Jane and Finch anti-poverty activist Butterfly Gopaul says the recent defence of Justin Trudeau’s “blackface” incidents by Liberal Humber River-Black Creek candidate Judy Sgro reaffirms how current political representation is failing the black community.

Sgro, who is hoping to return as MP for the community she has represented since 1999, defended the Liberal leader’s blackface incidents during an interview on the GBKM.FM (Great Benin Kingdom Media) station.

In the interview, Sgro said that the incidents happened 20 years ago, and “all of us were young at one time, and all of us sometimes made poor choices, and did things that may not be appropriate in today’s world.”

What she said next is what created all the furor on Twitter:

“Let me tell you that, knocking on doors and being in the plazas and talking to people to make sure that I’m as sensitive as I need to be if I miss something ... Those in the Black community have told of how much more love they have for the prime minister. That he wanted to have a blackface. That he took great pride in that, too. And that it’s the media that has blown this into something that it shouldn’t be.”

Sgro was at a debate at Seneca@York Wednesday, where she was approached by toronto.com reporter Aaron D’Andrea for comment. She apologized for the “insensitivity of my comments,” but refused to say anything more.

“I think my statement speaks for itself, that’s why I’m not going to be commenting any further,” she added.

Her statement was emailed and shared on social media.

It reads: “The comments I made on GBKM FM were insensitive. I should have known better, and I apologize. The history of blackface is deeply racist and it is nothing other than discriminatory. This issue has sparked an important conversation in our country and needs to be treated with great seriousness and sensitivity. I will continue to have these important conversations with my constituents.”

Gopaul said the response was “affirming because of where this community is under her watch but it’s also really sad that she felt that was a good response.”

“She’s had the time to make those connections, and to understand systemic racism and she hasn’t used her power to shake that at all.”

Neethan Shan, executive director of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, said in a phone interview that he was “disgusted” by Sgro’s comments, especially considering the fact she has been the elected representative for so long in an area with a high Black Canadian population.

“This is insulting to the Black community in that area,” said Shan, adding he’s “appalled” by Sgro’s “lack of understanding of what racism is.”

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Shan pointed out that Trudeau has publicly expressed regret over his decisions to wear blackface, and Sgro should “commit to learning from her mistakes.”

Andray Domise, a Toronto-based writer and activist, received the interview clip from a friend and posted it on Twitter. Also reached by phone, he said he found it “objectively funny” that Sgro would say what she did “with a straight face to a Black woman!”

Domise, who ran for a council seat against Rob Ford in the 2014 municipal election, said it’s up to voters to decide what should be done about this situation, but he hopes this incident will lead to bigger conversations about structuralized racism.

“We’ve got to grow up as a country. We’ve got to move on from this,” he said.

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