CLAUDIA CHENDER & SUSAN LEBLANC: Seven steps Nova Scotia could take to rectify racism
In the past few weeks, we have seen protests in the United States, Canada and around the world. These arose in response to the police killing of George Floyd in the United States, but are the product of years, decades, and centuries of anti-Black racism and violence.
Anti-Black racism is a systemic issue in Nova Scotia. Recent examples like the racial profiling and arrest of Santina Rao at a Halifax Walmart and racist graffiti in Shelburne are important reminders that this problem is our problem, too.
As protests continue to unfold and difficult and important conversations begin to happen around systemic racism at all levels of society, it can be overwhelming.
We often hear these issues described as “complex” or “intractable.” Anti-Black racism is complex, but there are several steps we could take tomorrow as provincial legislators that would have an immediate impact. With leadership from the Liberal government, we could see in Nova Scotia:
An apology for street checks from the minister of justice and the premier. Especially since street checks were called a “valuable policing tool” the day before the moratorium was imposed.
Legislation to implement the remaining recommendations of the Wortley report.
Expediting the land-claims process in historically Black communities in Nova Scotia, so that families that have been here for hundreds of years can finally have clear title to their land. Allocate the resources, remove the hurdles, finish the project.
More dedicated funding for frontline resources that help the community — more social workers, more mental health resources, more childcare resources, more access to health care — and reduced reliance on police to provide front line services that they are not trained or equipped to provide.
Data collection in health, policing, education and corrections that includes race as an identifier and can be disaggregated and used to see the important patterns around systemic racism — the Halifax Regional Police had this, which is what made the Wortley report possible. It’s harder to fix what we can’t measure.
Re-introduction of some form of elected school boards. We have heard that the African Nova Scotian representatives on school boards were important resources for parents, and no replacement exists in the current system.
Support for the entry of more African Nova Scotians at all levels of elected office and in senior positions in the civil service; many are well laid out in the recommendations from the Keefe report on Electoral Boundaries from 2017.
These are a few suggestions which, if the political will is there, can be accomplished quickly. They would make a tangible difference in people’s lives, and they would send a signal — that Black lives matter, that our province is committed to combating systemic racism, and that justice is possible.
Claudia Chender is the NDP spokesperson for Justice. Susan Leblanc is the NDP spokesperson for African Nova Scotian Affairs.