Winnipeg residents discuss identity and racial classification

Olsen Jarvis, an Antiguan-born respiratory therapist, began exploring his ancestral roots after encountering a Malcolm X quote about the concept of a “country called Black” while attending the University of Manitoba. This exploration led him to trace his ethnicity back to Ghana, sparking a broader conversation about identity within the African diaspora.

The United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent, the Black Lives Matter movement, and increased immigration from the Caribbean and Africa have brought discussions about identity to the forefront in Winnipeg. A central debate revolves around whether individuals should identify as Black or as people of African descent.

Tracing the word ‘Black’

Historian Matthew Jacobson explains that the term “whiteness” was initially reserved for people of Anglo-Saxon descent, with Africans classified as “Black” and placed at the bottom of the social hierarchy to justify slavery. Joy DeGruy, in her book Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, details the various racial identifiers imposed on Africans throughout history. Christine Lwanga, a social work researcher at the University of Manitoba, emphasizes that genetic science has proven there is only one human race, with skin tone variations being the primary difference.

African Ancestry and Identity

Scientists have confirmed that humans originated in Africa. Reem Elmahi, a University of Manitoba student, highlights that Sudan’s full Arabic name translates to “Land of the Blacks,” demonstrating a rich history of Black identity within Sudan. Phyllis Reid-Jarvis, founder of Ultimate Potentials, questions the existence of a “country called Black,” drawing a parallel to how people identify with their ancestral homelands like Italy.

Reclaiming Black Identity

Sandy Hudson, founder of Black Lives Matter Canada, views identifying as Black as a political statement, expressing pride in the term and its association with Blackness. Barrington Walker, associate vice-president of equity, diversity and inclusion at Wilfred Laurier University, identifies as Black due to his family history and the impact of enslavement and racialization.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians, visit CBC’s “Being Black in Canada” project.