Representatives from the Schulich School of Law鈥檚 Indigenous Blacks & Mi'kmaq (IB&M) Initiative met with a UN working group last month at the Black Cultural Centre to examine the situation of African Nova Scotians and to make recommendations to address problems.
The working group formally known as the (WGEPAD) was invited by the federal government to take part in an historic fact-finding mission in Ottawa, Toronto, Halifax, and Montreal. Its prerogative: to locate systemic gaps in the 鈥渉uman rights protections of people of African descent living in Canada.鈥�
The and IB&M Initiative co-facilitated the Halifax site meeting on October 19. They helped presenters submit information on issues including underemployment, environmental racism, child welfare and youth, judicial diversity, and reparations for slavery.
Professor Michelle Williams, the director of the IB&M Initiative, presented on street checks, corrections and the lack of compensation for Gerald Barton. (Gerald Barton, an African Nova Scotian man, lost his case against the provincial government for a wrongful sexual assault conviction in 1969.) She also explained why African Nova Scotians are a distinct people. 聽
鈥淭he meeting was a chance for African Nova Scotians across the province to take stock of our collective successes and challenges and mobilize for further action,鈥� said Prof. Williams. 鈥淭he IB&M Initiative鈥檚 involvement in this historic international meeting reflects Dalhousie鈥檚 strategic directions, which include building partnerships and engaging in service.鈥澛�
With Prof. Williams was third-year Schulich law student Angela Simmonds, who presented on unresolved Preston land title issues. Law school alumni Shawna Hoyte (QC), Alicia Arana-Stirling and Godfred Chongatera presented on the intersection of education and criminal justice issues, the importance of African Nova Scotian representation in the judiciary and legal profession, and African immigration, respectively. Current JD student Rosy Thompson and LLM student Maria Dugas submitted research that informed the presentations.
Working group expressed 鈥渄eep concerns鈥�
In released at the end of its tour, the working group noted the importance of Nova Scotia鈥檚 Africville as a 鈥渟ite of memory,鈥� the use of pre-sentencing Cultural Impact Assessments when considering the province鈥檚 history of discrimination, and the restorative justice model currently in-use in the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children Restorative Inquiry.
It also said it is 鈥渄eeply concerned鈥� about the human rights situations of African Canadians.
鈥淎cross Canada, many people of African descent continue to live in poverty and poor health, have low educational attainment, and are overrepresented at all levels of the criminal justice system,鈥� said the report. 鈥淒espite the wealth of information and data on socio-economic indicators, there is a serious lack of race-based data and research that could inform prevention, intervention, and treatment strategies for African Canadians.鈥�
Upon leaving the meeting, Prof. Williams was overwhelmed by Canada鈥檚 overall lack of institutional change when it comes to African Canadians 鈥� especially considering this is the .
鈥淚 was encouraged by the work that people continue to do in spite of these conditions, but I was discouraged by the fact that meaningful change for the average African Nova Scotian is deterred by another common theme: no seat or voice at the tables,鈥� said Prof. Williams. 鈥淲e have the statistics, we have the history, yet we are not listened to and meaningful change is not forthcoming.鈥濃��
WGEPAD will release a comprehensive report of its findings next September. The next step, Prof. Williams advises, will need to be local 鈥� the coalition of groups that advised WGEPAD will now discuss their findings with the provincial government.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 rely on the UN committee to change the world for us here,鈥� said Prof. Williams. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important for us to invite the provincial government to hear the detailed recommendations of the various sectors and community organizations. We want to work with them to make the change.鈥�
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