Powerful words from a Chilliwack child filled the BC Legislature this week.
Eevah Macdonald, an 11-year-old student from the Chilliwack-Kent area, has been the target of racism and bullying at school, and her mother, Marina, posted about the incidents on Facebook.
Chilliwack-Kent MLA Kelli Paddon saw those posts and reached out to the Macdonald family.
Eevah was invited to visit the BC Legislature, and while she wasn乌鸦传媒檛 able to address MLAs directly in the House, she was asked to put pen to paper, writing a statement for Paddon to read.
Paddon delivered Eevah乌鸦传媒檚 impactful message Thursday (Oct. 21).
The following is what the young girl wrote:
乌鸦传媒淭hey said because I am black, I should go kill myself, that I should be an example for other black people to do the same. They said that I am like a dog. It乌鸦传媒檚 kind of like when a tree gets cut down and it乌鸦传媒檚 just left there and forgotten. That乌鸦传媒檚 how I felt. Left there with damage, by myself.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 like some people think that because I乌鸦传媒檓 black, because I乌鸦传媒檓 not white, I am just something. An object. But what乌鸦传媒檚 real is that it doesn乌鸦传媒檛 matter what your skin looks like. You乌鸦传媒檙e beautiful just the way you are. The most important things about me are my funniness and my kindness. I乌鸦传媒檓 proud that I stick up for people. I speak up for people. I乌鸦传媒檓 a safe place for someone.
乌鸦传媒淪omeday, I乌鸦传媒檓 going to dance en pointe. Someday people are going to see me 乌鸦传媒� that I乌鸦传媒檓 brave and I乌鸦传媒檓 smart and I乌鸦传媒檓 good and I乌鸦传媒檓 strong, that I乌鸦传媒檓 a sister and a daughter, that I乌鸦传媒檓 sensitive and I乌鸦传媒檓 funny, that I like to laugh, and I like to make people laugh. That I乌鸦传媒檓 more than Black. But there乌鸦传媒檚 nothing wrong with being Black. I乌鸦传媒檓 happy that maybe this doesn乌鸦传媒檛 happen as much anymore, that maybe some people don乌鸦传媒檛 know it still happens. It乌鸦传媒檚 not funny. It doesn乌鸦传媒檛 matter where you heard it or who said it or if you read it on the Internet. It doesn乌鸦传媒檛 matter how they meant it. It乌鸦传媒檚 racism. It hurts. I乌鸦传媒檓 a person, and I matter.乌鸦传媒�
The bullying happened days before Eevah乌鸦传媒檚 birthday, and Paddon took the opportunity to gather birthday wishes from women of colour in the BC government, 乌鸦传媒渟o that she (Eevah) could see and hear that racism is not winning.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淚 thank them for the real difference that they made to this young girl in Chilliwack-Kent,乌鸦传媒� Paddon said. 乌鸦传媒淭hen, we invited her here so that we could show her that her voice can be a powerful vehicle for change. It was certainly powerful to meet Eevah and hear her words.乌鸦传媒�
eric.welsh@theprogress.com
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