“Now is the time!” - Black History Month: the President of the Commission marks the 22nd edition
Montréal, February 1, 2013 – “I have a dream. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.” These words taken from the famous speech delivered by Martin Luther King 50 years ago still resonate today. The theme of the 22nd edition of Black History Month in Québec is inspired by this speech and reminds us of the rich history of the black community and the evolution of its civil rights and freedoms.
Closer to us, Québec adopted the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms in 1976. Together, we agreed to live in a society where the right to equality is upheld and discrimination on the basis of race, colour, national or ethnic origin is an infringement of the rights and freedoms of individuals.
We have come a long way to fulfill these commitments. We can no longer ignore the important contribution of the black community to the development and enrichment of Québec society. The 2013 laureates chosen by the Round Table on Black History Month deserve our congratulations. Thanks to their determination and their wide-ranging talents, these 13 Quebecers help eradicate prejudices and build a more just society for all.
This past year, the fight against racial discrimination was bolstered by three significant legal decisions which acknowledged the existence of racial profiling and found in favour of complainants who had been stopped without justification by municipal police officers in Québec because of the colour of their skin or their ethnic origin. These rulings were largely based on the work of the Commission which adopted a legal definition of racial profiling in 2005 that is now widely accepted. We are continuing our efforts to ensure that the many recommendations of our May 2011 report on racial profiling and its consequences are implemented by all stakeholders.
Access to employment remains a major challenge. Too often, as our 2010-2011 investigation conducted in the Greater Montreal area demonstrated, members of racialized groups are victims of discrimination in employment.
We are also observing an increase in the number of discrimination complaints based on race, colour, ethnic origin or national origin (268 complaints in 2011-2012, an increase of 23% over the previous year). Thus, we must remain vigilant and continue our work in this area.
Paraphrasing Martin Luther King, we can say it is time that all members of Québec society exercise their rights and freedoms in full equality, not only during the month of February, but all year long.
To find out more about Black History Month and special programming visit: http://moishistoiredesnoirs.com/index.php/en/?lang=en
