Zoom AGM bombed by dysfunctionals hooting the N-Word
Contact Staff
Who are the parents and what kind of society gives a group of obviously dysfunctional teenagers the leeway to assume the authority to launch an all-out racist cyber-attack against Black people, many of them seniors as they congregate for the AGM of the West Island Black Community Association.
The incident happened on the evening of Friday, December 11, when members of the association, about 50 of them gathered via Zoom for the meeting.
Association chairperson Kemba Mitchell told the CONTACT it was very early in the proceedings when the disruptions started with the uninvited guests dropping racist comments and quickly escalated into repeated slurs… with the N-word being the choice word.
She says those attending the meeting were shocked and dismayed at the intrusion, which caused her to eventually shut down the proceedings and go to the police.
Most shocking of course, she says is that the faces and voices behind the attacks were of teenagers who were obviously taking pleasure in the emotional harm they were inflicting.
Ms. Veronica Johnson, who spent a lifetime as an educator, administrator before becoming an Immigration Court Judge, was chairing the meeting when the attack was launched.
She says she is still trying to get past it.
“It’s probably the first time that I was called the N-Word to my face,” she laments. “What’s worse is that it happened to me in my home.”
It is admirable that on the morning of Monday, December 14, there was a political show of force standing against the nasty, childish behavior with representatives of three levels of governments in the west island, Sameer Zuberi, member of Parliament for Pierrefonds-Dollard, Jim Beis, mayor of Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Greg Kelly, MNA for Jacques Cartier all pledging their involvement in the anti-racism fight.
All good but it’s a damn shame that so late in the game of racial reckoning, that Black folks are still being forced on the defensive in trying to come to terms and deal with the ugliest expressions of marginalization and racism.
Also frightening that so much of the anti-Black racism swirling out of the west island come from students and young people.
Again it begs the question about parents, schools.
In the face of other similar incidents, the Lester B Pearson School Board set up a Task Force on Equality and Inclusivity earlier this year. The report is fort coming.
In the meantime, the police are investigating the WIBCA incident.
