Prejudice with power is racism
“Rats and roaches live by competition under the law of supply and demand; it is the privilege of human beings to live under the laws of justice and mercy.”—Wendell Berry If someone indicates that they find something to be offensive and/or racist, they are identifying an action that they perceive to be unacceptable. Expecting a […]
Blair defends RCMP Commissioner Lucki, says she has ‘deep,’ ‘profound’ understanding of systemic racism
Public Safety Minister Bill Blair defended the head of the RCMP, who has been widely criticized over comments around the existence of systemic racism in policing. In testifying before the Senate during a Committee of the Whole hearing Thursday on anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism, Mr. Blair (Scarborough Southwest, Ont.) was pressed on whether RCMP Commissioner […]
Where’s the money?: Questions loom over need for better foreign policy funding
Following Canada’s failure to win a seat on the UN Security Council, foreign affairs experts and former diplomats are raising the concern that funding for Global Affairs is insufficient despite budget increases over the last four years. Former Chrétien-era cabinet ministers and past diplomats Allan Rock and Sergio Marchi penned an op-ed this week in […]
The political mastery of Singh’s dramatic House stand
OTTAWA—Canada is the mediocre white guy in middle management who thinks he’s Walter White. So basically, Canada is Thomas Mulcair. This lack of self-awareness, fuelled by the aromatic scents of white supremacy, is why Canada thinks it’s not racist (in fact, I just spit out my coffee laughing at such a preposterous notion). To be […]
Beleagured Trump signals he’s betting it all on a white racist backlash
OTTAWA—The trajectory of the U.S. presidential election campaign clarified itself on the weekend as President Donald Trump confirmed the unyielding position he is carving out as Americans arrive at an epochal moment of truth in their troubled race relations. If there was any doubt that Trump would pursue the most dangerous, hateful strategy possible, one of inciting […]
Addressing anti-Black racism in Canada requires concrete action, not empty gestures
The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers has sparked outrage across Canada, with numerous demonstrations, rallies, and vigils highlighting the realities of anti-Black racism and associated police violence in this country. These realities are in no way new. Systemic anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism long predates Canadian Confederation and has been […]
‘We’re finally realizing that we’re unafraid to speak loudly and publicly’: Black Hill reporters, editors weigh in on lack of diversity in Canadian media
A number of Black journalists with decades of experience covering Parliament Hill between them have been speaking out about the ongoing, glaring lack of diversity in newsrooms in past weeks, with one reporter saying he believes this moment is one where “we’re finally realizing that we’re unafraid to speak loudly and publicly.” “If anything, I […]
Economic Reconciliation Policy Briefing
If feds can marshal massive, rapid response to pandemic, they ‘can find a way’ to stop systemic racism, say top experts and some Parliamentarians
The global pandemic has shown the federal government is capable of marshalling resources and a rapid response to mitigate a financial shock, and there’s no reason it can’t show similar resolve in addressing systemic racism in Canada, say experts and some Parliamentarians. “What this period of the pandemic has shown is that whatever you want […]
Senate to hold emergency debate on racism; Conservatives block attempts to table Black caucus statement in Red Chamber
Senators will hold an emergency debate on racism against Black, Indigenous, and Asian Canadians this evening. Senate Speaker George Furey (Newfoundland and Labrador) ruled Thursday afternoon that an emergency debate could go ahead, after it was proposed by Independent Senator Rosemary Moodie (Ontario). Sen. Moodie argued that fighting racism was part of the government’s job, […]
