Black Canada Talking™ is a live online event that provides Black Canadians an opportunity to give their takes and POVs on stories that are of importance to them.
On the September 20, 2021 edition of Black Canada Talking™, the guests were: El Jones, Nicole Waldron, Cesar Ndema-Moussa and Louis March of the Zero Gun Violence Movement.
This episode was an historic event since it was one of the first live online broadcasts where Black Canadians gave their takes and POVs about the results during the night of a Canadian federal election.
Watch the video of the full conversation:
Listen to the audio-only version:
Transcript provided by YouTube (unedited)
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[Music]
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so
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[Music]
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[Music]
00:44
[Music]
01:30
what is up everybody it’s dr vibe here
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host and producer of the award-winning
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doctor vibe show the home of epic
01:36
conversations and i’m the host of epic
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conversations 2020 best podcast news
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award winner 2018 innovation award
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winner given out by the canadian ethnic
01:45
media association
01:46
and i also host the only online show in
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the world for dads and fathers that is
01:51
sponsored by dove men care it’s also
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co-sponsored by dad central canada’s
01:55
national fatherhood organization and in
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collaboration with both those
01:59
organizations i’ve been able to reach
02:00
out directly or indirectly to over 75
02:03
000 fathers around the world this year
02:06
and i’m humbled by that opportunity
02:08
also i am the board chair for the global
02:10
food and drink initiative a multimedia
02:12
not-for-profit that showcases blocks in
02:14
the diaspora they’re doing their thing
02:16
in food
02:18
drink and travel and as always i’d like
02:20
to say you’re blessed highly favored a
02:22
magnet for miracles and a solution for
02:24
someone’s problem and blackalicious
02:26
and tonight september 20th it is another
02:29
canadian election and we have some of
02:31
the smartest people that i know
02:34
we’re going to be keeping up with what’s
02:36
going on the election now we do know
02:38
that the large majority of the polls
02:40
either just of course
02:43
in the uh in ontario and in quebec
02:45
region and in the east they have closed
02:46
so we’re keeping a track of what’s going
02:48
on we’ll be on at least for an hour
02:50
maybe hour and a half to see where the
02:53
flow goes or we may stay on until we
02:55
hear some sort of prediction of majority
02:57
minority etc so let me get the smart
02:59
people the smarter people who have been
03:01
smarter than me on the line first up
03:03
always like to do women first first up
03:05
we have dr l jones from the lovely place
03:09
of nova scotia so she can give us a take
03:11
on what’s going on in scotia what’s
03:13
going on elle
03:14
how are you doing
03:16
um i’m extremely tired as you can
03:19
probably see but you know now we’re
03:21
waiting to see these results which you
03:23
may not know until wednesday apparently
03:24
so we’ll see what happens yeah yeah we
03:26
may not know anything to wednesday
03:28
because again uh write-in vote i mean
03:30
mailed in votes etc etc so we’ll we’ll
03:34
see what we can get out of tonight let’s
03:36
put it that way we may have to we may
03:37
need to do a part two later on in the
03:39
week
03:40
you know just maybe the aftermath so
03:43
let’s go next to nicole waldron a long
03:46
time friend
03:47
who is uh here with her smiles as always
03:51
nicole
03:52
uh how you doing
03:54
i’m i’m good i’m good i’m i’m um
03:57
i’m chilling i’m i’m trying not to be
04:00
too tired i’m exhausted but i’m trying
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everybody’s exhausted everything says i
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know i can sleep tonight because i know
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we’re not going to have uh we’re not
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going to have the full results tonight
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so we can go to sleep it’s almost like
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we’re mimicking the us tonight
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where are we going to go to sleep
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does does canada want to mimic the us
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well in that sense of the mailing
04:20
ballots you know something’s happening
04:22
something’s happening all right well
04:24
thanks for taking the time i i was able
04:26
to get you on a last minute notice so i
04:28
appreciate that next up cesar nadima
04:31
musa who dropped the knowledge that
04:33
dropped the bomb yesterday with his
04:34
comment about the current prime minister
04:37
being a drama queen her drama king
04:40
because he was a drama teacher in in as
04:44
a teacher so says how are you doing
04:47
i’m good thank you i’m good then uh
04:49
hello sisters hello brothers no uh
04:52
basically you know to me uh this is a
04:54
fascinating night and uh
04:56
i mean i will talk about it maybe later
04:59
but we will get to see whether
05:01
justin trudeau’s gamble of elections
05:03
during a pandemic will uh
05:05
make him out to become a political
05:07
genius aka even if he’s just re-elected
05:11
but even if it’s just re-elected with a
05:13
minority the ppc is digging a hole in
05:17
the conservative party that might be a
05:19
bonus for the liberal for the next two
05:22
or three elections or will he be
05:24
remembered in history books as
05:27
like i said yesterday a failed drama
05:29
teacher will try the bit too hard his
05:31
last act because if he fails
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bye bye so
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but at the end of the day we’re all here
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for one thing well black lives
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even matter had they have black lives
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even matter during these elections
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we all know how they feel that
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addressing systemic criticism
05:48
all right and uh
05:51
back again
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louis marsh from the zero gun violence
05:54
movement from toronto louis how you
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doing
05:58
feeling good you know excited
06:00
uh
06:01
anxious to see
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how the canadian public
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response to the gambler’s play
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and uh
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there’s a
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circus of clowns but at the same time
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sometimes you wonder who are the real
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clowns right you know
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uh
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yeah i’m curious because there’s some
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money on the table for the black
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community
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for uh
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capacity building
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and i’m anxious to see how this unfolds
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because i want to make sure that money
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still flows
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okay well good
06:33
let’s uh let’s ask each of you uh how
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did you spend your day today
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oh my gosh i mean i can’t even begin
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everyone
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who wants to start like you know what i
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you know i had a i had a good busy day
06:53
you know uh you can tell most people are
06:55
back from vacation and so lots of
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meetings i i think you’re my last
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meeting my last meeting before you ended
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at like 6 30.
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so
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and when you called and said i mean who
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can say no to dr vibe and he calls and
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say you know
07:09
come in the house we need to have a
07:11
conversation
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and you know
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for me i’ve had meetings today on on
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housing co-op housing and mental health
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so
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well
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here i am now now we’re going to see
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where how people are voting
07:24
okay
07:26
did anyone go ahead cesar you’re going
07:28
to speak my apologies no no i was just
07:30
going to say
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well i went to the gym i worked i looked
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after my family i ate and
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here i am i wasn’t going to miss this i
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mean look
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even though we only four percent or less
07:44
than four percent of the general
07:45
population of canada
07:47
uh our vote matters but the question
07:50
very often is to what extent are people
07:54
willing to stand up to bring change
07:57
whether you’re four percent 40 percent
07:58
of 0.4 percent
08:00
you can make change and it doesn’t take
08:03
an election
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uh you know to change that it just takes
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our communities and our individual
08:09
people to come together and to be strong
08:12
that’s all it is
08:16
my day was about
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the mother’s peace walk that we have
08:21
planned for this week in toronto
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between me and you i’m calling it the
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100 000.
08:28
we need to get a hundred mothers out
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that have been impacted by gun violence
08:33
with another weekend here where we have
08:35
a three fatalities a youth worker
08:37
like it’s just
08:39
blatant uh graziness right now
08:42
who can outbury each other and who’s
08:44
paying the price but at the same time
08:47
while this is going on
08:50
there’s mothers there’s fathers there’s
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communities there’s families
08:55
that are crying 24 7 from their loss and
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pain
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but the mothers are seldom their voices
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seldom heard
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so for us this uh
09:05
peace walk that we’re gonna do on
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saturday
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uh we’re just gonna make sure that we
09:11
all the right pieces are in place
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and that’s what i’ve been working on
09:15
today and we’ll be working until the end
09:17
of the week to make sure
09:20
it works out the way it’s designed
09:23
so and and just a little bit of a promo
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louie’s gonna be on my morning vibe show
09:29
on
09:30
friday morning this friday morning
09:31
talking about the peace walk so if you
09:34
wherever or if you’re watching the dr
09:36
vibe show on youtube or facebook on
09:38
friday morning 9 a.m eastern time you’ll
09:40
be talking about that so subscribe
09:42
subscribe subscribe to the youtube
09:44
channel or the facebook channel hearing
09:46
from all of you other than l it doesn’t
09:48
seem like the
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election was even
09:51
did it even cross your mind today
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i tried not to let it cross my mind
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today i voted in the advanced election
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because i know today would be really
10:02
hard
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um but you know it has no choice but to
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cross your mind because it’s such an
10:07
important election that can just shift
10:09
the trajectory of the country so you
10:11
know it has to cross your mind but
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at the same time you just have to we
10:16
just have to wait it out because we have
10:18
no control over what’s going to happen
10:20
today it’s it’s too close to call
10:22
and you know it’s it’s a matter of
10:24
patience and um
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and and
10:28
what can i say al i see you shaking your
10:30
head like yeah no i’m just like yeah i
10:33
mean i wouldn’t say other than me i
10:35
think other than voting today and then i
10:37
just came from another show
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um there’s so many
10:41
you know like politics is also the lived
10:43
experience so i mean i’m like i can’t
10:44
even talk i mean just so many different
10:47
crises have been hitting me in the last
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month particularly the last week and you
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know unless i’m just exhausted right now
10:52
because you’re still dealing with those
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things they don’t stop like people’s
10:56
daily live lives
10:57
as louis is saying people are still
10:59
you know getting shot and having to deal
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with that
11:02
um and sometimes that’s also the break
11:05
between how we live out and experience
11:08
politics on the ground and then the
11:09
performance of politics by those in it
11:12
i remember when i was invited on cbc
11:14
last election and then you know never
11:16
made the air but they were like oh we
11:18
envisioned it like a cocktail party like
11:20
all the cool
11:21
people that you would wanna have a drink
11:24
that’s what they see like the white
11:26
elites ultimately see this is a nice
11:28
cocktail party i’m like this is life and
11:30
death for people this is people in
11:32
prison are organ they all are nice to
11:33
vote liberal they’re like not
11:34
necessarily because we love the liberals
11:36
because we can’t have the conservatives
11:38
like because they’re like our visiting
11:39
will go like our phone calls can go our
11:41
parole will go so you know we have to
11:44
vote like you know those are people
11:45
organizing to vote for their lives right
11:48
so um but those issues don’t stop before
11:51
an election after election they can
11:53
intensify so yeah i mean i wouldn’t say
11:55
i was particularly focused on the
11:56
election today i was more focused on
11:58
trying to get people housed this massive
12:01
you know trying to get people out of
12:02
this park and into housing like
12:05
you know trying to deal with people
12:06
jumping off the roof in prison
12:08
wow
12:10
like trying to get people connected to
12:12
their education in prison and like
12:13
that’s just you know what we do all day
12:16
every day right so
12:17
yeah there’s a reality on the streets
12:20
there’s a reality in our families in our
12:22
communities with no pause button
12:25
for an election
12:27
uh we still have to do the 24 7.
12:31
we still have to deal
12:32
with the day-to-day realities the
12:34
challenges
12:35
and the
12:36
disappointments uh
12:38
and we still have to survive
12:40
so the elections on my mind yes the kind
12:43
of outcome
12:44
will give us some indication
12:47
of how to tackle some of these issues
12:49
from a political perspective
12:52
but there’s no pause button
12:54
for oppression
12:56
there’s no pause button for anti-black
12:59
racism because of an election
13:03
even though it does influence how things
13:05
potentially could unfold
13:07
so that’s been my biggest concern about
13:09
the election itself
13:11
and uh
13:13
trying to get our communities and our
13:15
people to realize that they have more
13:16
power than they think that they do
13:21
we’re all saying the same thing dr vad
13:23
because
13:24
interestingly
13:26
hearing my sisters and my brother talk
13:28
at lunch time when i sent
13:31
about every two weeks i send a
13:34
list of uh
13:36
links and resources in the child welfare
13:39
sector across the province
13:41
and that was pretty much the that was
13:43
the message that i sent them in my
13:44
second uh my second line of the email
13:47
which is i didn’t send these links and
13:49
email these links and resources on
13:52
friday to maybe influence anyone’s vote
13:55
but i’m sending them two days so that
13:57
you know it hates them further
13:59
whether they have voted or they won’t
14:02
vote
14:03
because they have to understand that the
14:05
issues
14:06
that are addressing the emails systemic
14:08
racism lgbtq rights the place of
14:11
indigenous people but also addressing
14:15
the hypocrisy of quebec regarding you
14:17
know the english debate and attacks on
14:20
quebec but the same quebec that denies
14:23
addressing systemic racism towards
14:25
blacks and indigenous etc etc all of
14:28
these issues
14:29
beyond these federal elections
14:32
absolutely important
14:33
um and i really think uh society is
14:36
shifting especially when we look at the
14:38
rise of uh uh basically
14:42
what we could call mcga make canada
14:45
great again aka the ppc oh you know a
14:49
borderline white supremacist openly
14:51
white supremacist party in canada so
14:54
definitely society’s shifting
14:56
but for the vast majority of people
15:00
um
15:01
and i always say you should never be
15:03
disinterested by politics because
15:05
politics will never lose interest in you
15:07
but the vast majority
15:09
of people especially are black people so
15:12
impacted in terms of covets
15:14
socioeconomics
15:16
safety from violence on the street but
15:19
also violence such as police brutality
15:22
and violence from institutions i can go
15:25
on and on
15:26
these elections people are trying to
15:28
survive
15:29
you know to make it to midnight and to
15:31
be alive at noon and to be again alive
15:34
at midnight and the day after and so
15:37
forth so
15:38
yeah absolutely we are saying the same
15:40
thing it’s beyond this election
15:42
for as much as this election will matter
15:44
before people
15:46
it’s just another day of survival
15:49
i i want to ask
15:52
do you the sense do you feel that black
15:55
canadians
15:56
from your conversations you’re having
15:58
with people in your environment
16:01
did black canadians go out and vote or
16:03
did you encounter a number of black
16:04
candidates and says you know i have no
16:06
reason to vote
16:07
and if those
16:09
who said to you i have no reason to vote
16:11
do you blame them
16:15
you asking me that me first anybody
16:17
anybody on the panel
16:20
i can’t have the ladies go first i just
16:22
thought
16:24
um i can’t say that i actually have many
16:26
conversations about the election with
16:28
black people
16:30
i think you have them after the fact i
16:32
mean certainly here there was a quite
16:34
bit of um reaction to the provincial
16:36
election there was a couple of black
16:37
family meetings about that
16:39
but
16:40
um
16:41
i haven’t really been walking around
16:42
just to be honest like talking to people
16:44
about the election because in some ways
16:46
i suppose when you’re engaged in
16:47
activism in deep ways like you almost
16:49
live in that bubble halftime i don’t
16:51
know what the news people like did you
16:52
see that news like what news you know
16:54
the only news i know is the news of you
16:56
know what’s happening over here in the
16:57
prison or the news of what’s happening
16:58
in the park or whatever so um but that’s
17:01
it right the people living in the most
17:03
precarious situations whom these things
17:06
affect the most are also the least
17:07
likely to vote the least likely to talk
17:09
about voting um
17:11
may not even know that they can vote
17:13
even though you can vote if you’re on
17:14
house and things like that so um i don’t
17:16
think i’ve actually really had a single
17:18
conversation here about the election
17:20
i’ve had just so many conversations
17:21
about other things um and that perhaps
17:24
also
17:24
speaks to what uh cesar is saying right
17:27
that you know this election at a time
17:28
where there’s increased crisis is more
17:30
and more people in shelters there’s more
17:31
and more people experiencing domestic
17:33
abuse more people losing their homes
17:35
more people losing their jobs um so
17:37
people aren’t necessarily
17:38
equipped or thinking about you know how
17:41
to go out and vote and how to and of
17:42
course the elections canada site crashed
17:44
today so you couldn’t even find your
17:46
polling station
17:47
you know like
17:48
so then people don’t have time for that
17:50
right so um i think
17:52
even though of course these things
17:54
ultimately govern our lives and are
17:55
important they’re not necessarily
17:57
important in the immediate and
17:58
day-to-day so you’re not necessarily
17:59
walking around like talking about the
18:00
vote you’re trying to talk about like
18:02
how do we deal with this crisis what’s
18:04
going on you know how do we fight these
18:06
things in our communities so um i
18:08
actually know i i don’t think other than
18:10
talking with my students right because i
18:12
teach politics so i’ve talked to my
18:14
students about it but i haven’t really
18:15
talked about it in community
18:17
okay
18:18
good stuff good stuff good stuff i think
18:23
anyone else want to
18:25
chime in you know did you get a sense at
18:27
all that black canadians are either
18:28
gonna go to the polls or not show up the
18:30
polls louie i know
18:31
in one of our previous conversations you
18:33
were trying to you know i know much you
18:35
care and want our block you to be
18:38
involved
18:39
as the as the day of voting came up did
18:42
you sense any
18:44
pro or con of them going out to even to
18:46
vote because it didn’t sound like a lot
18:47
of them wanted to be engaged
18:50
well i think the political
18:52
climate is such that a lot of people
18:54
think that it’s not going to make a
18:55
difference
18:56
but uh in terms of uh
19:00
speaking to the young people
19:02
my efforts was geared on you know you
19:04
walked with us you protested
19:06
demonstrated last summer
19:07
how do we get you out to
19:10
the voting
19:12
stations to vote
19:14
and it was a
19:16
a difficult hill to climb
19:18
but even today i’ve heard of some young
19:21
people actually going out and voting
19:24
and uh
19:26
young ones
19:27
the adults are the ones that i’m having
19:29
difficulty with
19:31
you know still
19:33
with the belief that it’s uh politics
19:36
it’s not gonna make a difference
19:38
and that they’re not really concerned
19:40
about us anyway
19:43
so it’s a constant battle letting them
19:45
know that
19:47
when you wake up in the morning until
19:49
you go to bed everything that you do is
19:51
political
19:53
and these people that are making
19:54
decisions on your behalf
19:57
that affect your life
19:59
and your children’s lives and your
20:00
family’s life and your community life
20:02
we can’t give them a blank check
20:04
we have to make our mark
20:07
and some people have responded
20:09
and some people have not
20:11
and i i just like to
20:14
comment on the fact that uh
20:18
some of our people just don’t have the
20:19
time to go and stand up in the land for
20:21
two hours to go and vote that’s their
20:22
reality
20:25
uh
20:26
that’s their reality they don’t have
20:27
time in their schedule
20:29
to go standing up in line
20:32
uh and waiting
20:35
to go and vote so they find other things
20:37
that are more important to do
20:39
so there’s many battles in this war
20:42
and some people have responded you know
20:44
i’m gonna take it on and some people
20:46
said i’d rather go into another
20:47
battlefield and deal with other stuff
20:50
but
20:51
i know that there’s been more
20:52
discussions in our community about the
20:54
elections
20:55
especially with
20:57
the monies that have been put on the
20:58
table
21:00
to uh for community
21:03
development and capacity building
21:05
and how do we ensure those monies
21:08
uh are still around
21:11
after the elections
21:13
so
21:14
a lot of people are concerned about that
21:16
and that might have been the driver
21:19
to get them out to vote
21:21
but there’s a reality for a lot of our
21:23
people in our community
21:25
that have more important
21:28
they say more important things to do
21:31
our focus is on the young people
21:33
not only to vote but to get involved in
21:36
the process
21:37
one person said
21:40
just a while ago to me that she did go
21:42
out and vote but she didn’t complete her
21:45
research
21:48
so they’re realizing that there’s a
21:49
relationship here
21:51
you have to understand what’s going on
21:52
and
21:54
make your mark where you want so things
21:56
are changing there’s an awareness
21:59
but there’s a reality that we have to
22:01
deal with
22:02
and as i said at my only comments
22:05
we have more power than we think
22:08
and it’s about time to start activating
22:10
it where the community
22:11
okay i’m gonna parking lot go ahead go
22:14
ahead nicole i i just want to add um to
22:17
the question that you were asking
22:19
and i think it depends on what circle
22:21
that you are you are in in the community
22:24
um and i happen to sit in different
22:26
parts of it and for my circle
22:29
the conversation is on voting and
22:30
getting out there and vote and a lot of
22:32
people in my circle went out early and
22:34
did the advance voting
22:35
um but i also recognized that a lot of
22:38
them took advantage of the mail in
22:40
ballots
22:42
the fact with kovid the fact of thinking
22:44
of lining up and the and the also the
22:46
challenge of the reduced polls polling
22:48
stations in many areas which in in a
22:51
sense has created more of a voter
22:53
suppression in in some ways
22:55
uh that’s one of the things that has
22:57
happened with covid like i look at my
22:59
riding we have a 58 decrease in polls
23:02
that people can go to voting and and
23:04
with the site crashing today
23:06
that has exacerbated the problem
23:10
and
23:11
and yet
23:12
you know the conversation around those
23:14
of us like you know the co-op housing
23:16
movement we have been really pushing and
23:19
and equipping our people
23:21
with the tools to vote and giving them
23:24
information
23:25
um not telling them who to vote for but
23:28
speaking to the issue and educating
23:30
people on if you have an issue listen to
23:32
what the politicians are saying or not
23:34
seeing so
23:36
um yes some people aren’t thinking about
23:39
it but i think more so than ever because
23:42
of some of the investments made in some
23:44
places and lack of investments in other
23:46
places there has been a lot of
23:48
conversations in it and it depends on
23:50
the on the advocacy rooms that you’re
23:52
you’re sitting in because sometimes when
23:54
you’re on the street of course they they
23:56
have no no um
23:58
no thought about voting but even
24:00
visiting one of the you know one of the
24:02
hospitals on on the mental health um
24:05
ward they were making sure that even
24:08
they knew how to vote so it really
24:10
depends on the on on who’s having the
24:13
conversation and the fact that they
24:15
recognize that it is important that we
24:17
have a voice and that we uh are not
24:20
suppressed in our voting and i know
24:22
people like
24:23
you know the jamaican canadian
24:24
association people like daniel dowdy and
24:27
and we have a lot of people in our in
24:29
our community that are out especially on
24:30
the ontario side
24:32
making sure
24:34
that um
24:35
or encouraging our people to go out in
24:38
our community to go out and vote and let
24:40
their voice be heard because if you
24:42
don’t vote you don’t really have a voice
24:45
okay so just reading some of the
24:47
comments here in in real time orion is
24:49
saying lineup is crazy
24:51
in vaughan lol uh hello joan pierre as
24:55
always christopher lawrence has an
24:57
interesting question what can we do to
24:59
curb the thinking of us to have us vote
25:02
more
25:03
what can be done is there anything that
25:05
can be done to get a higher turnout of
25:09
black canadians for the election because
25:10
i would love and i mentioned this in a
25:12
previous conversation
25:14
i would love to know if stats canada
25:16
could tell us
25:18
of the eligible black canadian voters
25:20
out there what percentage voted in this
25:22
election i find that very interesting
25:24
but getting back to christopher’s
25:25
question for the panel what can be done
25:27
to to curb the thinking so we more black
25:31
people will vote
25:33
i think it’s important if i can just
25:35
take a crack at it
25:36
look
25:39
the issues that are being discussed
25:42
are not the issues that are affecting my
25:44
people
25:46
they skirt them
25:48
did anybody talk about anti-black
25:50
criticism no did anybody talk about
25:52
systemic racism did anybody talk about
25:54
economic employment opportunities
25:57
affecting the people that are most
25:59
impacted by it no
26:02
right did anybody talk about immigration
26:04
who’s immigrated into canada
26:07
can i bring my family across or do i
26:10
have to have a million dollars in my
26:11
bank before i do it
26:14
like the issues that you’re speaking
26:15
about
26:17
are not specific to our community
26:20
but here’s one of the reasons why but
26:22
here’s the thing louis the the problem
26:24
is if our community does not start and
26:26
if you can bring us all on screen for a
26:28
second luke if if our community doesn’t
26:30
start
26:31
um speaking up
26:33
your matters won’t count and the fact is
26:36
if you sit there docile and saying
26:38
they’re not speaking about it the reason
26:40
they’re not speaking about it is because
26:41
we don’t make them speak about it when
26:43
we put issues at the forefront and the
26:46
lobby groups know how to do it we have
26:48
to come together as a community and let
26:50
them know until you make your voice
26:52
heard whether it’s verbally with your
26:54
money put your money where your mouth is
26:57
start speaking up start coming together
26:59
just like black lives matter in the u.s
27:01
they heard them didn’t they so canadians
27:04
have this this way that we like to be
27:06
complacent
27:07
the black community has to stop being
27:09
complacent with our issues and only
27:11
speak up when they so choose they need
27:14
to speak up more consistently and from
27:16
the minute this election was called we
27:18
should have been out there in our
27:20
organizations and saying these are the
27:22
issues that matter and make them talk
27:23
about it but did the or did we do that
27:26
so in in in essence if if the the big
27:29
organizations that speak or say they
27:32
speak for the black community don’t come
27:34
out do you think the people on the
27:36
ground are going to think they have any
27:38
any any type of influence but nicole the
27:40
problem here is i hear what you’re
27:42
saying and that leads to the solution to
27:44
this
27:45
we have to get more involved up front
27:47
but the thing is the organizations
27:52
that we would
27:53
hope would speak about these issues
27:56
they’re funded by the government yeah
28:00
so how can they speak up so then right
28:03
that’s where we have why
28:04
not saying that
28:06
but we’re supposed to be more
28:09
direct
28:10
this is the party that is going to do us
28:12
the best
28:13
serve us the best represent us the best
28:17
how many organizations do you know out
28:19
there that is not funded by the the
28:20
government to some extent that can speak
28:22
freely
28:24
dr vaughn does not remember what we were
28:25
saying yesterday
28:28
and and louis
28:30
louie is on fire tonight folks so he is
28:32
coming
28:33
and i agree with you because we know a
28:35
lot of physicians
28:37
and not only organizations but i think
28:39
it’s something like in nova scotia i
28:41
can’t remember the numbers i heard
28:42
something like 80 of black people have
28:44
some kind of civil service or government
28:45
job so even if you’re not working in a
28:48
black organization um i remember sherry
28:50
borden-collier journalists here after
28:52
the election of the provincial election
28:55
and this whole brouhaha with having a
28:57
white minister of african nova scotian
28:59
affairs is like oh people can’t speak
29:01
out about this because you know people
29:02
work for the government how many people
29:03
can even say anything and i’m like well
29:04
wow if we can’t even say something about
29:06
that no wonder we have a hard time
29:08
organizing for political progress
29:10
because
29:10
also of course and black people are i’m
29:12
not saying black people are wrong in
29:13
this like we’re always precarious we’re
29:16
always in danger of losing our jobs we
29:17
know that even when we’re the sweetest
29:19
and nicest we’re called is angry so it
29:20
is difficult for us to be in a position
29:23
where we can take positions but the
29:25
result of this is yeah like often black
29:27
people i mean i learned this i suppose
29:30
earlier when i was like why do people
29:32
think i’m like so off you know and i’m
29:34
like because people just don’t say
29:35
things so i didn’t seem to me like i was
29:37
saying anything particularly novel or
29:40
radical but the fact that i was willing
29:41
to say those things and i’m willing to
29:43
say those things still marks me out in a
29:45
particular way and it’s not that these
29:47
aren’t things that people don’t think or
29:48
other people don’t know or you know it’s
29:50
just they do not say them so as as louie
29:54
is saying right that um even speaking
29:57
out as a black person then of course i
29:58
am worried about our democratic energies
30:00
being almost entirely invested into
30:02
voting which is what a white set the
30:04
colonial society wants you to do is see
30:06
your obligations democracy is beginning
30:08
and ending with casting a vote and then
30:09
of course you don’t get to vote if we go
30:11
to war you don’t get to vote what
30:12
actually happens with anything we have
30:14
no model of direct democracy if you look
30:16
at cuba like 92 percent of people
30:18
participate in their elections because
30:20
they have you know so as much as like oh
30:22
caleb communism you know but like people
30:24
participate and they have models of from
30:26
the local all the way up right from
30:28
every single piece people vote on all of
30:31
those little things so we don’t vote you
30:33
know we don’t have a school board
30:34
anymore but like when we had one we
30:35
don’t
30:36
vote for it we don’t vote municipally
30:38
like those numbers are so tiny and then
30:40
we’re just told that our only obligation
30:42
is in the federal election so um well
30:44
like
30:45
it should be the the last thing we do
30:49
not the only thing we do like it should
30:51
mark the culmination of all kinds of
30:54
political activity but we’re always
30:56
taught in this society that it’s the
30:58
only obligation we have and then
31:00
everyone freaks out if people don’t vote
31:02
but nobody gets mad if people haven’t
31:04
attended a protest nobody gets mad if
31:06
you haven’t gone to your local school
31:08
board meeting nobody gets mad like these
31:09
are all things that are actually like
31:11
you should be going to your police board
31:12
you should be going and viewing your
31:13
city council um people don’t even
31:15
understand basic governance structures
31:17
because it’s not taught to us in school
31:19
um people don’t know what level of
31:21
government is responsible for what um
31:23
they have no idea actually what happens
31:26
and what you do um
31:27
like just very basic civic
31:30
uh let me interrupt you then whose
31:32
responsibility is that for the education
31:34
process
31:36
i mean
31:37
school i mean we know this that our
31:39
schools don’t really teach you they
31:40
teach you citizenship as in like show up
31:42
on time dress code and like become a
31:44
good you know worker for
31:46
you know we’re here to become good
31:47
workers cannon fodder and citizens in
31:50
particular ways in school but of course
31:52
the school isn’t there to actually teach
31:54
you how to self-empower like even if you
31:55
have a good teacher the whole
31:57
institution of school is not there for
31:58
that so um you know the i always say as
32:01
i’ve said this over and over again like
32:03
we need to be having this long-term
32:04
organizing but we need to be doing it in
32:07
ways that are like organizing tenants or
32:09
yeah the prisons are organized i mean
32:10
that’s a really interesting example
32:11
because i actually taped a guy from
32:13
prison to play in my class and you know
32:16
he was explaining how the prison organs
32:17
vote right that they have the ethnic
32:19
committees they have black and maiden
32:20
friends they have the lifers committee
32:22
they have different bodies they already
32:24
have set up and those committee leads go
32:26
around from range to range and work on
32:29
people and say that you’re voting we’re
32:30
voting liberal this is how we vote like
32:32
this is what you’re voting for and
32:34
prepare the way so that when elections
32:35
canada comes in and it’s well known and
32:38
organized across every level of prison
32:40
in canada prisoners vote liberal now i’m
32:42
not like supporting that i’m just saying
32:44
they do that is what they do everyone
32:47
you talk to if you’re like if you devote
32:48
they voted liberal like they have an
32:50
organ to do that an understanding of
32:52
what it means for them but that’s
32:54
because they have pre-organized
32:55
committees and they have these organs so
32:57
we could take a lesson as black people
32:59
like we don’t have black voting
33:00
committees that go door-to-door in our
33:02
communities um that pre-organized things
33:04
we don’t have those equivalents um where
33:06
we have these we do have black vote
33:08
candy like go on their page i was
33:10
looking for my class because i wanted to
33:11
do graphs on like racial voting in canon
33:13
i can’t find it so that shows you that
33:15
it’s like not even on the radar i could
33:16
find youth voting patterns and
33:18
generational voting patterns but i’m
33:20
sure it’s somewhere buried but i looked
33:21
for like an hour and i could not find a
33:23
graph of like racial voting patterns
33:26
just to put on a powerpoint for my
33:27
students so you know it’s still like
33:29
somewhat off the radar so i think again
33:32
voting reflects the culmination of a
33:34
series of organizing like organizing
33:36
principles and we’re not going to learn
33:38
that in school we’re not going to learn
33:40
that from somebody else so we have to
33:41
learn it ourselves um i would say why
33:44
don’t we go to police board we don’t go
33:46
to the police board they oversee the
33:47
police we’ll go and protest the police
33:49
and then you go to the police board
33:50
you’re the only person there we don’t
33:52
present at the police board we don’t
33:54
like this is one of the most important
33:56
accountability mechanisms for our police
33:58
the civilian oversight and we don’t go
34:01
like
34:02
so and i don’t actually blame us like
34:04
whoever tells you that part of your
34:06
democratic responsibility is to go and
34:08
watch your police board so what can
34:10
voting mean if we’re not actually
34:12
engaged in all the ways that democratic
34:14
engagement is supposed to mean for us so
34:17
like i think that’s what the problem is
34:19
we have a very detached idea that you
34:20
you’re a great you know and then people
34:22
that like do nothing politically go
34:24
online and like critique people that
34:26
didn’t vote you know and you’re like but
34:28
all you did was vote like what else have
34:30
you done you know so um i think it has
34:32
to be connected back to our broader
34:35
organizing for people this is what louis
34:36
was saying as well right that like you
34:38
have to show up at the protest and then
34:39
you have to show up here and then you
34:41
have to put your vote into action but it
34:43
has to be part
34:44
of you have to understand it as a series
34:46
of engagements a series of commitments a
34:48
series of organizing and not just on
34:50
this one night go check your ballot of
34:53
course people don’t find that relevant
34:54
and they find it disconnected because we
34:56
have disconnected it and the state
34:58
deliberately disconnects it in order to
35:00
prevent us from actually doing the kind
35:02
of democratic engagement where real
35:04
change takes place
35:05
al if this is you when you don’t have a
35:07
lot of energy my goodness uh uh gonna go
35:10
to says i just give me a second i’m
35:12
gonna catch up on comments i’m gonna
35:13
fall way behind so sarah has a number of
35:15
comments here she’s saying people have
35:18
to actually know what they’re voting for
35:20
in each election they must be educated
35:22
on what they do one what directly
35:24
impacts them
35:25
for which different levels of government
35:27
are responsible federal immigration
35:29
federal law enforcement border control
35:32
federal penitentiaries oas cpp ei and
35:35
other programs affecting our income cbc
35:38
canada arts etc federal international
35:41
development and trade programs that
35:43
affect our countries of origin in
35:45
african and the caribbean so i’ll just
35:47
leave it there because another question
35:49
from the audience has come out so let’s
35:50
go to cesar
35:54
thank you dr vibe i i wanted to take a
35:56
moment before replying and uh
36:00
i’m really glad
36:01
not only uh
36:03
at uh the responses from my co-panelists
36:06
sisters and brother
36:07
but as well the comments in the chat not
36:09
only from sarah and yango one of the
36:12
things that i’ve always said i’ve been
36:14
saying it for years i teach it i present
36:17
it in conferences in trainings
36:20
i talk about it all the time i say it
36:23
the three cancers of the black psyche
36:27
entertainment
36:28
consumerism and religion
36:30
it preoccupies the minds of our people
36:33
in a way that make them detached
36:36
to civic duties in a sense where
36:39
the powerlessness
36:41
and victimization becomes such a focus
36:44
that they think
36:45
they have the power to change their fate
36:48
not to be on a political level when it
36:51
comes to politics there’s a simple rule
36:53
that says you are free not to care about
36:55
politics but don’t get interested
36:57
politics will care about you
36:59
care aka will take
37:01
advantage of you will decide of your
37:03
fate if you don’t get involved
37:06
now it may sound contradictory because i
37:08
don’t deny it i am a political but a
37:10
political in meaning that
37:13
the development of black communities
37:15
from the individuals not only our
37:17
children in the school to our adults is
37:20
what will bring the change there’s a
37:22
comment that was inquiring from
37:24
christopher lawrence
37:25
do you think first we should focus on
37:27
getting sound economically and then
37:29
politically it goes together left hand
37:32
and right hand that’s how you get the
37:34
respect yesterday on the show i gave the
37:36
example of the sick community from the
37:40
sick driver that you see in this truck
37:42
on the highway to the representation of
37:45
sick politicians
37:47
in the uh ontario parliament just as in
37:51
the federal government with the minister
37:53
of defense
37:54
that’s how a community get involved at
37:56
the same time i remember i think it was
38:00
uh less yes last year march 2020 a
38:04
school that called up to me because they
38:06
had a particular problem what was that
38:08
problem
38:09
a high school where
38:11
too many the vast majority of black
38:13
parents did not show up for academic
38:16
duties
38:18
but they were always there when it was a
38:20
matter of culture slash entertainment
38:22
it’s problematic it’s problematic
38:25
because
38:27
our children see this our teenagers see
38:29
this a teenager and a young adult become
38:33
detached and when they become adults
38:34
they become so fearful fearful kind of
38:37
as
38:38
el was saying in terms of okay you’re
38:41
supposed to vote because it’s the
38:42
federal elections but you don’t have a
38:45
sense of civic understanding of
38:47
everything that is involved in terms of
38:49
voting did you attend your children uh
38:53
parents teachers meetings did you get
38:56
involved before even the protest did you
38:58
even get involved on the school board
39:00
council did you go listen did you go pay
39:03
attention do you even have this
39:05
conversation these conversations with
39:07
your family
39:09
are your children growing up in an
39:10
environment where they are becoming
39:12
aware of their rights and duties or they
39:14
are growing up in an environment where
39:16
they know the tv shows and they can name
39:19
so many black
39:21
celebrities in sports and in
39:23
entertainment
39:25
it’s highly problematic and when i say
39:28
it’s highly problematic
39:30
i’m going to put it and i’m going to end
39:32
here
39:32
i remember a conference that i gave in
39:34
high school
39:37
and i asked the question there was
39:41
majority it was pretty equal walter
39:44
black wanted arab wanted white
39:47
i asked a question none of the black
39:49
kids knew the mps and they did not even
39:52
know who was the richest black person in
39:54
the world
39:56
is two lebanese boys they knew
39:59
aliko dangote the richest black person
40:01
in the world is and then you were the
40:03
black mps
40:05
in ottawa
40:06
that is embarrassing
40:08
it’s even more embarrassing because they
40:09
laughed at the black kids
40:11
the problem is not the black kids per se
40:14
the problem is the environment from
40:17
which these black kids come from because
40:19
just before that question when i asked
40:21
to name
40:22
five rich and famous black people
40:25
they can give a hundred in a minute
40:28
but they couldn’t answer two simple
40:30
questions do you know you black mps and
40:32
do you know the richest black person in
40:34
the world
40:36
it’s at home
40:39
nicole go ahead please
40:43
you’re a musical
40:45
i am talking to my dargon self here and
40:47
i should know better
40:49
yeah you’re a big shot host you know
40:51
whatever
40:54
i agree 100 and then some you know i i i
40:59
let me go back a second
41:00
you know growing up in the caribbean
41:03
you know from trinidad tobago i grew up
41:05
and i’m seeing black leaders you know
41:07
what i’m saying elle
41:09
my my prime minister is is a person of
41:12
color
41:13
my and unfortunately for me my aunt was
41:15
one of the first female ministers so i’m
41:17
growing up seeing black leaders i see
41:19
black doctors judges so it is normal for
41:21
me and it’s normal for me to see
41:22
advocacy and what happens here there’s
41:25
this complacency and you know and louis
41:27
said it as well fear and you said it as
41:29
well fear comes in and but i re i listen
41:33
i live in a co-op i’ve lived in my co-op
41:35
26 years and i volunteered there and i
41:38
became the first black president of
41:40
co-op housing federation in canada look
41:42
put us all on i’d like to see the faces
41:43
don’t just show me luke
41:46
i like the engagement of my fellow um uh
41:49
participants that’s when i lean back to
41:51
rest i know but i want to see you l i
41:54
want to see everybody and you know
41:56
people say well why do you volunteer and
41:58
why do you spend your time
42:00
and you know people say you know that’s
42:01
all you do
42:02
but it’s that volunteer with that civic
42:05
engagement that has got me you know
42:08
knowing the issues and being a
42:09
participant and making a difference
42:11
because if i don’t do that if i didn’t
42:13
sit on the student council
42:15
neil mcneil high school would have been
42:17
amalgamated and thrown out the door and
42:20
i didn’t have a voice for my son if i
42:21
didn’t sit in my co-op
42:23
there wouldn’t be other black leaders
42:24
and i’m not you know tooting my horn
42:26
here but you know it was the old boys
42:28
club
42:29
right so they don’t think that they have
42:31
the opportunity if if our community
42:33
doesn’t start continue to be active in
42:36
civilization but not just the cycles we
42:38
need to bring others alongside us and
42:41
and those who criticize us and say why
42:43
are you volunteering and why are you
42:44
giving your time and it needs to be
42:45
about the money no our people are dying
42:48
for lack of your speaking
42:51
voices need to be heard you need to show
42:53
our young people that their voice
42:55
matters this is why you know when i say
42:58
victory speaks victory does speak and
43:00
when you when you are silent there is no
43:03
victory so until our community get
43:06
becomes more active you know louis is
43:08
doing his peace
43:10
everybody but we are just so many people
43:12
and eventually we get burnt out and we
43:14
get tired you know you hear the same
43:16
voices all the time you have people the
43:18
shoulders we’ve we stood on like you
43:20
know dr gene augustine and you know we
43:22
have i mean how many black senators do
43:24
we have now i worked in the senate and i
43:25
was like i was the only black ea in 50
43:28
whatever years come on people you know
43:30
how many black senators do we have now
43:33
because people don’t want to be involved
43:35
are they afraid of being criticized or
43:36
you’re afraid of losing your job
43:38
what what society do you want your
43:41
children and your great-grandchildren to
43:43
grow up in and unless you get civically
43:45
engaged when it’s time to vote people
43:48
don’t care because you know what you
43:49
haven’t been active and you’ve been too
43:50
afraid and if we let fear continue to
43:53
rule us like we’re back in the we are no
43:55
longer enslaved people so stop acting
43:58
like you’re enslaved you have a freedom
44:00
of freedom to speak a freedom to move
44:02
you see you riled me up my brother
44:08
well i have not heard from louie in her
44:09
bid so louie i need to hear from you i’m
44:12
going to leave in about 15 minutes yeah
44:14
an hour ahead and i have to teach a
44:16
million times tomorrow no
44:18
you know what if you want you could
44:20
actually l if you want you can leave now
44:22
we’ll file comments because we
44:24
would say very briefly um you know the
44:26
reports of atlantic are coming back more
44:28
and more
44:29
um
44:30
could be a bad sign conservatives have
44:32
gained here i mean it’s too early to
44:34
tell the advanced ballots obviously and
44:36
aren’t in
44:37
um
44:38
you know mail-in like all that stuff is
44:40
not in yet but um the conservatives have
44:43
gained seats some liberal incumbents are
44:46
out in 2015 of course atlantic canada
44:48
went pure red there was nothing else and
44:50
they lost three seats in 2019 it looks
44:52
like they’ve lost a couple of more seats
44:54
so that can be an early heartbringer of
44:57
conservative doom but of course we don’t
44:59
know anything until we get to toronto um
45:02
notably out is lenore zan uh liberal
45:05
candidate for churro who and juicy
45:07
introduced the environmental racism bill
45:09
um when she was in mla here she kind of
45:11
got shut down in legislative because she
45:13
tried to recite my black power poem and
45:15
she was rubbing her fist in the air
45:17
being like black power and they’re like
45:19
you need to sit down now um so she is
45:21
now out um of office which is probably
45:24
disappointing she’s not black of course
45:25
but she has been an ally to the black
45:27
community works very closely with dr
45:29
lynn jones of course are
45:31
earth-shaking elders so that’s that’s
45:34
one uh return already that’s it was
45:36
quite disappointing and also may show
45:38
something of course the greens are
45:39
totally wiped off the map they had
45:41
gained that seat in frederick to with
45:42
jennica atwood who ended up crossing the
45:44
floor to the liberal party ironically
45:46
over palestine so you know leaving
45:48
because of anime paul’s attitude towards
45:50
palestine but going to the liberals who
45:52
share the exact same attitude on
45:54
palestine so that
45:56
you know made not too much principled
45:58
sense and the greens have lost total
46:00
foothold as is the ndp only had one seat
46:02
so that’s what the um returns are
46:05
looking like here but of course as usual
46:07
you don’t know anything until you hit
46:08
ontario and because the lines along in
46:10
ontario who knows when you know you’ll
46:12
actually be getting a full picture in
46:13
the gta so that’s just my atlantic
46:15
update and as you can see me looking
46:16
down you know you’re trying to like stay
46:18
on the stay on there on your phones
46:20
that’s why i’m always like looking down
46:21
when you’re seeing i’m trying to stay
46:23
caught up but that’s my atlantic canada
46:24
update i don’t really have anything else
46:26
i am gonna go from you beautiful people
46:29
because i have been doing politics all
46:31
day and i need to be coherent tomorrow
46:33
so i don’t know
46:34
[Applause]
46:35
but bye y’all it’s always nice to be a
46:37
black people doctor vibe it is nice to
46:39
have a space where black people are
46:40
talking all kinds of politics i was just
46:43
on another thing very briefly saying
46:44
that you know they never call upon us to
46:46
talk about foreign policy or attitude
46:48
towards war we’re only in the media when
46:49
it’s blackface or something that’s a
46:51
black issue which is going to jail you
46:54
know
46:54
like those are the those are the issues
46:56
oh black would go to jail and then you
46:58
know we shoot each other and we like are
47:00
poor and then they never think to ask us
47:02
what do you think of our foreign policy
47:04
or what should we be on the security
47:06
council
47:06
whatever it is we are never seen as
47:08
having a voice so it’s so important like
47:10
this space as well is a political
47:12
building space that we are speaking as
47:14
black people about black issues but we
47:16
are also speaking more broadly and one
47:19
of the limitations on black politics in
47:20
canada i think is in particular and this
47:22
is what you’re saying about trinidad
47:24
where you see people black people argue
47:25
politics on the street all day every day
47:27
like
47:28
you don’t have to be educated or elite
47:31
or professional like people have an
47:32
opinion like they’re just totally
47:34
talking about it whereas we are confined
47:36
to an idea that we are only to talk
47:38
about politics in certain ways we are
47:40
only ever on the news in those ways we
47:42
are never there like i you know when i
47:44
do cbc i already have a called in its
47:45
race they’ll never just be like hey like
47:47
what do you think about
47:48
like the prison system in china like i
47:50
know about that like ask me that you
47:51
know you’ll never ask me that um so
47:54
because we have a limited voice then we
47:56
also have a limited engagement so it’s
47:58
really important to have this space i
48:00
wish i could stay longer but you know
48:03
fine
48:04
dr l jones get some rest for the morning
48:06
i’ve i have a feeling i’m gonna be
48:07
asking to come back on later on no
48:10
problem have a good night everybody bye
48:12
all right
48:13
that’s great so uh got a little bit of
48:15
update on in the east uh
48:17
so just some other comments here that
48:20
i’m going to go back up to sarah saying
48:22
civic civics education should happen at
48:24
home in church and community
48:26
associations everywhere
48:28
sarah um ryan is saying watching the ppc
48:31
party event and barely anyone is wearing
48:33
a mask
48:35
uh sarah says yes nicole volunteering in
48:37
the wider community is an excellent way
48:39
to soak oneself in the issues on the
48:41
ground
48:42
uh
48:44
nicole said there’s about one two one
48:46
point two million votes
48:48
in the mail-in
48:50
uh looks like the ppc has nibbled at
48:52
some of that conservative support
48:55
so sarah’s giving us real-time updates
48:58
and uh sarah if you want to come on i
49:00
did send you a link to come on so it’s
49:02
it is your choice if you want to so
49:05
getting back there’s a question here
49:07
actually from sarah saying
49:09
um
49:10
actually no let me stop louie
49:12
haven’t heard from you in a bit talk to
49:14
us yeah uh
49:17
another
49:18
missing piece here is
49:22
we have to be running for office
49:24
or people have to see us running for
49:26
office
49:28
uh yep we are reluctant to do it
49:31
i’m reluctant to do it
49:33
right but whenever i speak anybody
49:36
anywhere people say why don’t you run
49:37
for office
49:38
right you know why don’t you do that
49:40
because clearly you understand the
49:42
issues
49:43
and you speak well and whatever they
49:45
could say right you know but we have to
49:47
see
49:49
running for office as a priority
49:52
to represent our best
49:54
interest other communities are doing it
49:58
and we’re not
49:59
however what i did this year we need the
50:01
funds here’s the thing to run for office
50:04
we need to galvanize around each other
50:06
and and bring the financial backing
50:08
because running for office
50:10
isn’t cheap because we look at we look
50:13
at leslie lewis how much money she you
50:15
know like it was a lot and so running
50:18
for office i agree we need to run for
50:20
office but we need to come together and
50:22
bring some money and and and go to the
50:25
fundraisers and and bring the dollars in
50:27
because you can’t do it if you don’t
50:29
have the dollars
50:31
and uh it takes time to build that up
50:32
that capacity
50:34
but what i am seeing this
50:36
there’s a lot more people looking like
50:39
me and you running for office
50:41
and it’s part of the process
50:44
and then in terms of the economics and
50:46
so on and so on i think that’s
50:47
critically important but we have to see
50:49
ourselves but then when we get into
50:52
office we have to really act
50:54
we can’t be afraid to be black
50:58
okay so uh
51:02
this is where the disconnects are like
51:04
somebody knocked on my door and says
51:06
can i count on your vote
51:09
i’m representing i said you haven’t even
51:10
told me anything that you’re doing for
51:12
me
51:14
so why are you asking me like
51:17
the political process
51:19
is the integrity of it has been eroded
51:22
because it’s left in these hands of
51:24
these people these political morons
51:28
that think they can take the public for
51:29
granted
51:32
we’ve got a problem yeah but but they
51:34
they are and they have been well and
51:36
they have but so we have to stop that
51:39
how do we stop that then louis because
51:41
then danny stone who works with
51:43
zero gun violence movement and he’s
51:44
written several books
51:46
and uh he’s a life coach and he’s on
51:48
this program every now and
51:50
he talks about
51:52
you know you have the keys now start
51:54
driving
51:55
we’ve been passengers too much in this
51:57
process
51:59
we have to become drivers
52:01
and as one of my other associates said
52:03
to me louie not only drivers who have to
52:05
start owning the car
52:09
so we have to raise the bar
52:11
we have to raise the bar
52:14
because if we’re leaving
52:16
this in the hands of others
52:18
to do for us
52:21
that type of dependency model
52:23
just reinforces all the things that are
52:25
not in our best interests
52:27
so running for office
52:29
comment i think
52:35
so one of the great members of the black
52:37
canadian community joan pierre saying
52:38
they have called the liberal win waiting
52:40
to see if they will make a majority but
52:42
it will be a liberal government
52:45
this or that that’s early that’s really
52:48
early but we we will see now i just want
52:50
to catch up with some more things
52:52
here
52:54
let me just cut i think christopher’s
52:57
saying i think seeing is believing
52:58
running for office would give an open
53:00
driveway
53:02
for uh
53:03
of folks to know yes we can seriously
53:07
running for gut for office is a huge
53:09
investment the increase in the number of
53:11
block candidates this time around 60 as
53:13
opposed to 45 last time has a lot to do
53:15
with the parties actually helping these
53:17
candidates with fundraising and
53:18
recruitment of volunteers
53:23
i’ll be honest i have been asked a few
53:26
times in the past to run i want no part
53:28
of it
53:31
because
53:32
politics is a vicious game
53:35
and
53:35
i i i see too much
53:38
that you’re not allowed to speak your
53:40
mind
53:42
ah of course
53:44
especially if you dare to say uh
53:47
if you dare to
53:48
really be black to be unapologetically
53:50
black
53:51
to what extent can you really run for
53:53
parties
53:54
in the western world that and i mean
53:57
including democrats and republicans in
53:59
the staff or parties in the uk and in
54:02
france at the end of the day
54:06
as part of integration you become that
54:08
black candidate are the black elected
54:11
person serving the larger goal of the
54:13
party
54:14
you are not truthfully standing up for
54:16
your community solely you can’t it
54:19
doesn’t work like that this is we are
54:21
black people in the age of integration
54:23
this is not segregation where martin
54:26
luther king and malcolm x and you know
54:29
our heroes lumumba in congo could speak
54:33
truthfully and unapologetically
54:36
despite even the risks that came with it
54:39
but at the same time when we’re saying
54:40
that because i i agree with what the
54:42
brother louie is saying in terms of
54:44
having black people running for office
54:46
but at the same time do we have the
54:48
black community that truthfully and
54:50
honestly is mobilized
54:54
is involved and i’m not saying this as
54:57
taking another job at a community or
54:59
just criticizing the community but at
55:01
the end of the day
55:02
it is not for the government or you know
55:06
the help that can come from uh you know
55:09
white allies to mobilize the black
55:11
community we don’t these conversations
55:14
you know the jewish community the
55:16
chinese community the sikh community
55:18
they don’t have them they don’t have
55:20
them they mobilize
55:22
the there’s a sense of powerlessness
55:24
that is made worse in the black
55:26
community because of systemic racism
55:28
absolutely but we also have issues
55:32
within a community as uh
55:34
um dr vaughn you were saying yesterday
55:36
you talked about trauma
55:38
the distrust was the government just
55:40
look at the whole conversation regarding
55:43
kovid uh
55:44
sarah and yango and i have been there
55:46
online on facebook addressing a lot of
55:49
disinformation
55:50
a lot of lies
55:52
a lot of manipulated facts
55:55
shared by black people to other black
55:57
people to hide their own ignorance
56:01
meanwhile we have black people dying due
56:03
to complications by covid just as we
56:06
have black people not being involved
56:09
not being educated in the very s system
56:13
society that they live in for them to
56:15
make a change because of the fear of too
56:19
many people
56:21
where they want to live in the western
56:23
world in a western nation such as canada
56:27
but they’re scared to actually stand up
56:29
and
56:30
and dare to be black
56:34
i just want to jump in here so
56:36
ctv news and cbc news are saying it’s
56:39
liberals are going to end up with it
56:40
they’re projecting liberals are going to
56:42
get the most number of seats
56:44
now the question is the size of victory
56:46
is going to be to be determined they
56:48
know if it’s going to be a majority
56:50
minority so that’s pretty interesting
56:52
already they’re calling it that way
56:55
because
56:56
it does look like
56:59
we’ll see what happens but i do want to
57:01
ask
57:02
um
57:03
yeah this is i’m just going to check out
57:05
something here on this
57:07
so i i want to ask then
57:12
with this election
57:16
do we
57:18
what
57:19
i was going to say this to the end i’ll
57:20
save it to the end so let me come back a
57:21
little bit
57:22
i i want to ask then
57:25
what
57:28
i’m sort of i’m sort of stuck in thought
57:30
here i’m stuck in thought i’m stuck in
57:32
thought
57:35
yeah let me let me go let me go this
57:37
route
57:41
does this give us any hope going forward
57:44
or do we have to
57:45
ride on ourselves actually what i was
57:47
going to say is something from yesterday
57:49
i focus on the black environment because
57:51
i don’t know if there’s a black
57:52
community that’s just me
57:55
three things
57:57
black
57:58
have to challenge with on many of us
58:00
one of these three things or many of
58:02
these trauma
58:04
repetition symbolism
58:06
what can be put in place
58:09
by black canadians
58:11
to end the symbolism
58:16
we hear announcements about things
58:19
and
58:20
a lot of times things don’t come through
58:21
we get all excited about the symbolism
58:24
and a lot of times we’re doing the same
58:26
thing over and over again
58:28
so it looks at this election it it may
58:30
not change much politically seats-wise
58:34
what do we have to do different
58:38
i think we said it all in in the
58:40
conversation about civic engagement it’s
58:42
about being engaged
58:44
it’s about
58:46
getting into not not just you know look
58:48
louie’s having a march for gun violence
58:51
right and the mothers so
58:54
they the call to action and we have to
58:56
come around it’s go ahead dr okay sorry
58:59
to interrupt so
59:00
for those who aren’t wanting to get
59:02
engaged what do we do with them
59:05
there’s different ways you can get
59:06
engaged because you don’t always have to
59:08
go on the front lines in march
59:11
right
59:12
you can you can have the conversations
59:14
at home
59:15
it starts at home and we’ve been saying
59:17
it it starts with educating your
59:19
children and saying and the young people
59:21
these days are speaking up more and some
59:24
of them unfortunately because they don’t
59:26
know their history or their parents are
59:28
not you know saying abcdefg they don’t
59:31
know that so much work was done and a
59:33
lot of them think that you know the
59:35
older generation hasn’t done much
59:37
because they do not know their history
59:39
because some people have had to stay
59:41
quiet not because they don’t want to be
59:44
involved either they’re tired they’re
59:45
working two jobs they’re working three
59:46
jobs and they just don’t have the energy
59:49
or capacity to get involved the young
59:52
people need people like yourself and
59:55
everybody on this line and people that
59:56
you bring on to start sharing the truth
59:58
we need to this this community needs to
60:01
heal while we’re leading but we need to
60:03
educate our young generation as the the
60:05
the things that have happened in the
60:07
past but now say let’s equip them
60:10
to to walk us all to victory in the
60:12
future and empower them to say your
60:14
voice matters
60:16
and it’s not just in football and it’s
60:18
not just in basketball these leaders in
60:20
the places of music and sports that they
60:24
look up to now have to pull them into
60:26
civic engagement and show them that it’s
60:29
important that they speak up
60:31
because when we look at the gangs and
60:34
stuff that we talk about where even gang
60:37
of you know the the older generation are
60:39
gang leaders right louis will say the
60:41
code is gone there was a there was a
60:43
code of ethics
60:44
among even the gangs that that’s gone so
60:47
something has been lost in the fabric of
60:50
who we are as human beings
60:52
and we have to bring back humanity the
60:54
care of humanity and knowing that each
60:57
one
60:58
reach one and bring one up and we matter
61:01
and we have to be this older generation
61:03
has to stop fighting
61:05
against each other
61:07
allow me to go further
61:13
as a conference here in high schools
61:17
but also as the director in the
61:18
government
61:20
people see my earrings and they ask
61:22
questions it’s so weird it’s so odd the
61:26
surprise the very image that i project
61:29
surprised people but it leads to
61:31
conversations
61:33
in terms of the symbolism behind these
61:35
earrings the colors of pan-africanism on
61:39
them but also the physical presence of
61:42
coming in a high school students
61:44
thinking i’m another football player
61:47
i know
61:48
i’m mr cesar coming to speak to them
61:51
about racism coming to educate them
61:53
about the black history and even the
61:56
white students they become fascinated we
61:58
need to have a black people
62:01
and i’m saying our black people this is
62:03
a conversation among us too often black
62:07
people the conversation becomes what are
62:10
white people going to think if they hear
62:11
us oh what about my my my imam my pastor
62:16
or whatever that white ideology
62:19
no this is about about us
62:22
we have too many um
62:25
wannabe black panthers in the room
62:28
but as soon as a white person is nearby
62:30
or comes in they start to shift the
62:32
speech
62:33
and if you bring a camera or a media
62:36
channel they disappear
62:38
too many
62:39
we need to have people who dare to be
62:41
unapologetically black that doesn’t mean
62:44
being
62:45
angry or being rude or being anything as
62:48
such but if you truly dare to be
62:50
unapologetically black you will be angry
62:54
you will be angry uh not only at the
62:57
system absolutely
62:59
but you will also be angry because you
63:01
want your people to stand up you want
63:03
your people to not be content with
63:06
making 50 60 or 70 000 a year thinking
63:10
they’ve made it no
63:12
you haven’t made it
63:14
you you do not have made it because you
63:16
make even a hundred thousand or more
63:20
if your black community is seen as poor
63:23
you haven’t made it just because you
63:25
happen to have a fancy title
63:28
next to your name
63:29
if your community can be
63:32
brutalized by police and that white cop
63:35
will get away
63:37
without a doubt you haven’t made it
63:40
i mean if i give a little historical
63:42
analogy
63:45
back in the 1930s the jewish community
63:47
of germany thought they had made it i
63:49
mean they had the sigmund further the
63:50
einstein and they were so well placed in
63:54
the banking and education and many other
63:57
sectors
64:00
and one election put in power
64:02
a certain man by a man democratically
64:06
elected adolf hitler was made chancellor
64:10
and he started to change the laws and we
64:11
know what happened during world war ii
64:13
and the six million jews will got killed
64:16
so we cannot allow ourselves to be
64:18
fooled by a sense of integration
64:22
while saying you know black lives matter
64:24
raising our face and you know loving uh
64:27
martin luther king uh brother marco max
64:31
and the memories of so many of our
64:32
heroes
64:33
and yet when it comes to our daily lives
64:36
the vast majority of black people just
64:38
like franz fanon said and i keep saying
64:40
it the vast majority of black people
64:41
were a mask they were a mask to survive
64:45
in places of work
64:47
they were a mask out there in society
64:50
our children see this
64:52
they see this they copy what they see
64:55
they see the fear they
64:57
it takes into them so when we have
64:59
periods such as this society shift an
65:02
election we have such mobilization we
65:05
have someone like maxim bernier and the
65:08
ppc
65:10
all the support that he’s gaining from
65:11
western canada western canada that don’t
65:14
like quebec
65:16
western canada that’s
65:17
more often anti-francophone but maxim
65:20
bernier the ppc that you know make
65:22
canada great again
65:25
they embrace it because it’s capping on
65:27
something us black people we have to cap
65:29
on something without needing some obama
65:32
figure
65:33
without needing
65:34
some tragedy
65:36
to to happen we just need to dare to be
65:39
black
65:40
and to show it show it daily without
65:42
fear i do it i know you all do it i do
65:45
it daily
65:47
okay
65:48
good stuff good stuff good stuff
65:52
uh
65:54
so taking a look right now looking at
65:56
it’s i’m seeing liberals elected and
65:59
leading 144 conservatives 118
66:03
black quebecois
66:04
28 ndp 26 green 2 ppc 0.
66:09
so right now
66:12
if things stay the way they are
66:16
well it’s going to be basically saying
66:18
the liberals will have a minority
66:19
government they’ll need the ndp
66:23
to side with them
66:25
in order to form a minority government
66:28
i
66:29
i think
66:30
that okay let’s take it this way
66:34
what
66:35
should black can it what are you as
66:37
black canadians i know some people may
66:39
not be able to answer this
66:40
what are your thoughts of
66:44
prime minister trudeau
66:47
tonight louie go ahead
66:52
i think he’s a gambler
66:56
i’m not sure who he has around him so
66:58
advising him
67:00
but if he thought that this was
67:04
the opportunity
67:05
to strike with the expectation of
67:07
getting a majority
67:11
the card didn’t play out the way
67:14
he thought or he was advised would
67:18
he’s got to be careful
67:20
moving forward
67:23
he might have to bring in some other
67:24
advisers
67:26
that would give him a real understanding
67:28
of the landscape
67:29
he’s made some commitments to our
67:31
community
67:32
and we’re going to hold him accountable
67:36
because his
67:38
uh reign as leader
67:41
of the liberal party
67:43
this election shows that a lot more work
67:45
needs to be done
67:47
to
67:48
gain the confidence
67:50
of the canadian public
67:53
and the trust of the canadian public so
67:56
as a leader
67:58
when people ask me who they should vote
68:00
for
68:02
i carefully tell them
68:05
who would you invite into your house
68:08
around your dining table
68:10
with your children to have a discussion
68:13
about your concerns and issues
68:15
which one of them would you
68:18
and then vote for that party
68:21
right
68:23
think about it
68:24
that cuts through all the bs
68:27
we’re talking about confidence
68:29
somebody that will listen and someone
68:31
that you trust will act on your behalf
68:35
right uh
68:37
and that’s how i answered some of the
68:39
people
68:40
so trudeau himself has to realize that
68:44
he did not he was not able to gain the
68:47
majority that he was seeking
68:50
and that he might have to work harder
68:53
to restore the confidence of the
68:55
canadian public and in particular our
68:57
community
68:59
to ensure that he delivers and what he
69:00
said he would do
69:03
anyone else want to add i have got
69:05
another conversation piece
69:08
nicole do you want to go ahead or do you
69:09
want me to go ahead
69:12
well i’m going to sound very different
69:13
than my brother louie here
69:16
so now that there’s a projection of what
69:18
the minority
69:22
i like him oh yeah blackface he did that
69:25
absolutely and i will like i said uh
69:29
when i gave the
69:31
whatever the the the main speech under
69:33
whatever black lives matter protests
69:35
last year in ottawa
69:37
i don’t forgive them for black faith and
69:39
uh definitely i’m not interested in the
69:42
putting a knee down and all that stuff
69:44
no no we need concrete policies and
69:46
procedures but regarding this election
69:48
sure he failed at getting a majority
69:50
government but no he’s a genius that’s
69:52
good he’s going to be well put
69:54
well remembered in history books because
69:56
he has created so much anger
69:58
from so many people uh and the growth of
70:01
the movement like the ppc that they’re
70:03
gonna be a torn on the conservative
70:05
party now we have to see how many how
70:08
many seats the conservative could have
70:10
won
70:11
if we take all those ppc other people
70:13
voted for ppc how he could have changed
70:17
the map for the conservatives so i mean
70:20
for the next i see it as the next
70:23
or the next or even the next two or
70:26
three elections that ppc anger is going
70:29
to grow and keep being a torn on the
70:32
conservative party and as i see sarah uh
70:35
sister sarah niango wrote maxine bernier
70:38
lost for a second time straight that’s
70:40
beautiful that’s basically beautiful
70:42
this is in canada we succeeded what the
70:44
americans failed to do
70:46
basically uh you know not giving a
70:49
chance to whites well when i say white
70:52
supremacist openly white supremacists to
70:55
come in the house of democracy no i
70:58
don’t have a problem with trudeau i
70:59
think uh
71:00
you know i
71:02
he’s more likable
71:04
than many of the others that’s obviously
71:06
a personal opinion but i mean i’m
71:09
just in trudeau in 2010 uh actually was
71:13
part of the celebration of my ethnicity
71:16
uh sour people so that’s why this is a
71:19
sour identity a hat
71:21
uh in 2010 in montreal i
71:24
and you know we adorned we adorned him
71:27
with uh our traditional clothing and uh
71:30
gave him an education on our culture i
71:32
don’t have a problem with him uh he at
71:35
least recognize systemic criticism
71:37
pledge funds
71:39
i mean many people will say it at least
71:41
he shows or he seems to show that he
71:44
does care i have a more positive
71:47
bias towards him than i have towards an
71:49
airing or two what doesn’t work against
71:51
systemic criticism uh forget the white
71:54
supremacist maxim bernie and in terms of
71:57
jaguar seeing lots of sympathy but he
71:59
will not he will not be in power and
72:02
regarding anime paul like i asked
72:04
yesterday what was the jewish support
72:06
for
72:07
sister anime paul who basically always
72:10
puts first and foremost her identity as
72:12
being jewish
72:13
before being black so no i don’t have a
72:15
problem and of course don’t even talk
72:18
about the black quebecois we know what
72:20
they are as a black person
72:22
total dislike but no in terms of justin
72:25
trudeau no good for him his gamble paid
72:27
off
72:28
unfortunately uh how much did his
72:30
election cost i heard 600 million 600
72:34
million dollars 600 million dollars in
72:36
the case of a pandemic and an economic
72:39
recession
72:40
that’s that’s quite a gamble and uh
72:43
[Music]
72:44
it’s sad it’s sad i mean i
72:46
i smile and i laugh but you know
72:49
when you think about everything that can
72:50
be done with 600 million dollars but
72:54
this is what politics is
72:55
rule number one getting power rule
72:58
number two stay in power
73:00
i i’ve got a q i got a few questions
73:02
here
73:03
uh we have discussed over the last
73:05
little bit about you know this is what
73:06
we need to do this what black canadians
73:08
need black needs to do but
73:11
how much
73:12
can be done
73:14
without money
73:17
because
73:18
this is just me
73:20
i feel we live more in a capitalistic
73:22
society than a democracy
73:26
well capitalism and democracy go hand in
73:28
hand
73:29
you don’t need money to educate you
73:32
to educate your family or to go to the
73:34
meeting or to go support brother louis
73:37
for his march
73:39
you know there’s a lot of things that
73:40
people can’t do with that money
73:42
because they don’t need money to keep
73:44
watching the entertainment
73:46
okay
73:50
it’s in that sense that uh it is that
73:52
sense that i mean i’m not talking about
73:54
money in terms of running for elections
73:56
i’m talking in terms of if you wanna
73:59
engagement if you really want you don’t
74:01
need money and yes black people will
74:04
work hard you know the stereotype the
74:06
prejudices of claiming we’re lazy is a
74:08
complete lie a lot of black people work
74:11
two or three jobs absolutely but guess
74:13
what you don’t need money to go to your
74:16
parent teachers meeting you need an
74:18
organization and if you can’t make it
74:20
ask the
74:22
uncle or the aunt of the kid so that you
74:25
are represented so that this school
74:27
knows this black child
74:30
has a
74:31
father figure mother figure and they are
74:34
involved in the academy
74:37
you don’t need money to go be present at
74:40
the march for whatever black lives
74:42
matter or black cause and you definitely
74:45
don’t need it to be 20 20 and have
74:47
thousands of people including a lot of
74:49
white people to be on the streets for
74:51
you to be part of it that’s being that
74:53
big part of the show
74:54
you just need to dare to stand up and be
74:57
involved
75:01
louis nicole have anything you want to
75:03
add on that
75:06
i think trudeau
75:07
is going to have to get to
75:09
meet mr singh
75:12
and work out some things because the ndp
75:16
party did talk about issues
75:19
that others were afraid to talk about
75:22
so i think it might not be a marriage
75:26
but there has to be a relationship now
75:28
with the ndp
75:30
uh
75:31
to move forward as in the government
75:35
and uh trudeau’s
75:37
skills will be tested as a leader
75:40
as soon as he did not get his majority
75:43
so how do we move forward to ensure
75:46
that the promises are not broken
75:48
and how do we incorporate
75:51
uh parts of the ndp platform that the
75:55
liberals had left behind
75:58
so let’s see how we respond to that
76:02
are you hopeful that black canadians
76:04
will respond
76:07
i hope they keep them accountable i
76:09
think i hope they keep all parties
76:10
accountable
76:12
you know when we look at housing
76:14
it you know there’s some issues that
76:16
have to be non-partisan
76:19
racism is one of them housing is one of
76:21
them and we’re about we’re in a mental
76:23
health crisis like no other
76:26
so it’s time to stop playing politics
76:29
after this election and let’s see who
76:31
really cares about the people
76:33
and if people don’t start holding
76:36
all levels all people in government
76:38
accountable
76:39
we will just be at the same place we’ve
76:40
always been so this is an opportunity
76:43
right now
76:44
regardless of who gets what or whoever
76:46
is where to to say there are some issue
76:50
issues that are really non-negotiable
76:52
because it affects all of society and we
76:55
as our community need to start standing
76:57
up speaking out louder
76:59
and saying you know what we’re going to
77:01
hold your feet to the fire for each
77:04
uh party leader
77:07
whoever they are
77:09
and and you need to start engaging
77:11
everyone needs to start engaging with
77:14
their mp
77:15
in their writing and next year there’s a
77:18
provincial election so you better start
77:20
engaging and talking and finally in
77:23
ontario there is a pertain to
77:25
yeah you know find out what the issues
77:27
are where they really stand and don’t
77:29
wait till they call the election
77:32
because otherwise you’re just going to
77:33
be carrying the talk and the rhetoric so
77:35
where do people really start stand right
77:37
now and if they say they’re giving the
77:39
black community money for this and the
77:41
black community of money for that if we
77:43
get it when is it coming out by don’t
77:45
just sit there and say oh well we’re
77:46
complaining and stop just don’t allow
77:49
symbolism anymore
77:51
and i think you have to even break down
77:53
that word symbolism for them dr vai
77:55
because symbolism for some is just going
77:57
to go over their head stop just the talk
77:59
talk talk talk talk come down to you
78:02
know the act what is the action when the
78:04
action plan isn’t working and we’re not
78:06
getting the accountability we have to
78:08
hold people accountable for what they
78:10
say we
78:12
we have to we have to be aggressive like
78:15
many of our counterparts south of the
78:17
border are
78:20
we we
78:21
have we have we have to stop being let
78:23
we have to stop being on the defensive
78:25
we need to be on the offensive that’s
78:27
right
78:27
and and there’s many and there’s many
78:29
entry points into this
78:31
system into this process
78:32
running for office is just one of them
78:34
exactly volunteering
78:36
as nicolas spoken about get involved
78:39
with your candidate volunteer
78:41
right uh
78:43
bring them in what about like louis
78:45
louis we know what louis is passionate
78:47
about find what you’re passionate about
78:49
whether it’s it’s your what if it’s even
78:51
if it’s athletics find what you’re
78:53
passionate about and and see where they
78:56
sit and is it sitting right with you
79:00
and what we’ve got to do and i’m going
79:01
to start to go a little bit on this
79:03
everything we’ve got to make it cool for
79:05
the young people
79:07
to be involved we got to make it cool
79:10
because they respond to that type of
79:13
we’re going to make it cool for the
79:14
young people because uh
79:17
you should have seen
79:20
the response and the reaction to the
79:22
protest last summer in the city of
79:23
toronto
79:25
the landscape started changing
79:28
people were in fear
79:31
right
79:32
policy funding things came out of it
79:36
and this is just the tip of the iceberg
79:38
in terms of
79:39
what the community can accomplish in an
79:41
organized
79:42
uh
79:43
manner
79:45
but again let’s go back we’re going to
79:47
make it cool to be
79:49
political again
79:50
with our young people you just said
79:52
something there so there was a change
79:54
but you guess what media has made the
79:57
change very silent we have to say the
80:00
change happened because people have
80:02
forgotten change happened right
80:04
so now everybody it happened but now
80:07
there’s there’s no noise
80:09
there’s
80:11
look on defunding the police
80:13
right the police were scared
80:15
and now they’ve tried to be more open to
80:18
community
80:19
and changing
80:21
the culture itself
80:23
that didn’t happen by chance
80:25
it happened as a result of the advocacy
80:28
that took place
80:30
right
80:31
and uh
80:34
we can do this as i said we have the
80:36
power and we have to understand that
80:38
we’re the ones that
80:40
bring it to life or we let it die with
80:43
us
80:44
so we’re gonna start wrapping it up uh
80:47
we’re looking for some final comments
80:49
from each one of them each one of you uh
80:52
one of the things i will say
80:54
uh
80:56
we do everything in celsius now but
80:58
there was a time something called
80:59
fahrenheit
81:01
so
81:03
water i’ll do the i’ll do the celsius
81:05
because people will understand that
81:07
water does not boil at 99 degrees
81:10
celsius it boils at 100 degrees celsius
81:16
so i think right now
81:18
it’s time to take the temperature to 100
81:21
on a consistent basis
81:24
the activism has the elect the next
81:26
election starts when this one’s done
81:29
when it’s decla when this one is
81:30
declared a winner that’s when the net we
81:33
have it’s what happens in between
81:35
elections at all levels that makes the
81:38
difference
81:40
don’t wait for the election to be called
81:42
because by then it’s already too late
81:46
so i will let closing comments from each
81:49
one of you
81:51
nicole
81:52
love you to go first you want me to go
81:54
first eh and also give your your contact
81:57
information
81:58
you know
82:00
i i just want to encourage anyone
82:01
listening to be
82:03
engaged in whatever it is whether you
82:06
you you do it at the school level you do
82:10
it in your community centers whether you
82:12
do it at home with your children just
82:15
start getting engaged and accountability
82:18
matters we need to hold people
82:20
accountable whether you like um you’re
82:23
into housing
82:24
mental health
82:26
uh black anti-black racism
82:29
homelessness the prison system whatever
82:32
it is
82:33
find the organizations that are doing
82:35
the work get involved ask how you can
82:38
help not everybody has to you know come
82:40
out and be a public speaker there there
82:42
are different ways that you can help and
82:44
and you know
82:46
when when those
82:47
of us in our community with credibility
82:49
are running for office find out how you
82:52
can help them because running for
82:54
elections takes a lot of legwork it
82:56
takes a lot of money and
82:58
we need to stop expecting just a small
83:01
group of people to do all the work for
83:03
everybody we are a huge community and we
83:06
need to start um
83:09
as we heal while we’re leading
83:11
we need to now just come out and find
83:14
ways to support one another
83:16
and i thank you dr bye for allowing me
83:18
to be part of this conversation and in
83:21
conversations like this because of what
83:22
i do in my advocacy work i’m not about
83:25
just about the party i’m about all
83:27
parties holding all parties accountable
83:30
um
83:32
i i don’t care who you are you just
83:34
gotta you got just gotta have you just
83:36
gotta need to get the work done um i’m
83:38
nicole waldron victory speaks uh the
83:41
victory speaks podcast and the victory
83:42
speaks show
83:43
i normally do it mondays and wednesdays
83:46
um 8 p.m and took the the last month off
83:50
and and this month off due to family
83:52
emergency but we’ll be back um
83:56
god willing strong
83:57
in october and we’re going to have some
83:59
great conversations because october is
84:01
mental health month and you know find
84:04
the the things that you’re passionate
84:06
about right now we’re dealing with
84:07
sickle cell
84:09
awareness month in september so please
84:11
please please find out how you can help
84:12
those with sickle cell
84:14
and it’s also cancer awareness as well
84:17
breast cancer and ovarian cancer so find
84:21
whatever it is
84:22
and make a difference every voice
84:24
matters and everyone has a story that
84:27
they can share and make a difference
84:29
wonderful thank you nicole and i agree
84:32
every voice
84:33
matters uh let’s go to
84:36
louie
84:38
yeah first of all i’d just like to
84:40
thank dr vive for inviting me onto the
84:42
program
84:45
to speak about our issues from a black
84:48
person’s perspective
84:49
i’m sick and tired of other people
84:51
speaking on behalf of the black
84:52
community that don’t even look like us
84:55
so
84:56
uh to have this forum
85:00
gives us an opportunity
85:03
to bring things back home
85:06
in terms of the problems and the
85:08
solutions
85:09
so thanks for that
85:11
in terms of the election
85:12
i’m happy i am happy because
85:16
the liberals and the ndp have to work
85:19
together
85:20
moving forward
85:22
the liberals have put some
85:24
monies on the table we have to make sure
85:26
that it’s not only allocated but is
85:29
allocated
85:31
properly
85:34
to really advantage
85:36
our community so it’s accountability
85:39
but it’s also the community has to take
85:41
responsibility about how we spend that
85:43
money
85:45
in terms of community capacity building
85:49
we can’t be running off with the money
85:51
we can’t be hiding the money
85:53
we have to make sure that every dollar
85:55
that comes into our community
85:57
is in the community’s best interest so
85:59
it’s not only the delivering the money
86:01
but it’s the spending of the money
86:04
to ensure
86:05
that we all benefit from it
86:09
so
86:10
the election
86:12
the gambler
86:14
might have paid off to some extent
86:17
he did not get the majority
86:20
but at the same time forces
86:22
justin trudeau to work with ndp party
86:26
to ensure that
86:29
canada the canadian people get a fair
86:31
shake
86:33
when it comes to governance of this
86:35
country okay louis where can people get
86:38
in touch with you
86:40
people can get in touch
86:42
with me through social media
86:45
on the zero gun violence movement
86:50
uh that’s the best way to do it
86:53
i i in fact i have two identities
86:57
one is zero gun violence movement
86:59
and the other one is louis march hello
87:02
uis m-a-r-c-h
87:04
so depending if it’s gun violence and
87:06
those issues that’s where you go
87:09
and uh if you want to speak directly
87:11
because of our community community
87:13
engagement and leadership
87:15
then it’s strictly louis march
87:18
thank you
87:20
final comments before i wrap it up cesar
87:24
well
87:25
i mean as the results have been
87:27
announced that it’s going to be a
87:30
minority liberal government
87:33
that will be working with the ndp of
87:35
course
87:37
i’d like to address my uh
87:39
thoughts and prayers to all our black
87:41
people who voted conservative
87:44
and to those who have been tempted by
87:46
the ppc
87:48
because of the feelings regarding uh
87:51
vaccinal passport and covid etc etc
87:56
uh i’m not trying to be funny or to
87:59
clown them
88:00
i’m just really speaking in terms of
88:02
what we talked about as black community
88:05
aka
88:07
what’s good for us how can we improve
88:09
our fate
88:11
how can we uh basically stop being in
88:15
the negative statistics
88:17
i’m not saying that because it’s our
88:19
fault of course it’s systemic criticism
88:21
and disease of
88:22
whites arabs etc all the others but at
88:25
the end of the day we do have a
88:28
responsibility in changing our faith and
88:30
that responsibility can never be
88:33
to go vote for those who deny systemic
88:35
racism and those who are
88:37
anti-immigration aka anti-black
88:41
so
88:42
more of the same kind of statue school
88:44
but definitely
88:46
a shifting of society but also as
88:49
brother we were saying
88:52
trudeau and the liberal party did
88:54
recognize systemic criticism they did
88:56
put money on the table
88:58
we can criticize and dislike a lot of
89:00
the things that they do
89:02
uh not only the way that they do it but
89:06
in terms of the black community it’s
89:08
definitely the party
89:11
giving the most um
89:13
opportunities in terms of improving
89:17
the potentials in the black community so
89:20
it’s now
89:21
and definitely up to us to seize these
89:25
opportunities to their being black to
89:28
educate our children to not just stay in
89:32
victimization and the past which is
89:35
always valid but to them stand up in the
89:38
present and project ourselves in the
89:41
future to heal yes but also to advance
89:46
this is something that we must get from
89:48
this election and not wait for the next
89:52
elections in terms of talking about
89:53
voting
89:55
but go to that parent teachers meeting
89:57
for you kid
89:59
turn off the
90:01
uh
90:02
bet and uh whatever uh housewives
90:08
i don’t know what is housewives uh okay
90:11
you know turn off those shows those i
90:14
call them bcks brain cell killers yes
90:17
what they are so you turn that off and
90:20
you know dare to watch roots
90:23
there to watch uh
90:25
you know there to read a book you know
90:26
let them know who was not just malcolm x
90:29
and you know mumbai martin luther king
90:31
the usual name let them know about uh
90:34
you know queen amani renas let them know
90:37
about zumbi dos palmares let them know
90:40
about people who look like them who
90:43
stood up so that when they’re there
90:45
attracting racism notably in schools but
90:48
also as adults in the workplace
90:50
they dare to stand up instead of just
90:53
going to hide and crying and looking at
90:56
a nicole looking at a louis looking at a
90:59
doctor l jones or sarah o’neal or warren
91:02
or dr vibe or me to come stand up for
91:05
them
91:06
that’s how we will change our faith
91:09
that’s how the jewish community the
91:11
chinese community
91:13
the sikh community that’s what they’ve
91:14
done
91:15
that’s how they’ve done and then we
91:17
built strong communities based on social
91:20
economics you know community economics
91:26
that’s how we eventually stand up
91:28
politically even if we less than four
91:31
percent the jewish community is less
91:33
than four percent
91:35
but are they in this conversation in
91:36
terms of victimization and being
91:38
oppressed absolutely not
91:40
here in canada just as in the united
91:42
states so i will leave it at that
91:46
sesame
91:47
president of roots and culture canada
91:49
you can reach me with culturecanada.com
91:53
just as you can reach me on facebook
91:56
cesar
91:59
uh i’m not blocked so that’s uh i mean
92:02
i’m starting to get nervous if i stay
92:04
unblocked for too long maybe i’m losing
92:06
a little bit of my age you know
92:10
yes right
92:13
can i just throw something in there you
92:15
know um cesar just made reference to you
92:17
know reading but you know just this
92:19
weekend if i can do a shameless plug you
92:22
know the 100 accomplished black canadian
92:24
woman
92:25
had their event on saturday right
92:28
recognizing a hundred black canadian
92:30
women across canada
92:32
that’s a book people need to get and for
92:35
six years they have recognized 300
92:38
accomplished black canadian women in
92:40
every
92:42
area of work
92:45
allow me to give a shout out as you say
92:47
that to our ceo uh the ceo of roots and
92:50
culture canada ketchup peters she is
92:53
invisible absolutely and ketchia we
92:55
interviewed catchy and catchy was part
92:57
of the the fireside chat i know katya
92:59
very well and this weekend was such a
93:02
celebration so go to 100 e women dot cpa
93:06
and get the book and and give it to
93:08
everybody at christmas and say here and
93:11
we have no excuse to say
93:13
we no longer have
93:15
black women and i speak for black women
93:17
right now
93:18
that
93:19
in any area that you cannot hire and we
93:22
now have bipark executive search
93:25
that is finding the black executives
93:27
that people cannot say they cannot find
93:29
a qualified black person in canada no
93:32
more no more excuses
93:35
do the homework
93:36
stop being complacent and stop being
93:39
lazy and stop saying you can’t find us
93:41
to do the work we are there
93:44
as we’re speaking of that allow me to
93:46
give a quick shutout
93:48
if that’s okay and we gotta go okay make
93:50
it 30 seconds i was just going to say as
93:53
we’re speaking of that um
93:55
what’s his name pk subban i read this in
93:58
the newspaper
93:59
uh he’s um
94:02
he wants to put money to for
94:05
the creation of a series of a movie
94:08
regarding black canadian history
94:11
just as i encourage you to find the book
94:14
trail blazers um that addresses not to
94:17
be black history for children and adults
94:21
all right
94:22
that is it folks we’re gonna close it
94:24
down want to say thank you to
94:27
dr l jones
94:29
nicole waldron
94:31
louis mars cesar nadima musa i’d like to
94:34
thank everyone who watched live we’re
94:35
watching on the replay want to say thank
94:38
you also to sarah especially sarah
94:39
youngo who was incredible information
94:42
helped make this in real time made it an
94:45
epic conversation everyone has also to
94:47
christopher
94:48
ryan and everyone else that’s going to
94:49
watch us live on or on the replay the
94:51
inspired thought thank you very much
94:54
and others if i forgot your name john
94:57
pierre so if i forgot your name it’s my
94:59
head not my heart gonna end really
95:01
really quick on something
95:03
my dad
95:05
when he graduated from high school all
95:08
boys school in montego bay jamaica
95:11
cornwall college
95:12
he then went to university at howard
95:15
university
95:17
yes young jamaican
95:19
man
95:20
going to howard university and we have
95:23
many conversations and thank you he’s
95:25
still alive
95:26
and he always asks me
95:29
what are blacks fighting for today
95:33
so one of the things i want to leave
95:35
with is
95:36
if you’re a black canadian
95:38
what are you fighting for
95:40
and who are you fighting for you should
95:43
not be just fighting for yourself you
95:45
should be fighting for everyone around
95:47
you and for the generations to come
95:50
and if you don’t know if you don’t have
95:52
something to fight for contact me and
95:54
i’ll within 10 minutes i’ll give you
95:55
something you can fight for
95:58
and sometimes you have to go it alone
96:02
so what you need to do is
96:04
remember standing alone is a difficult
96:06
thing it can be a controversial thing
96:09
because sometimes we’re the only person
96:10
looking like us in spaces
96:13
and sometimes unfortunately it’s a rare
96:15
thing
96:16
but we need to do more of it than ever
96:19
before
96:21
because if we don’t stand
96:23
we’re gonna get fall and bowled over
96:27
so tonight
96:29
it looks like it’s gonna be a minority
96:30
government
96:31
and some people say well things didn’t
96:33
really change well we have to change
96:37
if you got anything out of this
96:38
conversation it’s time for us to change
96:42
our lives are depending on it our
96:44
children’s lives are depending on it and
96:46
canada’s future is depending on it
96:48
believe it or not
96:50
so with those final words i close out as
96:52
always live you live your life live your
96:54
life as a dream
96:55
if you can dream you can make it
96:57
sometimes you have to get small to get
96:58
stronger
96:59
block assumptions aim bigger and better
97:02
aim higher and wider love faith and
97:04
respect and remember to give yourselves
97:06
grace who knows we may have another
97:08
conversation before the end of the week
97:10
or we may push it back to sunday to see
97:12
the aftermath of everything but the
97:14
election ain’t done yet there’s still
97:17
votes being counted out there
97:19
if you have anything else follow the dr
97:22
vibe show facebook youtube follow the
97:24
people that were on this conversation
97:26
and also push let’s have our own media
97:30
because i don’t think any other platform
97:32
in this country tonight
97:34
had black canadians for an hour and 40
97:38
minutes
97:39
talking about this election
97:42
also shout out to sheraton knight thank
97:44
you so much
97:46
big shout out to bia media who helped
97:48
produce this epic conversation
97:50
god bless peace you all keep the faith
97:54
and let’s get started as emc hammer said
97:56
let’s get let’s get it started that’s
97:58
another song just let’s get started
98:01
take everybody
98:04
[Music]
98:23
so
98:27
[Music]
98:44
you
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You can contact El Jones via: El.Jones@msvu.ca
You can contact Nicole Waldron via: https://www.facebook.com/VictorySpeaks77
You can contact Cesar Ndema-Moussa via: https://www.facebook.com/cesarrimyemery
You can contact Louis March via: http://zerogunviolence-movement.com/