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鈥檛 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鈥檚 impactful message Thursday (Oct. 21).
The following is what the young girl wrote:
鈥淭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鈥檚 kind of like when a tree gets cut down and it鈥檚 just left there and forgotten. That鈥檚 how I felt. Left there with damage, by myself.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like some people think that because I鈥檓 black, because I鈥檓 not white, I am just something. An object. But what鈥檚 real is that it doesn鈥檛 matter what your skin looks like. You鈥檙e beautiful just the way you are. The most important things about me are my funniness and my kindness. I鈥檓 proud that I stick up for people. I speak up for people. I鈥檓 a safe place for someone.
鈥淪omeday, I鈥檓 going to dance en pointe. Someday people are going to see me 鈥� that I鈥檓 brave and I鈥檓 smart and I鈥檓 good and I鈥檓 strong, that I鈥檓 a sister and a daughter, that I鈥檓 sensitive and I鈥檓 funny, that I like to laugh, and I like to make people laugh. That I鈥檓 more than Black. But there鈥檚 nothing wrong with being Black. I鈥檓 happy that maybe this doesn鈥檛 happen as much anymore, that maybe some people don鈥檛 know it still happens. It鈥檚 not funny. It doesn鈥檛 matter where you heard it or who said it or if you read it on the Internet. It doesn鈥檛 matter how they meant it. It鈥檚 racism. It hurts. I鈥檓 a person, and I matter.鈥�
The bullying happened days before Eevah鈥檚 birthday, and Paddon took the opportunity to gather birthday wishes from women of colour in the BC government, 鈥渟o that she (Eevah) could see and hear that racism is not winning.鈥�
鈥淚 thank them for the real difference that they made to this young girl in Chilliwack-Kent,鈥� Paddon said. 鈥淭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.鈥�
eric.welsh@theprogress.com
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