featured Racism

Kathrin Winkler: Waking up in darkness

KJIPUKTUK (Halifax) – Premier Houston appointed an old white man to lead the department responsible for African Nova Scotian affairs and the office of Anti-Racism initiatives.

A decision made is a direction. A decision steers and maneuvers future actions towards certain ports of call and leaves other harbours in its wake. Politicians are often caught holding onto untenable positions erupting from poor decisions and it is those who are most impacted by those poor decisions that catch them in the act. Not the elected officials. The voices of the people that are twittering and TikToking about the absurd insensitivity – the complete embarrassment of insensitivity regarding this appointment are even labelled as ‘emotional’ by our new  Premier. He assured us that he understands the emotions of ‘it’. Well, if you understood, you wouldn’t have done it, Tim. Who told you that democracy works best when people elected are put into positions of responsibility? Representation is your job. Listening is your job – power with not over.  

The decision to suggest a white man represent African Nova Scotians points in a direction that is worn out, pitted, rutted, dangerous and shackled to the past. Don’t get me wrong, as an old white woman I share eras of patriarchy with Pat Dunn, I was there.  One of the initiatives that came out of those eras – decades ago, was a movement called ‘Take Back the Night”. To refresh our memories, “Take Back the Night” is considered the earliest world-wide movement against sexual violence. It was all about reclaiming the night and the space that is associated with gender-based violence. Well, Pat, in this case, as those old white folks, we are the night. Let’s wake up and get out of the way.

Resign.

kathrin winkler
in peace and friendship

Photo by Cherry Laithang on Unsplash

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One Comment

  1. Right on. Now we need the mayor and councillors to resign over the violence and arrests of the homeless and their supporters. And we need Pat Dunn to resign — The Tories should not pretend a white man of privilege — he was in former premier Hamm’s cabinet (that was nearly a generation ago) can do justice to the African Nova Scotian “file” —

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