Victor EzejaNigerian Canada-born anti-racism activist, Laurabel Mbah, is waging war against marginalisation of the Black and Indigenous People of Colour (BIPOC) community in Canada. A mother of three-year-old boy, the Communications, Marketing and Fund Development professional is also passionate about helping organisations increase capacity by securing adequate funding for programmes and services.
As member of the Anti-racism Coalition of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, Laurabel has been raising voice to improve the lives of those victims of the disparities in society, especially for BIPOC and other marginalized and underrepresented communities.
In this Interview with Prime Business Africa’s Correspondent, VICTOR EZEJA, Laurabel, who is also founder of Race 2 Dinner, Newfoundland chapter, speaks on how her anti-racism activism came to limelight when the black-American, George Floyd, was murdered in 2020 as well as the results of her struggle against racial inequality in Canada and the entire Western world.
How long have you been into anti-racism activism, what has the experience been like?
This is a bit of an interesting answer. I’d like to clarify. Firstly, I am located in St. John’s Newfoundland Canada, not America but I have been into advocacy for a majority of my life and worked to create inclusive spaces whenever possible but my activism that has been mainly focused on BIPOC individuals came to the public forefront after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. This experience for me has had its ups and downs, asking people to confront racism and internalized biases isn’t easy and can cause quite a bit of tension and verbal attacks on my person but it is worth it to know that minds are changing and some of the non-racialized individuals in power are noticing the inequities and are doing the work however, slowly it might be right now to forge a better tomorrow.
In what forms is racial discrimination manifesting in this era at least in Canada where you reside?
The part of Canada where I reside experiences racism and racial inequality in a manner most might not expect, we do have incidents of overt racism that do occur but what we experience most frequently are micro-aggression as well as systemic and institutionalized racism. Within this province there seems to be a fear that an influx of immigrants and racialized people making their home in Newfoundland and Labrador will change the culture and that is vastly untrue. This fear manifests in ordering of racialized individuals; There is a lack of inclusion in services and products that would cater or care for the needs of racialized persons that are not spearheaded by racialized folks. The lack of understanding and adjustment to economic and medical systems that take into account the manner in which racism and community segregation has on the day-to-day lives of racialized people is also alarming.
In what ways do you engage in activism to fight against racism, marginalization of Blacks and other underrepresented communities?
I advocate and fight for equitable representation whenever possible. As a host of a Tv show called ‘Out of the Fog’, I feature racialized and marginalized guests whenever possible to allow them to share their stories and experiences. I also use this and other platforms to call those who are in power to be accountable for the way their decisions impact these people. Whenever possible I share my platform space and voice with racialized and marginalized communities to allow for them to be visible and to have representation at the decision making table. With my business Race 2 Dinner NL I am also able to get white women and gender diverse individuals to see how racism affects people here and then empower them to be effective allies for equitable change.
What can you count as the success story of your social activism in bridging the gap of racial divide and raising the status of the people of colour?
When it comes to what I would count as a success in the fight for equity and against racism I think it is the fact that more and more racialized and marginalized individuals are speaking up and sharing their experiences as well as that, to an extent, our white counterparts are listening and taking accountability. This is the first and most important step to seeing long-lasting systemic change on all levels.
Based on the current struggle for equality, what is your projection about the condition of the Blacks in the next two years?
I think as Black people we will continue to do what we always do, which is to rise to meet the challenge. I see us moving into more spaces of power by coming together as a community. I see us continuing to tell our stories and share our experiences. I see us supporting each other. I truly believe we have awoken a force that can’t be reckoned with in multiple industries and sectors and for as long as we are true to ourselves we will prevail.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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