Racism Alive and Well in 2011
The headline reads: Africville trust hiring prompts some anger. Well in my opinion, anger may have been present, but racism is playing a huge part in creating that anger.
So what is the issue? The Africville Trust Board of directors hired a white minister named Carole Nixon to oversee the building and running of a new Interpretive Centre. First of all, who cares of her color. This woman has a university certificate in black history, and has experience in Development and fundraising. Lawyer Burnley Jones, a well know human rights activist ( Guess Carole is not human), feels that it should have gone to someone in the community, I’m guessing regardless of experience and ability, and based on his statements, that white folk need not apply. Even the president of the Association of Black Social Workers weighed in saying that many she talked to didn’t know it was even posted. Nixon was in Toronto when she saw the posting, so maybe they were just looking in the wrong place. And I have to wonder how many Ministers with Fundraising and building experience she talked to? My guess is none.
Why does the position need to be filled by an African-Canadian? By saying that, the community is now condoning, and encouraging, the behavior they fought for years to eradicate. The bare bones of it is, Nixon has more experience than anyone in the community. She deserved the job. The community would rather place it in the hands of someone less qualified, and then what happens? If and when things go wrong, what then? If there was a community member qualified, I’m sure they would have gotten the job.
I think that how far this has gotten is deplorable. People have put of posters, and they are going to have a meeting Sept. 20 at the Bloomfield Centre in Halifax for members of the black community to discuss Nixon’s appointment and come up with an action plan. Sounds like a Firing Squad to me. Since when does the community dispense policy? Isn’t that what the board of directors is for? Why don’t they discuss the Board’s individual appointments? The Board has taken the right stance, its too bad the community they support are to blind and close minded to see it. Hiring without concern for Race, creed or color. A wonderful idea. Seems though, now that the shoe is on the other foot and no longer applies to them, that the Community of Africville doesn’t see that as a good idea.
I hope Nixon stays on for the long haul. I also hope that the community sees how they are behaving, and has a change of heart. I’m not optimistic, but I have been surprised before.
So what is the issue? The Africville Trust Board of directors hired a white minister named Carole Nixon to oversee the building and running of a new Interpretive Centre. First of all, who cares of her color. This woman has a university certificate in black history, and has experience in Development and fundraising. Lawyer Burnley Jones, a well know human rights activist ( Guess Carole is not human), feels that it should have gone to someone in the community, I’m guessing regardless of experience and ability, and based on his statements, that white folk need not apply. Even the president of the Association of Black Social Workers weighed in saying that many she talked to didn’t know it was even posted. Nixon was in Toronto when she saw the posting, so maybe they were just looking in the wrong place. And I have to wonder how many Ministers with Fundraising and building experience she talked to? My guess is none.
Why does the position need to be filled by an African-Canadian? By saying that, the community is now condoning, and encouraging, the behavior they fought for years to eradicate. The bare bones of it is, Nixon has more experience than anyone in the community. She deserved the job. The community would rather place it in the hands of someone less qualified, and then what happens? If and when things go wrong, what then? If there was a community member qualified, I’m sure they would have gotten the job.
I think that how far this has gotten is deplorable. People have put of posters, and they are going to have a meeting Sept. 20 at the Bloomfield Centre in Halifax for members of the black community to discuss Nixon’s appointment and come up with an action plan. Sounds like a Firing Squad to me. Since when does the community dispense policy? Isn’t that what the board of directors is for? Why don’t they discuss the Board’s individual appointments? The Board has taken the right stance, its too bad the community they support are to blind and close minded to see it. Hiring without concern for Race, creed or color. A wonderful idea. Seems though, now that the shoe is on the other foot and no longer applies to them, that the Community of Africville doesn’t see that as a good idea.
I hope Nixon stays on for the long haul. I also hope that the community sees how they are behaving, and has a change of heart. I’m not optimistic, but I have been surprised before.
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