SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Black History Month

Honourable senators, this year, the theme of Black History Month in Canada is “30 Years of Black History Month: Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations — From Nation Builders to Tomorrow’s Visionaries.”

Black History Month is a time for us all to remember and recognize the contributions of Black people to the development of our country. It is a way to pay tribute to our Afro-descendant heritage, a duty to remember while looking toward the future.

Today, I would like to remind senators of the Haitian community’s contribution to the socio-economic and cultural growth of Canada, and especially Quebec, where this community has mainly settled since the 1960s. The Haitian community, which is predominantly French-speaking, has helped build our modern Quebec.

In the 1960s and 1970s, we witnessed an influx of doctors, lawyers and other highly educated professionals who were fleeing François Duvalier’s dictatorship. Later on, less skilled and less educated workers settled here to fill labour needs in the manufacturing and service industries. Since then, Haitian immigration has never stopped. It peaked in 2010 after the earthquake in Haiti. Today, Haitians mainly come to Canada to flee insecurity.

Very humbly, I would like to share how I’m contributing. As a student at the École de technologie supérieure in Montreal, I studied the seismic resistance of churches and hospitals in Quebec. My research created a connection between my awareness of natural disasters as a Haitian and Quebec’s rich religious and architectural heritage.

As a senator, I feel privileged to be involved in creating and shaping Canada’s future while also acknowledging my own heritage.

All Canadians are encouraged to participate in Black History Month activities. As Canadians, this affects all of us, as many people told me at last week’s traditional soup joumou event, which I co-hosted for parliamentary employees. Black History Month is also a celebration of a collective, engaging and inclusive approach. In particular, I want to thank protection officer Sébastien Raphaël from the Parliamentary Protective Service for his help.

Despite all of these activities and the excitement we feel during the month of February, we must not forget that this call for solidarity, for a more harmonious society and for social justice and equity must continue all year long. It is up to us, honourable colleagues, to make sure of that.

Thank you.