Government Urged to Show Leadership

Inappropriate comments made by Premier Russell MacLellan about the Indigenous Black and Mi'kmaq Program at the Dalhousie law school reinforce misconceptions about affirmative action, says the acting executive director of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission.

"While the Premier has apologized, his comments refueled the myth that affirmative action academic programs produce graduates of lesser quality," said Maureen Shebib. "The Indigenous Black and Mi'kmaq program does not create a separate standard of legal education for Black and Mi'kmaq students. Rather, it attempts to remove some of the systemic barriers preventing Black and Mi'kmaq people from gaining access to a legal education in the first place."

Ms. Shebib said the real issue that needs to be closely examined and addressed is the systemic racism confronting Black and Aboriginal graduates and lawyers seeking employment with Nova Scotia law firms. "I would encourage law firms to take a close look at themselves and ask: Why don't we have Black and Mi'kmaq lawyers in our offices?"

Complaints to the Human Rights Commission show that racially visible people continue to face very serious barriers to equality. Systemic barriers exist when processes and systems for recruitment, training and advancement block opportunities for historically disadvantaged people, such as Blacks and Mi'kmaq.

Such systemic barriers are rooted in the historic economic, political and social exclusion of racially visible Nova Scotians. Affirmative action programs, such as the Indigenous Black and Mi'kmaq Program, are a remedy for systemic discrimination.

The premier and the government have a responsibility to show leadership in the dismantling of systemic discrimination and in the promotion of equality for all Nova Scotians, said Ms. Shebib. "Government as a whole should examine who it is doing business with. A clear message through action must be sent; the message that the government is prepared to do business only with businesses that actively promote equality."

Ms. Shebib said she is encouraged that Darrell Pink, the executive director of the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society, plans to meet soon with the Deputy Minister of Justice, Gordon Gillis, to discuss the employment situation confronting Black and Mi'kmaq graduates of the Dalhousie law school.

"I hope and trust that positive action ultimately will result from the Premier's ill-advised comments."