PrairieAFRICAN Issue #4 July, 2021 - understanding our roots, promoting our culture I want to be able to Hagler had to fight Africa is a diverse This year’s Canada represent the people his way to a title continent, anyone Day celebration of St. Vital as best as after being snubbed could tell you that. should be low-key, possible. Currently, by high-profile But did you know especially I’m advocating opponents who that descendants of after shattering for a local vaccine would rather not the medieval Nubia discoveries site, in St vital, to engage a southpaw; people can still be regarding residential make vaccination but his opportunity found amongst us? school victims more accessible. Meet Martino Laku. were unearthed. PoliticsPage 3 did come. SportsPage 10 CulturePage 5 LifePage 8 Bill 212 Is Geared Towards Change In Our Province. Says Rookie Black Politician Who Beat An Incumbent Jamie Moses . - Audrey Gordon MLA (St. Vital) . Mandatory Training For Provincial Employees amie Moses is one of the three black Manitoba triple A (AAA) provincial MLA’s sworn into the Manitoba male athlete of the year, and a basketball Jlegislative Assembly, after 150 coach, Jamie is passionate about sports Who Is years of its existence. Remember, no and funding recreation opportunities for black person has ever served as member young people. He played football for the of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly Manitoba Bisons, during his hey days as before now. And we captured three seats, a sportsman, and still holds the Winnipeg TB all at once. Mr. Moses beat an incumbent High School Football League record, for and former minister, Colleen Mayer, in a the most receiving yards in a game (270 rematch of the 2016 contest for the seat of yards). Jamie and his wife, Shannon, raise St. Vital MLA. Jamie, who is a long-time their two children in St. Vital. Joshua? prophet is not without honor, resident of St. Vital, previously worked We caught up with Jamie, early in the except in his own country, so in the financial and agricultural services Winter, to ask him about Bill 212, a bill he goes the viral biblical quotation sectors of the economy. He was elected introduced to the assembly, last November, A Shirley Chisholm by the lord Jesus. One of his most revered MLA for St. Vital in September of 2019 seeking mandatory training for provincial apostles, Saul who later became Paul, also and serves as the Official Opposition Critic employees. The bill which did not pass them when the world will come to an end? wrote that, “God hath chosen the foolish for Economic Development and Training. second reading last March, owing to some No one knows for certain because the one things of the world to confound the wise.” Mr. Moses has been a community leader kind of filibustering by members of the who should know never gave a definitive If you want to see a christian minister for health care groups, the Glenwood ruling party, is likely to come up again in answer to that question. It is stated that the parambulate and beat around the bush Community Centre, and the Glenwood the future; and Jamie is hoping to get lord will return “like a thief in the night” without answering your question, just ask Parent Advisory Council. As a former continued on page 8 continued on page 6 Happy Canada day prairieafrican.com PrairieAFRICAN 2 - understanding our roots, promoting our culture July, 2021 Something needs to happen A Few Good Men Store Greeters or Hostile Watchers? - How do you feel shopping with Armed Police on the watch? hopping is fast turning into a to better use elsewhere. Some citizens these lines. My writing comes from a questions so you can be the judge: nightmare these days. Imagine might not understand the hue and cry. strong resolve to warn before things start walking into a grocery store After all, if you don’t like it you can shop S to go wrong. Something needs to change 1. Why do we have gun-toting and seeing armed police personnel at store at the competition. The problem with that quickly. I remember a didactic lesson that fronts instead of the usual greeters. You’ll line of thinking is that these people, most policemen in Superstore? new drivers always are told. I’m sure you almost pinch yourself to consciousness. likely don’t shop there, or don’t even must’ve heard it too. Anytime a pedestrian Armed personnel in grocery stores is shop at all. If they do, they also cannot 2. Is this the only solution to comes in contact with a moving vehicle, usually the norm in countries where bear the imagery of armed combatants whatever made you arrive at this they always end up on the losing side, at they are at war, and there’s no hope at their local store on a daily basis. The decision? least physically. Anytime a car comes in of a resolution in sight. I’m sure you very idea is anachronistic to shopping. It contact with a train, I shouldn’t complete have a picture of those countries, either is crude, suspicious and troubling, like the 3. How long are we going to that for you. So, you see! Anytime a farther south of our borders or far far Orwellian Thought Police. History has keep seeing these men with guns in human comes in close proximity to a lion, away in some distant Banana republic never been wrong. History shows that the Superstore? it doesn’t always end well, at least not for where gun-wielding security men are society condones the targeting of Black the human, and, I admit, sometimes, not Why are we afraid for nothing? The a constant menace to the psyche of the and communities of colour by providing for the lion too. Why put armed police in reason is simple. People who know will citizens. It reminds me of an African socially acceptable reasons for injustice. a store where minorities and immigrants tell you that police work is guided by too proverb that says, “an aged woman will The idea is not about monitoring goods frequent? Anyway, the officer directed us much lee way, that is, they work mostly always feel uneasy whenever dry bones and persons, it seems, but to strike fear to the store management if we had further by discretion; and this, however, has been are mentioned” (Author unknown). To into the minds of innocent immigrants who questions, and we did. A customer service proven to be unfavourable to Blacks and think of having law enforcement (armed have come to shop for their daily needs. clerk we spoke to directed us to speak with people of colour in Canada. So much so to the teeth) in a grocery store where It smacks of over-policing in Black and the store manager and provided us with a that it has not only seen Black, Indigenous mothers have clutching young ones, in Indigenous residential areas. No thanks to phone number. On calling that number, and people of colour harassed and a country that prides itself as one of the the fact that they have chosen to shop there we spoke with a customer service agent, embarrassed by the many dehumanizing safest countries in the world, leaves much for reasons of proximity or availability of named Terry, who claimed there were no practices of the police such as, “stop and to be desired. Yet, that is the fate of some products. Comparing apples to apples, law enforcement personnel in their stores frisk” and “strip searches,” to mention of us in Canada. Many of us emigrated Walmart, Sobeys, and Save-On-Foods but only private security. When asked to a few, but has also led to the unwanton to Canada because of security issues don’t have such intimidating presence, at provide her location for verification, she deaths of many Black and Indigenous back home, but I can’t recall seeing law least, not in my neighbourhood. quickly docked under privacy concerns youth at the hands of the police. enforcement in grocery stores back home In line with our commitment to Recipes from and asked that we go to the local store History has shown that the police are either. That puts me in a really precarious always ask the hard questions, we went Ethiopia made with our concerns. Terry quickly ended the not necessarily the right organization to situation. It’s either I’m losing my mind or out to seek answers to this riddle. First, I call, as expected, when asked to transfer handle certain tasks. They just don’t have someone’s playing a trickwith on me. love Walking for approached one of the officers in the store, me to a supervisor. A call back to the same the required skillset. The funny thing is into a superstore location reminds one and inquired to know why there was police Winnipeg families number put me in the French queue, and that nobody knows who Machaur Madut of those countries where armed struggle presence there. The officer, who spoke on further calls on the same day were never is, and nobody cares to find out, because still exist; or better, countries where condition of anonymity, said they were answered. A call to the local store was he’s not their family. But he was killed by terrorists hold sway and the government being hired by the store management to answered by Barb who said she couldn’t police attending to a mental health call, is trying hard to dislodge them.