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B.C. Premier John Horgan worried about 㽶Ƶֱrise of racism㽶Ƶֱ in Canada

Asked to comment on Justin Trudeau㽶Ƶֱs 㽶Ƶֱblackface㽶Ƶֱ incidents
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Premier John Horgan talks with coastal Indigenous chiefs at event marking salmon farm monitoring agreement, B.C. legislature, Sept. 19, 2019. (B.C. government)

Premier John Horgan㽶Ƶֱs announcement Thursday was about Indigenous reconciliation, but he couldn㽶Ƶֱt avoid a question about Prime Minister Justin Trudeau㽶Ƶֱs 㽶Ƶֱblackface㽶Ƶֱ photos surfacing from 2001 and their effect on race relations.

Trudeau has been called on to explain a series of pictures and a video that surfaced this week, depicting him in blackface makeup. The incidents date from 2001 when he was a teacher at a Vancouver private school, and earlier.

㽶ƵֱI was as shocked as all Canadians to see the images and the prime minister㽶Ƶֱs response,㽶Ƶֱ Horgan said Thursday. 㽶ƵֱI spoke with my parliamentary secretary Ravi Kahlon today, who has been a racism outreach and education tour of British Columbia. We㽶Ƶֱve seen a rise in racism here in B.C. and in fact across North America and in Europe over the past number of years.㽶Ƶֱ

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Horgan said he doesn㽶Ƶֱt believe he has done anything 㽶Ƶֱculturally insensitive㽶Ƶֱ in his life, 㽶Ƶֱbut have I done stupid things in my life? Absolutely.㽶Ƶֱ

He said people should be accountable for all of their conduct, even if it occurred many years ago.

㽶ƵֱIf I could offer any advice to the prime minister, it is to acknowledge that it was absolutely foolish, and to put it in the context of school setting, even harder to get your head around,㽶Ƶֱ Horgan said. 㽶ƵֱBut I am not without fault when it comes to stupidity, I assure you of that. I grew up in an era before Facebook, and I㽶Ƶֱm very grateful for that.㽶Ƶֱ



tfletcher@blackpress.ca

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