Statement made on 03 February 2011 by Senator Lucie Pépin (retired)
Hon. Lucie Pépin:
Honourable senators, as Senator Oliver has pointed out, February has become a special time to highlight the contribution that Black people have made to Canadian society. I would like to pay tribute to a few of them.
The skills of interpreter Mathieu da Costa facilitated the arrival of the first French explorers. In recognition of his bravery, Nova Scotian William Hall was the first Canadian sailor to receive the Victoria Cross. Many people attribute the expression "Real McCoy," meaning authentic, to the ingenious inventor, Elijah McCoy.
Rosemary Brown, whom I knew, dedicated her entire life to fighting for women's rights.
James Calbert Best was one of the co-founders of the Civil Service Association of Canada, which would become the Public Service Alliance of Canada.
The contributions that Black people have made to our society go beyond music and sports. In almost all sectors of activity, members of this community work hard, using their talents to build our collective wealth.
However, I believe that this contribution would certainly be greater if there were fewer stereotypes. I do not think it would surprise anyone to hear me say that it is not always easy to be Black in Canada.
For example, the stereotype of the Black male as potentially dangerous still persists in our communities. According to Statistics Canada, among hate crimes motivated by race, Blacks are the most commonly targeted group. The same goes for racial or ethnic profiling.
The workplace is another area where discrimination or unfair treatment can be found. The list is long. Many Canadian Black leaders are capitalizing on the Obama effect not only to restore pride among young Black people, but also to remove prejudices towards their community.
It is our role as parliamentarians to help them. There is still work to be done despite the fact that we have the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which affirms the multicultural nature of Canada.
Honourable senators, to mark Black History Month, I invite you to create closer ties and more dialogue with Black communities in your respective senatorial divisions. I am certain that you will return with the firm intention of moving forward with the proposal made by Senator Oliver in this place on June 14, 2010. Our colleague feels that we should acquire new tools fit for the 21st century to fight racism and increase Canada's tolerance in matters of race and religion.
I agree with Senator Oliver that the Senate is an appropriate place to launch such a dialogue on the contemporary issues of diversity and pluralism in Canada.
This is the perfect year for such an initiative because the UN has declared 2011 the International Year for People of African Descent. I wish all of you an enriching Black History Month.