A Call to Action

Dear Black Canadians, LET’S ACT NOW & CRAFT OUR OWN FUTURE

Decade for Peoples of African Decent

The UN General Assembly declared 2015-2024 as The International Decade for People of African Descent. It was proclaimed in a Resolution adopted on 23 December 2013. The theme of the International Decade is “People of African descent: recognition, justice and development[1]. The Declaration obligates signing countries to take actions to address the recognition, justice and development failures acknowledged in the Declaration.

WHY WAS THIS NEEDED?

The UN General Assembly acknowledged that

our history and accomplishments have been systematically erased
we have suffered grave, intentional, and overt injustices over hundreds of years
we have been deliberately and systematically oppressed by non-black societies that resulted in an unconscionable gap in wealth, fair treatment, and opportunities

The Canadian Federal Government recognized the Declaration in 2018 and allocated tens of millions of dollars to support Black Youth, Black Communities, and Black Entrepreneurs. The Government also took a whole-Government approach to anti-racism called “Building a Foundation for Change: Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy 2019–2022” [2]

As a signatory to the Declaration, Black Canadians reasonably expected that the Canadian Federal Government would take action on the mandates and

recognize our history (which predates the English and French settlers) and take action to inform and educate Canadian society about our experience in, and contributions to, Canada
implement effective policies and laws to eradicate systemic anti-black racism in the legal, educational, child protection, employment arenas
provide adequate funding for the development of black business in recognition of past discriminations by Government regulated financial institution

Unfortunately, despite the announcements and commitments, not much tangible change occurred. Politics always gets in the way.

The pandemic started in 2020 and the long-standing inequities and discrimination in employment, health care and economics that we have spoken about for decades were multiplied and hit Black Canadians in devastating ways. Wonderfully, many Black Communities and Organizations rallied to support our most greatly impacted Members. We generally survived but we cannot allow this devastation to happen in our communities again. We must recognize that the only goal of the UN’s Declaration Theme that we have direct control over is our development. We must effectively organize ourselves and develop solutions to minimize the dependence on Governments and bring wealth to Black Canadians.

Let’s start by acknowledging who we are as Black Canadians and the challenges we face to effectively organize. Black Canadians are unique in the Canadian Mosaic [3]. We are from 170 plus Nations. We are 1st generation Canadians and we are multi-generation Canadians going back centuries. We have many languages, cultures, ethnicities, and religions. We assimilate yet we remember our roots. We live in many areas rather than congregating in just one (1) or two (2) areas of our cities. These characteristics give rise to varied perspectives, values, priorities, and sometimes conflicting interests.

We share similar experiences of racism, discrimination, oppression, derision, and degradation from non-Black communities. Unfortunately, we practice nationalism, tribalism, colourism, and classism against each other, to our individual and collective detriment.

Nevertheless, we are people with the same ambitions. We want to be treated with the same respect and given the same opportunities afforded to other people-groups in Canada. We must therefore move beyond our differences and recognize our common best interests. We must make conscious, unwavering decisions to compromisingly work together for the betterment of all our communities. This awareness will be needed to maintain cohesion and commitment to our cause of growth, and development. We have the intellectual capacity, financial means & drive to effect change within our communities, and craft our future ourselves.

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd by a white Police Officer and the subsequent global BLACK LIVES MATTER protests by Black people, and others of conscience, governments, businesses, and civil organizations started to recognize and acknowledge the injustices that we have long suffered in predominately white societies. They are implementing new policies and programs to address exclusion, inequities, and discrimination. They have contributed tens of millions of dollars to Black Organizations and have committed hundreds of millions of dollars in grants and loans to Black Businesses and Community Organizations.

While these commitments are laudable, needed and appreciated, they will not solve all the issues facing Black Canadians, or remove all exiting barriers to our growth and development. Wonderfully, many Black Organizations were formed during the pandemic seeking to move us forward from primarily justifiable complaining, to deliberate strategic actions designed to effect change and combat anti-black racism.

These Organizations and actions are needed however, most work in silos offering duplicate services and missing the efficiencies, and greater impact, from coordinated mandates. We need a comprehensive vison with viable, national development frameworks and implementation strategies that coalesce Black Communities across Canada and maximize results within the shortest possible timeframe.

To achieve our objectives, we must effectively and efficiently organize, we must practice cooperative economics and we must create community wealth. These are the respective purposes of the MKUTANO, UJAMAA and HARAMBEE platforms from FHH Enterprises Inc. They will enable accelerated development at scale, a strategy possible only by using technology. See https://blackcanada.one

Organizing is about power. The problems we face in Canadian Society have already agreed upon solutions, but we lack the power to force their implementation. By organizing and uniting around our common desire for equal treatment, freedom from discrimination and access to the same opportunities as others in Canadian Society enjoy, we will effect change.

We need numbers and organization to get the attention of decision makers. Numbers demonstrate the legitimacy of our demands, the strength of our resolve, and attracts influential partnerships. Organization allows us to clearly determine our priorities and effectively communicate our demands to Governments and Canadian Society.

We must also move beyond always looking to Governments, which some call victimhood, and work together in Cooperative Economics. We can pool little from many to get much that will provide seed funds to kick start collectively beneficial projects. We are stronger and will achieve more faster, if we work together.

It will however take more than inspiration and hope to achieve our goals. It will take an unwavering commitment to the goal of equal standing with other groups in the Canadian Mosaic.

We must stop looking for validation of our individual and collective humanity from others, and instead realize that we are validated by being human. Many of us have suffered mentally and emotionally from the subconscious acceptance and internalization of the following lies.

we are not equal to other people groups
we our lives are not as valuable as other people groups
we cannot achieve success at the same levels as other people groups
we have not contributed to developing modern societies
our history is not relevant and does not include greatness

Let’s reject these lies and release our minds from the mental slavery that has held back too many of us. We must stand together and craft our future ourselves, guided by the seven (7) Kwaanza Principles of Unity, Self Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Faith, Creativity, Purpose. Our successes and achievements will be for us, and by us. This is how DIGNITY is shown, how RESPECT is earned.

We can do it! We must do it!! Let’s act now!!!

[1] https://www.un.org/en/events/africandescentdecade/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Decade_for_People_of_African_Descent

[2] https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/anti-racism-engagement/anti-racism-strategy.html

[3] https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-657-x/89-657-x2019002-eng.htm