Unapologetically miffed; where is the support of our Provincial Leaders during Black History Month?

BY PAUL BAILEY

It’s Black History Month; a moment granted to us by the powers that be that means WE own it. We should celebrate it; we should indulge in it, be rewarded, acknowledged and even compensated for it. We should hear stories of tragedies, perseverance and triumphs from our young, middle and aged families and friends. It should be: managed, organized, presented and narrated by us. Sadly, not even the few days within this month is dominated by us, is narrated by us, or even published by us.

Where were our children, youth’s, adults and seniors for the recently aired BLACK History Month Celebration For Front Line Workers? Where are the off-springs of the nurses and care workers who are sacrificing their lives and those within their households? Where are they, and why were they not invited to participate in the event that took place? How could we have two young students (who were not from the African Diaspora) making a presentation on “Faces of Our Frontline: Celebrating Canadian Black Frontline Workers.”

Where is their connection or affiliation to Blackness and Black History Month? What do they really know about Black History? Who made this decision to include their work and their assumption of Black and Black History, instead of the work of students who are Black and who can relate genuinely: psychologically, emotionally and physically to Blackness and Black History Month? Who in their right mind made this choice and was there any dialogue or push back allowed?

This is not preaching racism or segregation; these practices already exist and are active in daily lives, decisions and outcomes, we just don’t see it openly because it is done in a deliberate yet subtle way (always behind smiling faces).

Gary Anandasangaree, MP for Scarborough Rouge was the organizer of this event and apparently has been doing this for five years prior. I do question how it came to be that he is the organizer of an event that represents and salutes us, and not someone from the African Diaspora. I do wonder.

John Tory was also present and as usual. He spoke about changes, inclusiveness, yet does little of anything more. For an event that was deemed so special, Premier Doug Ford did not show and lend his support to the dedicated Black workers, who continue to risk their lives and the lives of members in their household.

Better yet, where was the Leader of the State Justin Trudeau? Even if he could not make a personal visit, at least some form of acknowledgement would have sufficed. This has been the trend. I have often wondered, silently, who really runs this country?

This is another story for another time.