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*The deadline for signatures is Tuesday, April 14, 2020 at midnight.


April 13, 2020


THE PEOPLE OF NORTH PRESTON, EAST PRESTON, CHERRY BROOK AND LAKE LOON ARE OWED AN APOLOGY IMMEDIATELY!

During the April 7, 2020 daily briefing, both the Premier and the Chief Medical Officer engaged in behaviour and the use of language that both exacerbated longstanding anti-Black racial tensions in the province, and stigmatized members of these communities as vectors and carriers of disease.

Diseases don't discriminate, but people do. Despite the widespread discussions of the report on street checks, and the release of the Wortley Report; the International Decade for People of African descent and the province’s subsequent Count Us In Action Plan the Premier speaks as though he's never heard of racism in present-day Nova Scotia.

The history of medical racism in Canada, along with the importance of the social determinants of health cannot be set aside during this pandemic. We are all concerned with the vulnerability of people with comorbidities (the presence of two or more illnesses or chronic diseases). In addition, taking into consideration the social determinants of health, we must also consider racism, poverty, incarceration, limited literacy, over-crowded living conditions, lack of social supports and limited access to health services as simultaneously present chronic conditions in need of consideration. In order to do this, a provincial plan for addressing COVID-19 in Black communities and with Black people is necessary.

BLACK PEOPLE IN NOVA SCOTIA DESERVE AN APOLOGY.

The Spectator published an article on April 7, 2020 in which Dr. Strang is quoted as saying “rather than harass or shame individuals, people need to offer help and support so the person in question feels able to self-isolate and has the support to see them through the period of isolation.” And we couldn’t agree more. We wonder though, how are the people of North Preston, East Preston, Cherry Brook and Lake Loon to feel supported when the Premier calls them reckless and selfish? How does this behaviour from the Premier demonstrate compassion and support?

The ill-advised choice to single out North Preston has caused harm and also signals the inability of the Premier and Chief Medical Officer to understand how anti-Black racism impacts our lives and our health care. The following day, Dr. Strang claimed he did not know why people were being stigmatized and judged. We state that the reason for this stigmatization and judgement is racism. Anti-Black racism is not simply calling people by the n-word. It is also the daily micro- and macro-aggressions Black people encounter. The impacts of racism makes us members of the “more vulnerable” and this must be acknowledged.

It is our understanding that the daily briefings are to share information and educate the public on how best to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Yet both the Premier and the Chief Medical Officer are becoming increasingly angry that people don’t seem to get it. People do not learn when being shamed nor admonished. If people are not getting the message, then it needs to be delivered in a different way. Resorting to name calling is the work of a bully, not the work of leaders. Passing off this disturbing behaviour as being frustrated is not an explanation. It is an excuse, and a poor one.

It is time to move forward and turn the page. And the only way to do that is for the Premier and the Chief Medical Officer to provide an unreserved apology to all members of North Preston, East Preston, Cherry Brook, Lake Loon and African Nova Scotian communities across the province.
 
When/if COVID-19 begins to show up in other communities, African Nova Scotians in these communities need to be assured that they won’t be called names but will be engaged respectfully and thoughtfully.

We cannot afford to have the same conversations again and again. For example, it took years and an Ontario professor's report before many white Nova Scotians took seriously an issue that Black Scotians had consistently raised with the police and with the public. We do not need a white Ontario scholar to tell us that now is the time to address anti-Black racism in health care or in a pandemic, or now is the time to collect race-based data. Black Scotians are and have been telling the province of these needs.

NO MORE BLAMING! NO MORE SCOLDING! STOP THREATENING our communities with increased police and surveillance. Policing is not the way to manage this pandemic. Community collaboration is the only way to move forward.

It is time to demonstrate what respectful leadership and collaboration looks like with African Nova Scotians. IN ADDITION TO THE APOLOGY,
1. begin the immediate collection of DISAGGREGATED RACE-BASED DATA.
2. begin to DEVELOP A PROACTIVE PLAN, with the necessary resources on how to address COVID-19 in African Nova Scotian communities from Sydney to Digby.

The time is now!

Signed: