El Jones: “Remember that this is Indigenous land. And those rights were extended to settlers by Indigenous people as we see in the Peace and Friendship treaties. That is what should govern this territory. We live on these lands in this spirit of extending help and support to those who come here, as the Mi’kmaq did. It is status that is illegal, it is not people that are illegal.”

In 2017, Lionel Desmond, a young African Nova Scotian,shot and killed his mother, his wife, and their 10-year-old daughter. During his service in the Canadian Armed Forces Desmond, who after two stints in Afghanistan suffered from PTSD, faced consistent anti-Black racism. This racism has been a contributing factor to his PTSD, writes Raymond Sheppard.

Already, we see racism and immigration emerging as key topics in this election and that includes discussions at the local level. At the September 12th “All Candidates Debate on Women’s Rights and Gender Equity” in Halifax, migrant justice was a key topic of discussion. Migrant justice organizer Stacey Gomez reports on where the four Halifax candidates stand.

The seemingly frivolous blackface Trudeau engaged in 18 years ago and the hard core racist bullying that Nhlanhla Dlamini was subjected to at work in Pictou County are in essence not all that different, writes Judy Haiven.

Today I went to Pictou to hear the Shawn Wade Hynes verdict. Hynes is the guy who shot a high velocity nail gun at young co-worker Nhlanhla Dlamini. I don’t think most white people understood how important a case it was for many in the African Nova Scotian community, nor the surprise and tremendous relief that was felt when Hynes was found guilty of criminal negligence and assault with a weapon.

For the last few years No One Is Illegal – Halifax/K’jipuktuk has mostly had a social media presence only. We talk with Stacey Gomez to find out how a group of migrant justice activists want to change that, and why that type of organizing for migrant justice is so crucial, especially now.

PSA: The verdict in the Nhlanhla Dlamini case will be rendered by Judge Del Atwood on Thursday September 26 @ 1:30 pm at the Provincial court house in Pictou. Please come join us while we support Nhlanhla and his family .