Press release: Recently, Dr. Lynn Jones and two elders of the Black community in Truro were racially profiled when they were approached and questioned by police while watching deer on the side of the road near Jones’ home.
This incident demonstrates the problem of racial profiling and the negative relationship that exists between police and the black community is a provincial wide issue.
Abdilahi Elmi will be deported to Somalia any day now, putting his life at grave risk. A group of advocates held a press conference at Andy Fillmore’s office to raise awareness of this impending injustice and to ask for public support.
Open letter by the ANSDPAD coalition to Minister Mark Furey: “We have explained the reasons why we have stepped away from the table and hope to outline here what our outstanding concerns are and what would be necessary to have us rejoin conversation and collaboration with the parties to improve police/Black community relations throughout Nova Scotia.”
Media release and open letter to Minister Furey by the African Nova Scotian Decade for People of African Descent Coalition : “Street checks are illegal and must stop before we can sit to discuss their impact. We are not interested in negotiating away our inherent human and Charter rights.”
![Public statement by the African Nova Scotian Decade for People of African Descent Coalition (DPAD), on the Independent [Police] Street Checks Review](https://nsadvocate.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/cardingsolhalFEAT-365x260.jpg)
Public statement: “This report has strengthened the Coalition’s position that street checks are illegal and should be banned:”
Raymond Sheppard on the urgent need to fix systemic anti-Black racist bias in the courts and in policing.
Nova Scotia Senator Wanda Bernard wants Canada to designate August 1 as Emancipation Day, to remember the formal abolition of slavery in the British colonies, to recognize the magnitude and immense evil of slavery but also the resilience of enslaved Africans, and to reflect on the enduring impact of slavery. On October 23 of last year, at Second Reading of her Bill S-255 Bernard explained why she feels so strongly about this. It’s a very good read.
Recently more than 25 African Nova Scotian organizations in a joint statement asked that the practice of police street checks be stopped immediately. The NS Human Rights Commission meanwhile has claimed African Nova Scotian support for the analysis it is conducting. When asked who these supporters are the Commission essentially tells me that it is none of my business.
A United Nations report critical of Nova Scotia for not acting on longstanding grievances within the African Nova Scotian community has strengthened the resolve of a newly formed coalition of about 20 community groups to keep these issues in the public spotlight, says spokesperson Robert Ffrench. We talk about the importance of the report, reparations, and how many of the issues raised in the report have been documented over and over.
Responses to a survey of the political parties on matters important to African Nova Scotians are in. I don my editorial hat to complain, and my reporter’s hat to report. But hey, these hats sure look the same, sometimes even I can’t keep them apart.