, they rarely allow us to simply be.
We must move beyond shock around specific incidents of racism, and into long-term systemic change.
When I began writing publicly, I had two goals in mind: stand in my truth and speak truth to power. I wanted to empower girls and women, and add my voice to calls for justice for Black Canadians.
I hope you will continue to hold me accountable to the exceptionally high standards of transparency, honesty and excellence I have demanded of public servants over the years.
As a firm believer in transitional leadership, I look forward to a new generation of diverse voices bringing solutions, exploring ideas and speaking to undercurrent issues in Canadian political discourse.
And I urge you to consider which parts of this mountain you could help to dismantle.
Your engagement with the words of this column and your feedback has altered the trajectory of my life. I’ve appreciated each moment you’ve taken to amplify these perspectives, and reach out to share your own stories and expand my understanding where my thinking has been limited. I hope, even if in some small way, I’ve touched your life as well.
Thank you for permitting me to share your space each Sunday. It has been an honour.