NDP Statement on Black History Month

Jagmeet Singh, Leader of Canada’s NDP, issued the following statement:

Today, I join New Democrats across Canada in recognizing the start of Black History Month, a time to reflect on and celebrate the past, present and future of Black Canadians.

Black History Month offers an opportunity to honour the incredible achievments of the Black community, shine a light on the heroes who came before us, and give space to Black Canadians to speak on their lived-experience in the Canada of today.

This month is also an opportunity to commit to concrete action to tackling the systemic nature of anti-Black Racism that still thrives in Canada. This unfortunate reality continues to prevent black people from being viewed or treated as if their lives are of equal value.

This month, we remind ourselves that the Black community continues to be on the frontlines of bearing the burden of injustice and overcoming it – making life fairer for all of us.

As allies in the fight against injustice, we need to do more to end anti-black racism and systemic discrimination that is present in all our institutions and public spaces. This requires us to ensure we are removing barriers to power, education and resources faced by the Black community.

When it comes to racial justice in policing, New Democrats will continue to call for a federal ban on racial profiling – because nobody should feel unwelcome in their own community.

During Black History Month, I encourage Canadians to think about their own biases that contribute to anti-black racism – let’s pledge to build a just and inclusive Canada and inspire the next generation of young Black Canadians to carve out their own place in Canada’s history.