Current and former Black politicians in Nova Scotia believe that the formation of the Canadian Congress of Black Politicians is essential for those aiming for elected positions in the province.
The congress announced its national incorporation earlier this month. Its mission is to assist Black elected officials in collaborating on issues impacting the Black community.
“This organization was established to build a network across the country so Black politicians from all levels of government and from all political stripes could come together and work on issues that impact the community the most,” Liberal MP Micheal Coteau said during the announcement.
The congress began informally about 10 years ago, initiated by Coteau and Nova Scotian Sen. Tony Ince, who has also served as the province’s minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs.
In an interview with , Ince expressed his happiness about seeing the group evolve into an official organization. He mentioned that he was motivated to start it due to noticing a lack of Black representation in political office.
“It means … no matter where you’re sitting in government, whether it’s municipal, provincial or federal, that you’re not alone,” he said. “We’ve got people in our communities who are doing their best to raise the community’s voice, but we still have systemic hurdles that we have to face.”
Angela Simmonds shared a similar view. Simmonds previously served as the Liberal MLA for Preston riding and was the first African Nova Scotian deputy speaker for the legislature.
She noted that with the congress now incorporated, Black politicians will have more avenues for support.
“Something like this would have probably been extremely valuable to me,” Simmonds said. “There wasn’t a whole lot of support in terms of addressing and really talking about the impact of racism in the intersection of gender and race, to be quite honest.”
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Angela Simmonds previously served as the Liberal MLA for the Preston riding. (Jeorge Sadi/CBC)
Simmonds also highlighted how important it is for Black politicians to receive support once they’re in office.
“We often talk about ‘It’s important to get folks in,’ but what are we really doing to help support strength, longevity, and mental health … when we’re in those spaces,” she said.
Mary Desmond, a councillor for Guysborough Municipality and a member of CBC Nova Scotia Community Advisory Board, mentioned she built her political career “from scratch” without much guidance.
“It’s not easy,” she said while pointing out that some Caucasian colleagues enjoy greater financial backing and experience along with facing systemic racism, biases, and discrimination which complicate things further for Black politicians.
“We’re fighting that on top of it,” she added.
This is why she expressed relief at hearing that congress will serve as a resource for Black individuals currently holding or pursuing public office seeking mentorship opportunities.
“I think it’s a great help and a great asset,” Desmond stated.
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“I think it’s a great help and a great asset,” Desmond stated.
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