I’m honoured today to recognize Black History Month, a month where we honour the heritage, courage and contributions of Black Canadians.

As a person who identifies as white, I regularly reflect on the systems of privilege and the systems of oppression that exist in our society. I think by constantly reflecting on systems of privilege and oppression, we can ensure that Black history is not just a month, but every month. Then, we can dismantle systemic anti-Black racism in our society.

As a school social worker, I’ve worked alongside many families. So I want to take this moment to ensure that we wish love and kindness for all young Black people in our school system so that they can be safe, they can be healthy, they can be loved, and they can love themselves as they are. Let’s ensure that everybody in this chamber continues to tap people on the shoulders. Too often, I’ve been in spaces that are very white, and people need to be tapped on the shoulder so that they continue to climb the ladder to these leadership positions today.

I’m grateful for all of you who are tapped on the shoulder and continue to tap people on the shoulder. This is how we can combat anti-Black racism and hate that persists in our community and online. Don’t forget about our online spaces. Let’s create regulations to make sure that those are healthy spaces for Black people too. It’s only getting worse. So we need to do these things so we can build an equitable, accessible, safe—safe—and caring Ontario for all.

I’m grateful to talk about the organizations in my community that fight everyday to have racial equity and to celebrate Blackness: AFRO, Kind Minds, ACCKWA, the Waterloo Region Community Foundation, Caribbean Canadian Association of Waterloo Region, just to name a few. The work they do is so vital and appreciated.

I also want to recognize my mentors who remind me all the time how to be a better ally: regional councillor Colleen James, city councillor—