Bambi would like to thank her friend Samer (name changed to protect his privacy) for sharing the following link:
https://www.boyden.ca/canada/opportunities/board-members-18686504/index.html
From Boyden Canada, you can read the job description (shown further below), calling for “Applicants/Nominations to the Inaugural Board of Directors for Black Opportunity Fund.”
From this call, we learn about Black Opportunity Fund (BOF) meant to “combat anti-Black racism in Canada”. Yes, Canada is SO racist and so anti-black that it needs such initiatives now? As Samer wondered in a very candid way: “Is there a white opportunity fund… or are you telling us that all the funds available before were destined for whites only?!!!”
Do you also see the hidden message underlying all these initiatives: If you have a black skin, you are not good enough to compete for the usual funds or usual business opportunities? Don’t you see this as an insult, like Bambi does? Had she been a black (not just a so-called BIPOC) deer wanting to use the services of Boyden Canada, she would have been insulted to see this initiative, despite the good stated intentions. She bets many other business leaders would be asking the same question as Samer. Keep in mind that both him and her are so-called “people of colour”.
Why aren’t we simply valuing the richest capital ever—whom we are as a person in life, that is with all our richness that has been built on the integration of our heritage with our culture/environment, along with our personal choices/decisions in life. Why aren’t rewarding hard work, creativity, and agency?
Plus, how are we going to assess the eligibility of those Applicants/Nominations? Is it by relying on Teams or Zoom platforms’ images (looking for a tanned appearance?). What if they may be Middle Eastern like Samer, but who tans beautifully over the summer? Are we going to administer a skin hue test to them then?
Once again, we are putting ALL so-called blacks together. We are not looking at a Canadian say from Nova Scotia who happens to be of black heritage or a recent immigrant from Nigeria or a Québecker of Haitian descent.
We are also telling Canadians that they are racist in such as systemic and systematic way that we are now creating a two-tier society (or two-tier system of everything). Is this the ideal way to be truly inclusive?
The tragedy according to Bambi is that our governments, big companies, and even charities are talking this talk and/or taking acts in this direction. What will be the end result of all this? Will it truly bring more social justice and more equality?
Not only our federal government is behind with vaccines, compared to other countries, and decent basic living conditions to our first nations (i.e., running water, etc.), it is also dividing us further and further without any vision of unity and development of talents/skills (https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/from-vaccines-to-pipelines-to-clean-water-on-reserves-why-canada-cant-seem-to-get-anything-done). For Bambi, fostering tribalism in a society is VERY worrisome. It is the antidote to progress in a country. It is a dangerous game of playing with fire that can burn us all, just like how Lebanon burned for 15-years during civil war.
To conclude this post, further below you will see the text of Boyden Canada about this job application. Before that, Bambi feels like sharing the following: some of her friends who left Canada to work abroad many years ago do not realize how worrisome our situation is. They think Canada is still where they have left it. It is hard from far away to realize what Bambi is trying to explain in this post and in others. Some kindly still read Bambi’s blog (thank you), even if they do not agree (others sometimes take some self-boycotting breaks from it). Yet many others thank Bambi for the posts or privately share opinions (some generously and even courageously nowadays write comments). Bambi hears sometimes comments about why is she talking like the “far-right” (?), perhaps when she denounces the extremism of the far-left (we all know that the far-right is bad!). Well, Bambi’s answer to all this is the following: If in her own family, one beloved relative known to be to the right, herself historically to the centre-left, and another beloved relative who was a communist in his youth are now all on the same page… Well, this must tell us something about what Bambi and Samer are denouncing. Why don’t our political leaders stop and wonder about how to envision Canada (i.e., what are the implications of their flirt with this or that ideology on our best interests, as a society)?
Whether we are to the left, right, a hardcore federalist (lover of big governments and Trudeauists even), a hardcore socialist or environmentalist, a proud Québecker or Albertan, or maybe simply a Conservative/Libertarian (advocating for small governments like Mr. Maxime Bernier), or if we do not care about directions in life (just about Canada and the future of our children)… let’s pause and then critically use our brains before endorsing this or that policy. Plus, let’s not accuse each other being racists because we are not anti-racists enough, etc.
For an inspiring reading, if you want to take the time, Bambi discovered this thoughtful article over the weekend. Food for thought… https://www.persuasion.community/p/john-mcwhorter-the-neoracists
——-
Job Description
Call for Applications/Nominations
to the Inaugural Board of Directors for Black Opportunity Fund.
Black Opportunity Fund (BOF) has been established to combat anti-Black racism
in Canada by building a sustainable and long-term pool of capital for the Black
community.
To fulfill its mission to raise and mobilize the world’s largest permanent pool
of capital to serve and empower the Black community, BOF will be established as
a registered charity with three distinct pools of capital: a Philanthropic
Giving Pool that provides support to charitable organizations that meet BOF’s
giving criteria, a Black Business Pool used to provide financing for Black
businesses, and an Investment Pool used to make responsible investments to
generate income for BOF.
BOF is currently governed by a Steering Committee, serving as an interim Board
of Directors. Early in 2021, the Steering Committee will transition fiduciary,
strategic and generative duties to a Board of Directors comprised of 15-20
accomplished individuals who are members of and/or have a demonstrated track
record of commitment to Canada’s Black communities.
Comprised of exemplary individuals from across Canada, the newly formed Board
of Directors will bring a mix of skills in Investments, Accounting/Audit,
Legal, Governance, Communications/Marketing, Strategy, Investment Risk,
Non-profit/Granting, and Entrepreneurship/Venture Capital. The Board will also
include representatives with experience in the areas of Social Justice,
Education, and Health.
To explore this exciting opportunity further, please click Apply to submit your
resume and information.
To nominate someone, email their name and bio to nchambers@boyden.com. Be sure
to write “BOF Board Nomination” in the subject line of your email.
We would like to thank all the applicants but regret that we are only able to
personally contact those individuals whose backgrounds best match the
requirements for the role.”
I think you’re pointing out a thorn in the our university’s flesh. And it is hard to stand up for this fight; the fight for freedom of speech and ideas. Identity politics divides groups, and does not unite them. If I can offer you any words of encouragement, I would say, no one has any place to tell you what you can and cannot say. And especially within your personal domain. I’m glad to hear a professor stands up for this right.