Minister of National Defence Video Message for Black History Month
Video / February 13, 2023
Transcript
Minister of National Defence Anita Anand
Hello,
I am joining you from the traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg peoples. Today and every day, we are committed to meaningful reconciliation.
In February every year, Canadians across the country celebrate Black History Month.
This month, we recognize the extraordinary achievements of Black Canadians, including the members of our Canadian Armed Forces.
They are the Black soldiers, the sailors, the aviators, the special forces, and the civilian Defence members who demonstrated remarkable resilience during our country's most formative moments—from the beaches of Normandy to the mountains of Afghanistan, as well as here at home.
As Canadians, we pride ourselves on honoring, celebrating, and paying tribute to our history. But while we have passed on courageous stories of some Canadian war heroes.
Too often we have forgotten the Black Canadians who served right along side them.
So, this month, we remember heroes like Edwin Phillips, the young aviator who died in the Second World War delivering medical supplies to the devastated Polish population.
Women like Cecilia Butler, who worked in a factory in Toronto during the war, making the essential munitions and supplies needed to support the front.
We remember Frederick and James Lindsay—brothers from my hometown of Kentville, Nova Scotia.
During the First World War, like hundreds of Black Canadians, Frederick and James were eager to fight for Canada, only to be turned away.
They were told it was a white man's war.
Black Canadians mobilized for support and two years later, created the No 2. Construction Battalion—our nation's first and only Black battalion.
No 2. Construction Battalion
We did not give them the same resources as their brothers in arms.
They were segregated. They were given non-combat roles.
While the others went into the battlefield with rifles, the No 2. Construction Battalion got pickaxes.
But in the face of adversity, their resilience was ironclad.
The 600-soldier battalion built the roads, the railways, and the trenches that were crucial to Canada's war effort.
Last July, I joined the Prime Minister in offering a national apology to the members and descendants of No 2. Construction Battalion.
Our apology was not just for the prejudice and the racial injustice the members faced historically, It was an apology for the recognition, the dignity, and the hero's welcome that never were given.
And this month, I was glad that the Royal Canadian Mint issued a silver collector coin in honour of the battalion. Canadians across the country will be able to pay tribute to the Battalion's members.
Government of Canada Supports
While we have come a long way in making Canada more inclusive, more diverse, and more equitable, There is still much work to be done.
- That is why our government has launched Canada's first Black Entrepreneurship Program to support and empower Black Canadian business owners and entrepreneurs.
- Through the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative, we invest in Black-led organizations, initiatives and community spaces that focus on the needs of Black communities.
- And the Canadian Armed Forces have ramped up recruitment efforts in multicultural and Black Canadian communities.
Page details
- Date modified: