Speaking to Americans last week, in the midst of protests and civil unrest across the United States, Barack Obama said in a nationally broadcast town hall, “I’ve heard some people say, ‘You have a pandemic, then you have these protests; …
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Trudeau must understand anti-Black racism has to stop, and he’s got the power to help stop it
Both Canada and the United States are each deeply embroiled in the largest pandemic of anti-Black systemic racism since the height of the Martin Luther King civil rights movement that featured vicious attack dogs, and the brutal beatings, shootings, and …
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COVID-19 And African Canadians: a festering, unresolved problem
COVID-19 has bluntly shown all of us that African-Canadian front-line essential workers have been disproportionally affected with this highly contagious and deadly virus, even without supporting comprehensive scientific data. We now know that visible minority researchers throughout Canada have been …
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From a friendship to a legacy
This article originally appeared on dal.ca on February 27, 2020
When The Honourable Don Oliver (LLB ‘64), retired Senator, met Wade Dawe at a business conference in 2009, he could not have imagined it would lead to a lifelong friendship, …
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Valentines Day
For Linda Oliver, February 14th, 2020 was not a year for a celebratory meal at a five star French restaurant with Champagne and roses.
Instead, we went to the 1600 seat Ikeda Theatre in the well known Mesa Arts Center …
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Order of Canada
This article appeared in Share , January 9-22, 2020.
Read more: ‘Seven Haligonians appointed to Order of Canada‘ (HalifaxToday.ca, Dec. 30, 2019)
Given six months to live after a rare debilitating heart disease diagnosis in 2015, retired Senator …
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There’s a gaping hole in our democracy
This Op-Ed originally appeared in The Hill Times on June 19, 2019.
As the United Nations puts it, for far too many Canadians, anti-Black racism, discrimination and inequality are part of their daily lives. It reaches into our democratic institutions.…
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A Personal Tribute to My Aunt Portia White, Contralto
A collection of photos and videos, including a recording of these remarks and songs in tribute to Portia White, can be found on Dropbox.
On a frigid, cold and blustery day in mid February, 1968, my mother (Helena Oliver—oldest …

Black History Month 2019
It’s an honour to have this opportunity to talk with you about Black History Month today. In a sense, I’m sorry we still need a month set aside simply to remember the contributions of African Canadians. I will be a …
Continue ReadingBlack Canadian Youth: Boundless, Rooted and Proud
February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate and remember all the ways that Black Canadians have contributed to Canada’s history and culture.
This year’s theme is Black Canadian Youth: Boundless, Rooted and Proud, which recognizes how Black …
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