CABL’s Response to Prime Minister Trudeau’s Black and Brown Face Images

Recently published images of the Prime Minister have exposed behaviours and attitudes in Canadian society that undermine the full inclusion of black and brown peoples in Canada.

Anti-black racism is more than a passing election issue. It is more than a passing issue in the lives of black Canadians who cannot escape racism by wiping off makeup.

When Canadians wear black face for a party or Halloween, they do not wear it to experience what it is like to be the race most frequently the object of hate crimes in Canada. Makeup cannot allow them to experience carding; be part of a community whose children are overrepresented in child and welfare services’ care, be more likely to be subjected to school suspensions and expulsions; be underrepresented in higher education; be overrepresented in the criminal justice system and incarceration; or even  to earn 10 to 15 percent less than similarly educated White Canadians.

When Canadians wear black face, they wear it to entertain themselves and people who look like them, to live in a frivolous, fictitious, feel-good idea of what it is like to be black. In the light of what it is like to be Black in Canada, it is an insult to our lived experiences.

These events underscore the urgent need to address systemic and overt racism, particularly anti-black racism, and to educate Canadians about anti-Black racism, particularly in schools from elementary to post-secondary education.

Although the Prime Minister’s apology is a necessary first step, CABL calls on the Prime Minister and the leaders of the other political parties to clearly articulate concrete steps that each party will take to eradicate anti-black and brown racism. We believe the next necessary step for all government leaders, federal, provincial and territorial, is to ensure that their advisors and Cabinet members are representative of the cultural mosaic of Canada

CABL has and will continue to work with all levels of government to eliminate racism and educate those interested in the Black Canadian experience.

Lori Anne Thomas, President