It is not to me that people will believe that there is no systemic racism in Canada and Quebec.
As examples, I like to recall the reaction of the late Jean Pouliot when Réal Barnabé, v.-p. information, had with my full agreement entrusted the TQS weather forecast to Dany Laferrière. “Your c … nigger, you’re going to take ‘that’ off the screen! »When I wanted to add a Black character in my series Banana skin, Robert L’herbier, v.-p. of Télé-Métropole, strongly opposed it: “No, no, the public won’t like it! “
At Radio-Canada, for The Duval heirs, I was suggested to take it easy with intrigues involving blacks. “There are not enough black actors in Quebec”, had one pretext. My ex-wife, who owned a house in Outremont, was blamed by her tenants for renting to a black. Yet he was a columnist in a Montreal daily.
These examples date back to the last century, yes! But things haven’t changed much. Three weeks ago, my hairdresser was indignant that we had rented to a black man in the building he lives in. “Me, if I were a landlord, I would never rent to people like that! “
NETFLIX NEEDS LOVE
Since Stéphane Cardin – a clever and astute man if ever there was one – was appointed director of public policy for Netflix in Canada, he has never missed an opportunity to make the American giant look good. This time, in association with the National Bank and the Media Fund *, Netflix is drawing from its richly stocked coffers (193 million subscribers) to finance the Fabienne Colas Foundation’s “Being Black in Canada” training program. .
A nice helping hand for young blacks aged 18 to 30. Through this partnership, 20 other budding filmmakers from Toronto, Montreal and Halifax will join the cohort of those already registered. In addition to mentoring in the audiovisual professions, the program will allow the production of several documentaries. Next year, the program will roll out to Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver, helping 70 new filmmakers and 55 alumni.
THE BOLD FABIENNE COLAS
Fabienne Colas has come a long way since she was elected Miss Haiti in 2000. Should we thank the jurors of the Miss West Indies Pageant for having ranked third? Without their dubious judgment (!), It might never have ended up in Quebec. As a teenager, she had spent two weeks in Chicoutimi during a school exchange. Her experience must have been happy, since she then decided to settle with us.
The one who had easily landed roles in cinema and television in Haiti encountered the same difficulties here as most blacks. We objected to his color or his accent so as not to engage him. She ends up getting a tiny role one day in Virginie, the series of another Fabienne.
Tired of war, Fabienne Colas reactivated the foundation she had created in Haiti. From beauty queen, she became the queen of the promotion of blacks, their cinema and their culture, creating festival after festival. While in the United States, in the wake of the George Floyd affair, monuments are being debunked with which we do not really know what to do, in Canada, thanks to Fabienne Colas, blacks are building a future to match their talents. .
* I am a member of the Media Fund board
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