Lending Ears – Theme ‘Ours to Tell’ to mark Black History Month as 21 New Citizens Welcomed

By Mohsin Abbas – Milton Reporter Staff

Honouring the Black History Month, Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship hosted a ceremony presided by Citizenship Judge Rochelle Ivri to welcome 21 new Canadian citizens. 

He announced that the theme for 2023 Black History Month is “Ours to Tell”.

“It is an opportunity for all Canadians to listen to the many diverse and vibrant Black voices in communities as they tell their own, unique stories,” he said adding that whether the stories were three or 300 years old, it was time for Canadians to acknowledge that there was still work to be done. 

He further said that as a Minister, he honoured the past, present and future contributions of Black Canadians toward building a nation that is economically, socially and culturally prosperous. 

“In 1995, the Honourable Jean Augustine championed the creation of Black History Month in Parliament, providing all of us with an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of Black communities to Canada. Jean Augustine continues to be a tireless advocate for diversity and inclusiveness in Canada. As Canada’s first female, black member of Parliament, she has played a significant role in helping the country embrace these values and create a more inclusive society,” he explained further. 

Fraser stressed that the efforts to recognise systematic racism and racial discrimination should not stop at Black History Month rather one must continue to address this each month. He reaffirmed that diversity is our strength through the Anti-Racism Strategy 2.0.

 Last year, Canada achieved a historic milestone by welcoming 373,000 new citizens and is set to surpass that record with even greater numbers.