Black leaders do not reflect the diversity of Toronto’s black population
Historically, black church leaders and community organizers have always been a strong presence in predominately black and low-income neighbourhoods and spearhead charity and community initiatives. But what is forgotten - or dismissed - is that not everyone in the black population shares the same sentiments when community figureheads are approached by the media to speak about the black community. Some black residents feel that the people who are given media attention do not represent their views and question how culturally inclusive they are to people who do not share their same cultural or religious background.
Delores Lawrence, president and chair of Operation Black Vote Canada, believes that black leadership is a myth. “ The term ‘Black’ is really a generic term. We all come from different countries, and some of us are born in Canada as black people and from various continents, so in this cosmopolitan, mosaic culture, there really isn’t really one black person. We might represent special interests groups, or there may be religious groups or Caribbean groups, but there is no umbrella group that represents the interests of blacks in Toronto.”
Because there is a tendency for people to think of black people as a monolithic group, which has led to negative presumptions such as racial profiling, Lawrence believes that it is dangerous for the general public to think that a black leader is essential in order to voice the concerns or needs of the entire population adequately. “None of these people are elected other than they represent the interests of their organization….we have to get out of our minds that there is this black representation.”
While some argue that the term ‘black community’ is a fabricated social construct based on the desire by politicians as a way to lump an incredibly culturally and ethnically diverse population into one homogenous group, the term is still legitimate to many black residents. While it can provide a unifying force in order to combat societal issues and celebrate cultural similarities, it can also alienate those who, while interested in participating, feel ostracized when interacting with community groups.
“There are many Caribbean associations that tend to speak for the "black community" in the media regarding their concerns, but those aren't necessarily the same as my concerns,” says Quinci Best, a sixth-generation Canadian from Nova Scotia. “As a Scotian, I don't often feel welcomed to join these organizations or get in touch with these so-called representatives because I feel like my ideas are not treated as valid. We (Nova Scotians) are often looked down on for not having a direct link to the islands, and it is then inferred that we are not black enough because of it.”
Busha Taa, PhD, president of the Ethiopia Association in the Greater Toronto Area and the Surrounding Regions, is more optimistic. He believes that despite the alienation that some blacks from various cultural backgrounds might feel from each other, most community representatives address issues that affect all blacks. “The differences are legitimate as they immigrate to Canada from more than 70 Black populated countries of Africa and the Caribbean,” he adds. “All want to maintain their own cultures, but all know that they are one as black. There are times when they come together, and there are times when they live independently of each other. But this cannot constitute alienation from each other.”
Community leaders serve as a conduit to publicize issues of systemic and institutional racism. However, does this leadership mean that blacks should be primarily responsible for correcting these problems? “The issue of tackling racism should not be expected from Africans because they are not the architect of racism. The solution to race-triggered problems must come from those who spread the viruses of racial discrimination. Of course, African-Canadians cannot be spectators in their own plight,” Taa says. “They must struggle to mitigate the power of racial stereotyping. They must exchange information, support each other and expose racial discrimination wherever they feel and see. The search for the solution to racism does not require a congregation of African-Canadians.”
So, instead of relying on community organizations and self-appointed leaders to represent the diverse needs and concerns of the black population, it is important to encourage individuals who feel that their concerns are not met to become more active. But is that possible? Best believes that divisiveness should be addressed, especially among the younger generation, and better organizations should be established within current organizations.
“In order for that to happen, we need a more welcoming environment, period,” says Best. “We need to get a more diverse cross-section of black folk, and we need actually to listen to them. We need to stop making certain issues out to be personal attacks. We need to start having meetings regularly, at a consistent and accessible time and get the word out to a wide audience. A lot of so-called Black organizations can't even seem to keep a website up and running. Exploratory conferences/think tanks/volunteer task forces should be created and in convenient places around the city.”
Part of Operation Black Vote Canada’s mandate is to encourage black Canadians to get more involved in the political process. “What we are trying to encourage people to do is to participate in the democratic process in whatever way that may be,” says Lawrence. “But we’re also saying to the government, look, here you have a diverse population and a nice representation in Canada of black people from various parts of the continent, but yet when you look at the government, we are not represented at certain levels other than low-paying jobs.”
“Community participation is extremely important to solving community problems, but we have to also diversify our future approach,” adds Taa. The current buzzwords in community integration and development are connection, communication, and cooperation. Hence, we are expected to do more.”
