Guest column: Who's afraid of a black prime minister?

On black civic participation and Canada's "Obama moment"

On November 4, 2008, the day that Barack Obama won the U.S. presidential election, it was an ecstatic moment. The day after his historic victory, I couldn't go anywhere without hearing raving comments from people who never imagined that they would see a Black president in the White House in their lifetime. This sentiment seemed to spread worldwide, from Kenya to Canada.

Seven years later, and with Black History Month upon us, I am left wondering: could Canadians ever expect to see a Black Prime Minister? I believe this depends on the level of Black representation in Ottawa, and how closely our government reflects the general population (or not). It is also important to look at citizen participation with respect to issues that are important to Black Canadians. It's worth noting that, even if we had a Black Prime Minister, the current systemic racism in Canada would not go away overnight. That's because lingering elements of colonization are still being upheld today. But the representation aspect is important in that Canadians need to see a reflection of themselves in positions of power, and also need to see their values reflected in the laws that govern us.

First, one must look at the ethnic makeup of the current Parliament of Canada. Whereas visible minorities comprise 19.1 percent of the Canadian population, 30 out of 308 Members of Parliament are members of visible minorities, which amounts to 9.4 percent. This figure is an increase from 24 MPs, or 7.8 percent, in the previous Parliament. Although there is no specific breakdown with respect to different races, it is clear that the Black contingent in the House of Commons is low. Compare this with the U.S. House of Representatives, where 20.2 percent of Representatives are people of colour.

So what do these figures mean for Canadian citizens? The low number of MPs who identify as visible minorities can easily create the perception that Black people are disillusioned with Canadian politics, and therefore do not engage in politics or acts of resistance. Of course, this is far from the truth.

Historically, we have the famous narrative of the Underground Railroad, in which escapees of slavery sought freedom from the American South. There is also the case of Viola Desmond, and her act of defiance in entering the whites-only section of a Nova Scotia theatre in 1946. For years organizations such as the Black Action Defence Committee and Share newspaper have put Black Canadian issues – such as racial profiling and the governance of Caribana – front and centre. And members of the Black community in Toronto recently organized a major protest outside of the U.S. Consulate to show solidarity with people in Ferguson, Missouri, following the outrageous non-indictment in the Michael Brown case.

So, will we ever see a Black Prime Minister govern this country? Perhaps, but in order for that to happen, there will need to be much better representation of Black Canadians and other visible minorities in Parliament, sustained civic engagement among the Black community, and greater visibility of Black people and issues in the mainstream political landscape. Until that happens, Canada will continue to await its "Obama moment."

Myles Marcus is a Toronto-based writer and radio personality. A graduate of York University, Myles takes a strong interest in social and political issues in Canada and abroad, particularly identity politics. He currently works as a newscaster at G 98.7 FM. You can reach him by e-mail ([email protected]) or follow him on Twitter (@mylesmarcus).