A white councillor in Pickering believes that dedicating an entire month to celebrate one race is “racist,” but the mayor of the city is pointing one finger back at her.
This all started when Councillor Lisa Robinson posted a Black History Month opinion piece in the Oshawa-Durham Central Newspaper.
There, she shared her thoughts on everything from the month of February being used as a way to exclude groups of people, claiming the term “White privilege” is prejudice, that politicians use the month to get the Afro-Canadian vote and that everyone knows what it’s like to be a slave, or at least a modern day one.
“In the race to equality is not the celebration of one race over another in itself racist,” she said.
“How does the color of my skin make me privileged? I have had to work hard for everything I own. The point here is that we are all [modern day slaves]. We are led to believe that we have choices.”
Robinson also adds that slavery is not a white and black issue.
PICKERING REACTS
As you can imagine, this did not go over well with many, including the city’s top leader.
Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe called out Robinson for her remarks and said her column was “racist, irresponsible and unethical” and that it’s not worth anyone’s time.
“This does not represent the city and what we stand for,” Ashe said in a statement issued Tuesday.
“I offer a sincere apology to all members of the Black community. To dismiss the celebration of Black History Month is to erase the significant contribution of a people who, despite historical adversity, have left an indelible mark on the development, progress, and richness of our society,” he continued.
Ashe goes on to say that although he believes in free speech, Robinson swore an oath to respect the city’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and that her harmful words will not be tolerated.
On Wednesday, the councillor also fired back, claiming that the mayor’s accusations of her were unfounded.
“I want to make it clear that my intention is to advocate for a society where individuals are not judged by the colour of their skin, their religion, or sexual preference, but by their character,” she said in a statement issued on X.
NOT ROBINSON’S FIRST SCANDAL
This isn’t Robinson’s first scandal involving visible minorities. In 2021, she was dumped by the Conservative party as a candidate for comments she made about people of the Muslim faith.
Islamophobic tweets from 2017 resurfaced in which she told people of the Muslim community to “go home” if Canada’s heritage “offends” them.
However, Robinson says those comments were generated by a fake social media account.
ONTARIO IMPLEMENTS MANDATORY BLACK HISTORY LEARNING
The councillor’s comments come amid the Ontario government’s introduction of mandatory Black History learning for Grades 7, 8 and 10 on the “overwhelming and exceptional” contributions and history of Black Canadians who helped build Canada.
“For the first time, starting in September 2025, classes will include mandatory learning with an emphasis on elevating Black history as Canadian history, by highlighting the various Black communities that emerged, developed and contributed to the development of Canada, including pre- and post-Confederation,” the government’s website reads.
The updated curriculum will start in September 2025.
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