The Canadian Federation of Students’ Black Caucus would like to affirm our continued support and solidarity for the ongoing struggles of liberation highlighted in June: Pride Month and National Indigenous History Month. While it is sometimes easy to think of these two as separate, we know that the dismantling of the systems of oppression that enable homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia, are interconnected with those that prop up colonialism and white supremacy. The reflections on the stories of the 2SLGBTQIA+ and Indigenous communities required of us this month and year-round are political. Pride is political. National Indigenous History Month is political and the very identities within these communities are political. Their very existence is political because of the structures enacted by colonial forces to erase their identities and histories from this land. It is our collective duty to rise for one another, protect one another, recognize the similarities in our differences and resist the erasure of these identities and their narratives, especially their intersectionalities within the Black community.

This month we would like to continue to reflect on how far we have come as a society, as a student movement, and how far we still have to go. We have made it this far because those who came before us refused to be silenced. Those who paved the way for us were resilient and rose up against injustice. As we look at the incidents of hate and oppression like the underreported/unreported killings of Black Trans folks, and the ongoing genocide of Indigenous folk and missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit persons, we must recognize that incidents like the recent discoveries of the remains of Indigenous children at residential school sites are not shocking discoveries but a harsh reminder that Canada is indeed a violent colonial state and we cannot afford to be silent. Colonialism is not an artifact of history, bigotry and hate are not aspects of the past. We must continue to educate ourselves, resist all oppressive forces and continue to stand in solidarity with all who are marginalized within our communities. Happy Indigenous History Month. Happy Pride Everyone.

Moboluwajidide (Bo) Joseph – Black Caucus National Executive Representative blackstudentsrep@cfs-fcee.ca

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