NDP marks the start of Black History Month

NDP Leader, Jagmeet Singh, the following statement:

"Today, I join my NDP friends and colleagues in marking the first day of Black History Month. Let's take this opportunity to honour the incredible achievements of the Black community, remember the courageous advocates and change-makers who came before us, and continue to listen to the lived-experiences of Black Canadians who can help us make Canada a better country for all.

This month, and every month, we must recommit to fighting anti-Black racism. Black Canadians continue to face barriers and discrimination by our institutions. A lot of work still needs to be done. We continue to call for meaningful reforms to policing in our country so that all communities are better served.

Black people paid a higher price in the pandemic. Jobs that relied on Black and racialized people couldn’t be done from home, often didn’t come with sick leave and resulted in more exposure to COVID-19. Vaccines were slow to get to communities where Black people live and lack of access to health care resulted in higher rates of infection and worse outcomes. It’s time to take on the systemic racism and inequalities that led to these tragic outcomes.

The federal government must take a leadership role in understanding how policies impact Black communities and contribute to systemic racism. New Democrats will continue to push the federal government to prioritize the collection of race-based data on health, employment, policing and more with the goal of improving outcomes for Black people. We will push the government to work with the provinces to improve race-based data collection and develop reporting and accountability mechanisms alongside the Black community.

We recommit to fighting anti-Black racism. We will continue to be allies to Black Canadians in the work that still needs to be done to build a truly just Canada, one where everyone is treated equally and is able to thrive. The Black community has contributed so much to our country. Let's make sure that we acknowledge those contributions, not just this month, but every day."