Hassan Ghedi Santur

By Adebe DeRango-Adem

When did you first discover the power of words? Did you write as a child?

Unlike a lot of writers, I didn’t write little short stories or imitations of famous fables as a child. In fact, I didn’t write anything until I was a high school freshman and my ESL teacher asked us to write about our journey to Canada. I remember writing, in my broken English, a dramatic, but completely fictional account of my family’s trip. In a way, this was my first introduction to the power of words, albeit untrue words, because I ended up getting an A on the assignment.

What initially prompted you to write Something Remains?

I had no intension of writing a novel at first. Although I loved novels and dreamt of writing one someday, I was far too intimidated by the form. I had this false notion that people like Henry James and Edith Wharton wrote novels. A young man from Somalia who learned English at 14 had no business writing novels, I thought. I was working on a book of short stories and I started deleting stories that weren’t central to the major characters. And without even being fully conscious of it, I ended up with four stories that were so connected they started to read like a novel. So I went for it. I am glad I did because I was able to overcome that intimidation. (Read a review of Something Remains)

How has the experience of moving from Somalia to Canada factored into your work?

To learn English, I pretty much devoured any book I could get my hands on, which eventually inspired me to write. So had I not moved from Somalia to Canada, I would never have become a voracious reader. All the major decisions of my life seem to have an origin in my leaving my home country and settling in a foreign nation whose culture I tried to make sense of through the act of reading and writing.                                                  

From the book, there is a sense that we are all haunted by the past, that the past is always on the cusp of coming into view. Is there anything productive about being haunted by the past?

One of the saddest truths about the human condition is our inability to not let the past sully our present. No matter how hard we try, our past has a way of seeping into our present and more often than not sabotaging whatever joy and happiness we might experience in the present. On good days, when I feel fortified by hope for the future, I say, yes, go ahead, use the past to inform and even inspire your work.  But on bad days, I feel the past is this giant storm whose sole purpose is to rain on my parade.

You are a freelance producer at CBC. How do you see the role of broadcast journalism within the larger project of recognizing, preserving and promoting the contributions of people of African ancestry and their collective histories?

CBC has over the years made a concerted effort to celebrate Black History Month with special programs that showcase the stories of African Canadians as well as events. Having said that, there is always room for improvement not only in the quantity and quality of African Canadian stories in mainstream broadcast journalism, but also in the creation of shows and other platforms in which Canadians of African ancestry can celebrate their heritage and tell their stories not just one month of the year. My dream is that someday in the near future we won’t have just one month in the year to remind ourselves of the value and contributions of African Canadians to our country.

What books are on your quintessential Black History Month reading list, for readers seeking to widen their understanding of the Black literary tradition?  What are some memorable books by Black authors that hold a special place on your shelves? 

I think any reader interested in the African experience would find these books hugely informative not to mention a great read. Beloved by Toni Morrison is one of the best novels I have read about the African American experience. It’s an intimate exploration of the emotional and psychological scars of slavery. It’s also just about one of the most beautifully written books in the African American literary canon.

Another is Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God. This is one of my favourite novels of all time . I particularly love it for its focus on the interior lives of African American people, especially Black women without any overt reference to or reliance on white oppression to tell their dramatic story. In fact, white characters are incidental, almost irrelevant. These characters (especially Janie and Tea Cake) are full, complex characters onto themselves. They don’t need white society or the struggle against racism to define the value of their lives or validate their existence.    

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin and The Classic Slave Narratives, edited by the great academic Henry Louis Gates Jr. , are also great works. Although completely different, they nonetheless offer great insight into the souls of African Americans and their struggle for self-actualization in two very different time periods in American history.

Often known as the Blood in the Sun trilogy, the novels Maps, Gifts, and Secrets, written by award-winning Somali novelist Nuruddin Farah, are three books that I think are a great introduction to contemporary African literature. Farah has cemented his reputation as one of Africa’s most respected writers and is often championed for a Nobel Prize for Literature. Farah has given himself a literary mission: “To keep my country alive by writing about it.” His novels examine the pain of cultural uncertainty in postcolonial Somalia as well as what has been lost as a result of a brutal 20-year civil war. These three novels show a writer at his best. His rich, fantastical and often wild prose, his commitment to writing about the formidable women of Somalia and his keen eye for the politics of post-colonial Africa make Farah a must read for anyone interested in contemporary African Literature.

What advice would you have to writers who are just starting out?  

Write everyday or at least try. Writing is like a muscle, it atrophies without consistent use. Also, try different forms. If short stories feel too restrictive, try a novel. If a novel feels too loosy-goosy, try plays, which provide a great sense of structure that most young writers find helpful. I have tried screenplays, plays, novels and short stories and all of them have taught me a great deal. I have even tried poetry to disastrous results. But that’s part of the fun, figuring out what works for you and what suits your sensibilities. Also, join a writing group. Mine was hugely rewarding. The Toronto Public Library has a great Writer-In-Residence program, so submit your manuscripts and get valuable feedback from published authors. But most importantly, just keep at it.

What are you reading right now, or planning to read in the near future?

For the past several months I have been reading a lot of books about Islam for work, books such as Reza Aslan’s wonderful No God but God and How to Win a Cosmic War. But on the fiction front, I recently finished reading James Baldwin’s novel Another Country, which has whetted my appetite not only to reread Go Tell on the Mountain and Giovanni’s Room, but also make a dent in his mammoth collection of essays.

Are you currently at work on any new projects? Where can we go to hear or find your work?

I am currently working on a book of short stories titled Home/Stories. It’s a collection of seven linked stories about Somali Canadian men who live in Toronto who are in search of that elusive sense of home. People can find my novel at all major bookstores across the city and my radio work can be found on the websites of CBC shows such as IDEAS and TAPESTRY.

Hassan Ghedi Santur is a Somalian-born Canadian author and graduate of the B.A in English Literature and M.F.A in screenwriting programs at York University. He lives in Toronto where he works as a freelance radio producer for CBC. To read more about Something Remains, visit the Dundurn Press website. Or go to Knowledge Bookstore in Brampton to pick up a copy.

The Tower of Freedom monument in Windsor (only partially shown) depicts formerly enslaved African Americans rejoicing and celebrating their new found freedom in Canada.

By Takara Small

Today is the last day of February also known as Black History Month. For the last 27 days radio stations, TV programs and newspapers have bombarded us with information about the great things African-Canadians have contributed to our country for centuries.

You’ve heard about Harry Jerome, Elijah McCoy and Portia White — or at least you should have — for days on end, but what does Black History Month really mean? Should the month be judged simply by the number of black history references found in popular media or is it bigger than that?

The City of Windsor and the local tourism office want to help a lucky few find out by offering a tour of the very same streets Black Canadians once walked decades ago.

As one of the southernmost areas in Canada, Windsor was a well used entry point for Black refugees escaping oppression in the United States and, the memories and hardships seeped in every piece of stone, wooden house and monument you come across.

The opportunities afforded today’s African-Canadians can at times cloud over past hardships. The 48-hour adventure tour, by a select group of 20 to 30 Torontonians, inspired and reawakened the passion and respect for those who had come before them.

The lives of early Black residents is an important fact that Rosemary Sadlier finds hard to forget. As the president of the Ontario Black History Society, she is well acquainted with Black history and sees tours like this as important for all Canadians not just Black citizens. “This goes beyond race,” she says. “This is our history.”

When asked whether or not Black History Month, and to some extent tours like this, is still necessary, she sighs and settles deeper into her seat. “I’ve been asked this a fair bit,” she says, “especially a few years back. I think we’re not quite there yet; we still have places left to go so this is still very important.”

The group, which I am lucky to be a part of, ventured out to Windsor to learn more about Canadian Black history and along the way learned more about our country’s complicated past than we had ever hoped for.

Instead of the standard walk around with local guides, visitors were treated to an extensive tour that zigged and zagged across the city. There was no awkward silence; just the sound of our tour guides’ voices, the occasional song and the ever-present sound of camera’s clicking away.

Retracing the steps of slaves and seeing for ourselves what they endured at sites such as the Underground Railroad Museum was inspiring. Gwyneth Chapman, a host for Inspiring Youth Television, felt the same way and called the tour “a great opportunity for all Canadians.” Says Chapman: “After going [on the tour], I’m ready to explode in a positive way. It would be great even if you’re not African-Canadian.”

Although the tour itself went by quickly, it provided the group with an insight into Canada’s rich cultural past, identifying the pivotal role Canadians played in abolishing slavery here and in the U.S. One month isn’t enough to define black Black Canadian history, but it is enough to get people thinking about our diverse history, even if it’s only a few at a time.

For more information about the Underground Railroad Tour visit the Windsor Essex website.

Myth or Reality?

While on the train, passengers were treated to a little quiz to test their knowledge of Black history. Take the test and find out how much you know!

1. Africville was a town established by Black refugees in British Columbia.

2. John Newton, the author of the hymm Amazing Grace was a slave trader.

3. Abolitionists were people who believed in the institution of slavery.

4. Viola Desmond was a black anti-racism activist who resided in Nova Scotia.

Answers

1. b) NO: Black Refugees of the War of 1812 in Nova Scotia established Africville. These veterans had accepted an offer of freedom issued by Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane for their support of British interests during this conflict.

2. b) YES: John Newtown was an English ex-slave trader who in later years became a supporter of abolishing slavery and a clergyman. He wrote popular hymns such as “Amazing Grace” and “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds.”

3.  NO: Abolitionists wanted to end slavery and were a part of the movement to end Black slavery. Some famous Black abolitionists include Olaudah Equiano, Frederick Douglass and David Walker.

4 b) YES: The NSAACP supported Viola Desmond, a Black woman from Halifax, in her case against a New Glasgow theatre where she was arrested for sitting in the “White-only” section, even though she was willing to buy the more expensive ticket.

Jean Emile Jean-Gilles is the first Canadian to be honoured with the Henry Ford Technology Award

By Elesia Stewart

“With an education you can become somebody great.  Always do your best and if your best is not good enough then we’ll discuss it.”

The words of his late mother echoed in Jean Emile Jean-Gilles’ ears as he and five of his associates from south of the border were handed  a 2010 Henry Ford Technology Award (HFTA) for the design, development and implementation of the programmable side door hinge fixture.

When Jean-Gilles was hand-picked to be a part of the product development team three years ago, he never thought his team would be nominated for their product innovation.  It never crossed his mind that if he won he would make history as the first Canadian recipient of the automotive company’s highest technical commendation since the inception of the HFTA in 1981.

Jean-Gilles never dreamed that his decision to leave his homeland of Haiti in his teens would culminate with such an achievement. The youngest in a family of five, Jean-Gilles came to Montreal in the mid ’70s to live with his sister after his mom passed away. He came to the French-speaking city already licensed as an electrician and engineer.  Nevertheless, knowing the importance of a good education, he continued his quest for knowledge attending the Université de Montréal, then went to Brock, Laurier and Michigan Universities throughout the ’80s, studying computer science, electro-mechanics and business management.

Shadowing his father at a young age, he learned technical skills in auto mechanics.  At the age of 10 he built his first radio and was nearly arrested when he was caught listening to stations broadcast from Cuba, prohibited under the Duvalier regime.

Jean’s mother was also influential in his life, instilling confidence and the belief that, “if your mind can conceive it, you can achieve it.” Empowered by the lessons he learned, Jean-Gilles never let the racist actions of others hinder him.  Armed with integrity and a black belt in judo, he saved the life of a student who was being beaten in the streets of Montreal; the same student who, not long before, refused to work with him on a class project because he was Black.

Jean-Gilles’ academic and professional accomplishments show how vital a good education, support, hard work and a positive attitude are to success.  Today, just as his father and mother mentored him, he mentors high school girls in his hometown of Oakville, ON, teaching them that they too can make history.

"Finally, Kenya is calling me. My crystal ball tells me the time is right. My son did not die for me not to try to change Kenya one more time!" -- Flora Terah

By Flora Terah

I was born on the slopes of Mount Kenya in the East Province of Kenya right after our independence from colonial rule. I am the seventh of nine children from a very conservative middle class family. Throughout my life, I have been witness to so much gender disparity, from my own family and from the educational institutions that I attended.

Now in my adopted country of Canada, as I learn about the great history of our past, especially of The Famous Five and their historic struggle in 1929 trying to find the definition of the word “persons” (in section 24 of the British North America Act of 1867), I look with amazement as Kenyans are still asking that very same question.

Asking that question, once asked by these heroes, cost me the life of my beloved son.

My journey of activism began after giving birth to my son at a local hospital where up to four women shared a single bed in the maternity ward. Women who arrived at the hospital without their own supply of anaesthesia were stitched up without any medication. Hundreds of new mothers unable to pay fees were detained in health care facilities. I was among those women. From then on I swore to address women’s oppression.

I witnessed politicians pilfering money earmarked for hospitals, and unpaid staffers extorting patients and stealing supplies for use at private health facilities. By the time President Kibaki was elected in 2002, on a platform of reform, most public hospitals were little more than shells sheltering demoralized and bitter employees.

Soon after a progressive woman politician, Charity Ngilu, was appointed as the minister for health, the first order of business was to push a bill through to waive maternity fees for women unable to pay. Yet more than 20 million Kenyan women share a total of two mammograms and most deliver their babies on the floor.

The country’s health facilities are in shambles and political will to reform the health sector is faltering. Many backward policies that target women are still the norm in many parts of the country. For example, until a referendum changed the laws last year, female genital mutilation, polygamy, child marriage, wife sharing, widow cleansing and women forbidden from inheriting and/or owning land was legal.

The new charter at least got women out of hell and heading to Canaan. We have to continue to break the walls of discrimination and penetrate all spheres of leadership if we are to see continued change. With our sheer numbers alone, no mountain is too high to climb if we join hands.

In spite of living through these horrible conditions, I managed to emerge as a spokesperson and community worker, educating on HIV/AIDS, talking to both men and women about sex and sexuality and the use of condoms. But it wasn’t until I got into active political participation that I truly knew that I had to speak out on laws that governed my country.

In 2005, I became an emerging voice on gender and governance issues when I was recruited to train for a United Nations funded program for women. The government that had been elected on a platform of reforms and zero tolerance of corruption had disappointed many Kenyans. And as women, my friends and I felt like we needed to take matters into our own hands.

As women, we had strength in numbers. But we needed to be strategic if we were to win elections both at local and national levels. After a year, I was asked to run in the 2007 election against a powerful incumbent who got caught up in a corruption scandal and was forced to step down. The whistleblower fled for his life. That year, 200 women ran for office and I became a leading candidate for a seat in Parliament in a constituency that had never had a woman as a representative. A feeling of excitement and change was everywhere. As polls about our growing power started to emerge, I was abducted and tortured, my hair ripped from my head and mixed with human waste before it was forced down my throat; my leg was broken, my neck dislodged; I was left for dead. In the hospital for weeks, I was no longer able to campaign. I lost the race.

Six months later, my only child was murdered. And justice seemed far away. To recover, I took comfort in words and wrote a book They Never Killed My Spirit But They Murdered My Only Child was written at a time when the world had shut its doors to happiness, love, peace, joy and laughter. I was going through the most difficult moment ever in life.

After I left Kenya, new elections gave way to more women parliamentarians. A new constitution now includes for all gender representation in the socio-economic and political arena; women are finally on a more level playing field. Just a few months ago parliament vetted eight incredible, intelligent and non- corrupt young Kenyans to head the judicial commission under a new constitution. Soon Kenya will have a new chief justice and a new attorney general and all judges will be vetted for competence and probity.

For the first time, before my eyes, even from afar, from the comfort of my Toronto apartment, the role of women is beginning to be recognized and the rule of progressive law respected. That is why in a few months, I will pack my suitcases and go back to Kenya. As a candidate, I was beaten; as a citizen, my son was killed. What they have not taken is my willingness to see what I have learned, observed and loved while in Canada, now reflected in a new Kenya that I want to be a part of.

Finally, Kenya is calling me. I have to go and serve my people. My crystal ball tells me the time is right for me. My son did not die for me not to try to change Kenya one more time!

Black Law Students Association of Canada president Keri Wallace

By Samuel Getachew

A year after The National Black Engineers Conference held the biggest black students convention in Toronto for the very first time, the Black Law Students Association of Canada (BLSAC) convention will also mark its 20th year as well as host their convention here in Toronto.

According to their manifesto, BLSAC “recognizes the essential role that we will play as lawyers in furthering the aspirations of our community and Canadian society as a whole. We are committed to supporting and enhancing the academic, professional and networking opportunities for black law students in both official languages. We also recognize the need to pay it forward and have a very active mentoring program for high school and university students interested in a legal career.”

With inspiration from the American National Black Law Students’ Association, the Canadian association received support from the Attorney General of Ontario, Toronto Race Relations and the Law Society of Upper Canada came in the form of funding and mentorship. Through it all, the association was able to produce well researched and well read documents on subjects such as on the Canadian Law School admission policies and access to the justice system.
High profile guests such as The Honourable Justice Romain Pitt of the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, Rosemary Sadlier of the Ontario Black Historical Society and Ontario Minister of Health Promotion and Sport Margarett Best are some of the scheduled speakers. With topics such as racial discrimination and the effectiveness of the judicial system and human rights, equity and accessibility, the sold-out event is expected to be a memorable one. It is also hoped that is would be a mixture of networking and the building of a long lasting relationship between the future nation builders of Canada.

Keri Wallace is a third year law student at the University of Western Ontario as well as the current President of the Canadian Black Law Students. Sway caught up with her to discuss the importance of this association and the effects that two decades has had on society.

Why is BLSAC still important to black students and former students after all these years?
There are still systemic barriers to access to both a legal education and career. Our goal is to help and support current and prospective Black law students. This need is confirmed by the lack of representation of Black law students across Canadian universities. BLSAC events create a welcoming atmosphere where students feel comfortable to be themselves and speak with professionals about their experiences. Many leave the conference with life long friends. It means a lot to be in an environment with so many talented Black professionals who truly care about supporting the community. There’s a sense of empowerment at every BLSAC event and that is probably why our members develop such an attachment to the association.

Late last year, the Faculty of Law of the University of Quebec in Montreal became the first francophone chapter of the BLSAC. How important was that?
BLSAC is a national organization, so it is very important that we have an active francophone community. The French community experiences the same barriers and it is important that they are provided with the same support. We’re very excited about the current growth of BLSAC and hope to see more Quebec chapters joining.

Tell us about the mentorship program at the BLSAC
The mentorship program is one of the most important aspects of BLSAC. This year, our mentorship representative, University of Windsor law student Te-Anna Bailey, did an outstanding job mentoring students and matching undergraduate and high school students with mentors who are currently in law school. We hope that these relationships continue beyond the application process. Mentorship is an important start for law students. Mentors advise students on the rigors of law school, the expectation of the admission committees, and how a student can become a better candidate. Since there are few black students, black undergraduates and high school students may not know anyone in law school. Where other students have the advantage of having a family member or a friend who many have been through the process, not many blacks have this connection available to them. This is where BLSAC steps in, to provide those students with the advantage other applicants have. We hope that this leads to better candidates, which will increase the black student population at Canadian law schools.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff

Samuel Getachew talks with Michael Ignatieff about Black History Month

What is the significance of Black History Month to you?

Black History Month is not just a chance to recognize some of the Canadians who serve as an inspiration to all of us – great figures in our history like Judge George Carter, the Hon. Lincoln Alexander and Ferguson Jenkins – it is also an opportunity to celebrate and encourage the contributions of young black Canadians who are going to play a leading role in defining the Canada of tomorrow. These are the kids that I’ve met in school gymnasiums, in community town halls and in open mike events across this country. To honour their hopes and aspirations is what the Liberal vision for this country is all about.

Name one African Canadian you admire.

Jean Augustine, as a Liberal MP back in 1995, introduced the first motion, passed unanimously in the House of Commons, to recognize Black History Month across Canada. In her time as an MP she also served the constituents of Etobicoke-Lakeshore so admirably that she has always been my example to follow as a parliamentarian.

Henry Walton Bibb

By Erica Phillips

Henry Walton Bibb was a community leader, newspaper publisher and activist in the Windsor, Ont. area. He published Canada’s first black newspaper, The Voice of the Fugitive from 1851 to 1853, which published among other things, stories of escaped slaves. The bi-weekly newspaper helped to promote abolition, temperance, education and agriculture, plus information for the Underground Railroad.

Bibb lived the horrors of slavery in Kentucky; he was sold six times, treated inhumanely and saw his mother and siblings sold. It’s reported that his father was state senator James Bibb.

Henry initially fled to Cincinnati, but was recaptured in 1837 when he returned for his wife. In 1840 he fled for Detroit, then Windsor in 1850. Eventually some of his siblings and his mother joined him in Canada.

Henry taught himself to read and write and worked with Frederick Douglass when he joined an anti-slavery society. Henry and his second wife, Mary Elizabeth Miles, and Josiah Henson helped found the Refugee Home Society in 1851 near Windsor, purchasing 2,000 acres of land. The society was controversial. Henry chaired the North American Convention of Colored People, founded a church and a school and delivered many anti-slavery lectures.

The Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, his autobiography was published in 1849.

The Green party leader Elizabeth May

Samuel Getachew speaks with Green Party Leader Elizabeth May about the Black person she admires most.

Hmm, this is a very difficult, impossible, question.  Only one person?  When the influences in my life have included so many?

I was a girl when Martin Luther King organized to end segregation in the US.  I grew up in Connecticut, in a home where working for civil rights was a daily event.  Dr. King’s words shaped my life.  The closest I ever got to hearing him in person was on a peace march in New York City that I attended with my parents. He was a speaker at the rally, but the streets were so clogged with fellow marchers that we could not get close enough to see him.  We had a transistor radio and everyone around us had one so we could hear him  – loud and clear – from a spot four blocks away.

Hearing his words and knowing I was present with him in solidarity was hugely important. His assassination, when I was 13, was one of the most painful and traumatic incidents of my youth.

And then there is my friend, Clotilda Yakimchuk, the Nova Scotia trailblazer whom I love like a sister.  Clotilda was the daughter of immigrants from the Caribbean who were drawn to Cape Breton to work in the steel mill.  She faced racism and barriers, yet she was the first black graduate of the N.S. School of Nursing in 1954.  Clotilda was also the first, and only to date, black president of the N.S. Nurses Association.

Clotilda Yakimchuck was the first, and only to date, black president of the N.S. Nurses Association.

After graduation, as a young wife, she moved to Grenada with her first husband where she ran the mental health hospital.  Years later, she returned to Cape Breton as a single mom. With kids in tow, she found it hard to rent an apartment, except in the black neighbourhood of Whitney Pier, far from her nursing job at the hospital.  Toxic pollution from the mill and coking ovens were worse in Whitney Pier than anywhere else in industrial Cape Breton, but it was the only place where, as a black woman, she could find an apartment.  It is shocking that racism was endemic in the early 1970s!

Her work in black community development led to a wonderful enduring relationship with her current husband, retired steel worker, and then City councillor, Dan Yakimchuk.

Primte Minister Stephen Harper and The Hon. Rev. Don Meredith

By Samuel Getachew

Sway speaks with Prime Minister Stephen Harper about the significance of Black History Month

1)      What does Black History Month mean to you?

Black History Month is an occasion to honour the stories of everyday heroes of African decent across our country and an opportunity to celebrate the values of perseverance and dignity that have defined the black community in Canada for generations. Their stories characterize the pride, strength and dignity that have driven black Canadians to realize their ambitions in all fields of endeavour.

2)      Who is the one African Canadian of the past or present that you admire?

Naming just one Canadian of African origin that inspires me is like asking me to name a only one great Canadian – there are too many to count. This Black History Month, we recognize four individuals in particular from the past and present – John Ware, Carrie Best; Ferguson Jenkins and Jerome Iginla, who was the first black captain in the National Hockey League. He is a  role model for aspiring young black hockey players across Canada. All of these great Canadians have helped break down barriers and defy stereotypes making the black community and Canada as a whole, a stronger country.

3)      Looking back at the last 5 years as Prime Minister, what has surprised you most about Canada’s diversity and what are some of the challenges. How would a conservative government intend to address that?

Canada is a country of immigrants – our identities are bound up in the stories of our ancestors from hundreds of different lands. This makes Canada’s situation unique in the world. Nowhere else will you find such diversity coupled with understanding of the crucial role it plays in shaping our country.

Over the past five years I have seen that the concerns of individual communities are the concerns of all Canadians. We all want peace, security, a strong economy and opportunity.

Of course, New Canadians face extra challenges in trying to contribute to Canada, which is why we’ve invested $50 million dollars, and continue to invest, in supporting foreign credential recognition for many professions and occupations right across Canada.

Moving forward as a country also means facing up to our past. Since 2006 our Government has apologized on behalf of all Canadians, for the Chinese Head tax and other racially-based immigration restrictions, and brought in a redress package to commemorate wartime immigration restrictions.

We are so fortunate to live in Canada and all want to see our country succeed; we’re steering the country in the right direction to fully recover from the global economic recession and I know that Canadians of all backgrounds are also working hard to succeed. Inspired by the stories of our past, especially the stories we hear during Black History Month and all year long, we will continue moving forward with diversity as one of our greatest strengths.

NDP Leader Jack Layton

By Samuel Getachew

Sway asked Canada’s political leaders to weigh in on the importance of Black History Month. The first in a series begins with NDP Leader Jack Layton:

What does Black History mean to you?

Black History Month is a wonderful opportunity for Canadians across the country to celebrate the history and accomplishments of the members of the Black community in our country and around the world. This is also an occasion to thank the African-Canadian community for the vital contributions they’ve made to improve Canadian society for everyone.

As we honour and salute the role the community has played in Canada, it is important to recognize that there is a long road ahead before we can truly claim victory over racism and discrimination. It is the duty of every Canadian to promote fairness and unity for all. One of the ways we can break down barriers and work together is by learning more about one other and the history we all share.

During this month, I urge all Canadians to participate in community activities and to learn more about the rich history of Black people in Canada.”

Do you have a Black hero that you try to emulate in your journey as a public servant?

I have many heroes, but one I consider near the top of my list is Rosemary Brown – Canada’s first Black woman elected to in the BC legislature. She also became the first Black woman to run for the leadership of our party – the New Democratic Party of Canada. I take great pride in the fact that she was a pioneer in her community and a pioneer in our party.

What has  been the highlight of your career especially as an advocate for diversity?

During Black History Month, I’m reflecting on the work I have done with the communities. One of the highlights in my political career was forming a coalition working group with police officers and young Jamaican youth over three decades ago to combat racism. I believe in reaching out and finding suitable solutions.