On Tuesday evening Jan. 20, students, community members and elected officials gathered for the Black Excellence in Politics Summit.

Hosted by the University of Waterloo Young Liberals from 6-9 p.m., the summit took place inside the East Campus 5 (EC5) building. Despite the heavy snowfall, attendees exceeded the room capacity to give and receive encouraging messages to help youth in the Black community engage in Canadian politics. 

For the event, many MPs, MPPs and political candidates attended to share inspiring speeches for the youth. The guest lineup included Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe, Waterloo MP Bardish Chagger, Kitchener-Conestoga MP Tim Louis, former Waterloo MPP candidate Clayton Moore, Kitchener mayor Berry Vrbanovic, human rights lawyer Vikram Handa, and many more MP, MPPs, and former candidates from across Ontario.

Among the speakers was Greg Fergus, the MP for Hull-Aylmer, also the first Black house speaker to be elected as a speaker of the House of Commons. He shared his insights and his journey in politics as a member of the Black community in Canada.

“That is the reason why we want diversity… It’s not just because it’s a great moral thing to do. Actually, the best way to make policy, is the best way to make decisions, because you can actually have a different perspective to be challenged,” Fergus said, emphasizing that diversity is not only a matter of morality in society but it is an impact that changes how policy is built. 

Former provincial candidate for Kitchener South-Hespeler Ismail Mohamed challenged the idea that young people should wait until the “future” for their turn, reinforcing the power of Black community’s presence in Canadian politics. Instead of students to wait for permission to raise their voice, he suggested stepping up today.

Further into the summit, Moore encouraged that youth engagement and responsibility in politics is up now, not up next. He also emphasized that Black excellence in politics is more than just individual success but it strengthens the health of our democracy as a whole.

Moore said, “Tonight is a reminder of responsibility. We’ve got a duty to make space. To listen, to remove barriers, and to speak up when those are being excluded, especially when it would be easier to stay silent.” 

As the summit continued, the room remained engaged with warm applause for speakers. Many attendees took advantage of the special opportunity to speak one-on-one with the guest speakers, reminding youth that voices of the Black community belong in politics today. 

Region of Waterloo councillor Colleen James (Kitchener) speaks at the Black Excellence in Politics Summit on Jan. 20. (Photo credit: Annora Jo)

Greg Fergus, MP for Hull-Aylmer, is the first Black house speaker to be elected as a speaker of the House of Commons. He attended the summit on Jan. 20. (Photo credit: Annora Jo)