Angles Covered: Record Number of Black Candidates Running in Ontario's 42nd General Election

By Neil Armstrong

Photo contributed Jill Andrew, NDP, Toronto-St. Paul's

Photo contributed Makini Smith, Liberal, Oshawa

Photo contributed Dionne Duncan, PC, Hamilton Centre

Photo contributed Grad Murray, Green, York South-Weston

There is a marked increase in the number of Black candidates running in Ontario’s 42^nd general election on June 7.

Twenty-one candidates will be on the ballots compared to fifteen in the 2014 election. Thirteen are representing the Ontario NDP, six the Ontario Liberal Party, one for the Ontario PC Party and one for the Green Party of Ontario.

In 2014, there were seven Liberals, four New Democrats, two Progressive Conservatives and two Greens.

Among this year’s 21 candidates are Jill Andrew (NDP, Toronto-St. Paul’s), Makini Smith (Liberal, Oshawa), Dionne Duncan (PC, Hamilton Centre) and Grad Murray (Green, York South-Weston).

“This is the most that we have had running in a provincial election in Ontario and we believe that some of the work that we have been doing in the community have helped to bring interest and awareness about running for elected office,” says Velma Morgan, chair of Operation Black Vote Canada.

“We know representation matters and we are hopeful that many of them will get elected,” she said.

In August 2016, Andrew, an award-winning equity advocate, inclusive fashion educator, writer, speaker and columnist, got very sick and had to undergo surgery to save her life.

She said the care that she got in the hospital was deplorable and if she didn’t have benefits the medication that she takes would cost nearly $1000 every two months to replenish.

That experience at the hospital led her to consider being a part of the change she wants to see. “I have to see what I can do as a community member to ensure that no one is having the type of experience I’m having when they’re down and out and when they need support more than ever.”

Earlier that year she spoke at an International Women’s Day event about the experience of being a woman, a racialized woman, a queer woman, violence against women and the lack of representation or misrepresentation of women at times.

Some people asked her if she had ever considered politics; she told them she had, remembering that when she was 20 years old a former boss, Sandra Lallman, told her that she had a strong voice and strong opinions.

“You should share those, have you considered politics?” she asked.

“But, of course when you’re 20 years old and you don’t see much representation that looks like yourself, you sometimes don’t realize that the dream can be yours. It can be a plan, it doesn’t have to just be something abstract,” said the co-founder of Body Confidence Canada, an organization that advocates to end size and appearance-based discrimination, harassment and bullying.

Andrew said residents of Toronto-St. Paul’s are concerned about education, affordable housing, pharmacare, dental care and seniors care, among other issues.

She said Ontario NDP leader, Andrea Horwath, wants to make Ontario a sanctuary province “where folks can be free to get help, where folks can have a home if they’re running from danger.”

As a 15-year-old student Andrew was told that she should work with her hands and become a hairdresser when she mentioned that she wanted to do law, medicine, veterinary studies or attend university.

“This moment right here is a moment that I haven’t seen in my lifetime. It is going to inspire young girls, inspire young boys, Black youth, racialized youth, Indigenous youth, LGBT youth. It is inspiring us to recognize that we have a right to a seat at the table,” said the PhD candidate at York University.

Smith, an entrepreneur and author, says she chose to represent the Liberal Party because as a single mother she had to work hard to put herself through school. She noted that the government is now helping 235,000 students pursue their education with free tuition, which includes 13,000 single mothers.

The personal development coach said she has seen, first-hand, the impact that the Liberal government has on people’s lives.

“When I go to pick up my son’s asthma medication, I don’t pay a cent and neither do thousands of other families in Oshawa, thanks to OHIP+. And, I know that when my son is playing outside at school I don’t have to worry about the quality of air because of his asthma ever since our government got rid of the cold-powered electricity plants.”

She paid people in Oshawa are concerned about issues like affordable housing and the opioid crisis, which she describes as a public health crisis.

“Representation matters. When we add diversity to the table we have a better chance to fight for fairness and opportunity for everyone,” says Smith about the increased number of Black women, in particular, and racialized candidates, in general, running in the election. “Without a seat at the table we have no say.”

Smith said, “win or learn,” come June 7 she is very passionate about empowering people’s lives and improving the quality of their lives. “That’s what I’ve been doing before I came into this election and that’s what I’ll continue to do after the election.”

Duncan is the vice president of healthcare and client advisorship at the Rosas Center focusing on development and core advancement at the business operations level.

She services and supports patients who have brain injuries and require direct assistance with rehabilitation, medication, community support and extended life management.

“Duncan is focused on many issues for Hamilton Centre including the healthcare crisis, senior support, housing, education and dealing with mental health and the rising homeless issue in the region,” notes the PC ‘s website.

It says she “is committed to focusing on eradicating the issues pertaining to poverty, homelessness and opioid abuse in Hamilton Centre, and is dedicated to improving community wellness and harmony.”

Murray likes the Green Party’s vision of jobs, people and planet. “I find a lot of my ideologies coincide with the Greens and our motto is the same – ‘Doing politics differently.’ We put our electors before our political party,” he says.

He said politics and politicians have a stigma with people and he wants “to change the way we see politics, I want to change the way we view politicians. I want to bring a voice to those who don’t feel they got one. I want to bring authenticity, “the funk” and the real people powered change.”

Affordable housing is the most important election issue in York South-Weston, he says, noting that he came from affordable housing and it has helped him a lot.

“When on average, four years ago, Canadians spent 42% of their income on housing it makes it hard to save, prepare for retirement and live a joyful life. We need more affordable housing, laneway housing, tiny homes, co-op homes and other innovative solutions.”

The Greens have proposed that 20% of new developed units be set a market rate so that people can live in quality more up-to-date homes.

He noted that the cost of electricity is another issue and the government should start looking at cost-saving measures and passing those on to the people.

This includes purchasing power from Quebec at one-third of the price. Murray spent some time in Montreal and said that the electricity bill stuck out the most to him when he compared the lower price there versus the cost in Toronto.

Murray said residents sense his authenticity and that makes conversation much easier on the campaign trail.

He said having more racialized candidates run in elections sends a message, “not only to Queen’s Park, but to our community as a whole.”

“It sends a message to our youth that we can make a difference. Many of us come from backgrounds that require us to overcome obstacles and we use that experience to make changes for the better,” says Murray who has a degree in political science.

At the beginning of May a special video, part of a larger “Get Out The Full Vote” (GOTFV) campaign, was released ahead of this year’s provincial and municipal elections in Ontario.

“Our campaign, called #WeVote, will complement the work members of our coalition have been engaged in already, such as The Canadian-Muslim Vote’s “2018 GOTV” campaign, Operation Black Vote Canada’s recent Black Community Provincial Leaders Debate, the World Sikh Organization’s advocacy training through the Sikh Youth Leadership Institute, and the Tamils in Public Service’s ongoing focus on advocating for women of colour in politics and government.
“#WeVote aims to appeal to racialized voters who do not see themselves represented in politics, feel disempowered by the political system as it stands, or feel that their opinions do not matter. We want to let political parties know that we are engaged, we vote, and that our vote makes a difference in electoral outcomes,” said Morgan and other members of the coalition in an opinion piece in the Toronto Star.

They noted that it is well documented that racialized communities experience unique barriers to civic engagement. “We are under-represented at all three levels of government, and especially in municipal politics.”

On May 25, the Jamaican Canadian Association and other collaborators will hold a “Black Provincial Candidates Meet, Greet & Support” at the Jamaican Canadian Centre where candidates will share their plans and community members can support them.

Two days after the provincial election, Operation Black Vote Canada will hold a “Black Women’s Political Summit” in preparation for the municipal election in October and federal election in 2019, on Saturday, June 9, 10am-3pm at 136 Isabella Street in Toronto.

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