Commented on: Feb 1 2012

"This is the one month of the year when the contributions of black Canadians are recognized and celebrated. It's a good thing. But here's what would be a great thing: recognize black Canadians in equal measure of respect and in human dignity irrespective of what accomplishments have been made. And then celebrate the achievements with due recognition as black Canadians. Racialized minorities are oftentimes (and I would say, unfairly) burdened with the task of perpetually setting a good example and providing leadership to get their communities out of the societal fringes created by systems of oppression. It gets tiring and sometimes rather than being a 24/7 role model and burning the midnight oil to be superstars, people just want to be. For BHM 2012, let's go beyond celebrating achievements and celebrate black communities with due recognition of the obstacles they've overcome, the ones they continue to face, how we'll face them together and be grateful for the vibrancy they instil within our Canadian identity. "