Black Governor General for Canada?

[mountaingal]

This morning's national newspaper saying that a Haitian-born documentary filmmaker and television personality will be named the next Governor General for Canada. This means she would be the Queen's representative in Canada, and, in one respect, the highest ranking official in the country.


Michaelle Jean

[mountaingal]

Re: Black Governor General for Canada?

Haitian-born Quebecker to be Canada's next governor-general

From the Globe and Mail, Aug. 3

Ottawa — A Haitian-born journalist whose family fled the regime of one of the world's most brutal dictators will be tapped Thursday to become Canada's next governor-general.

Sources said Prime Minister Paul Martin will make the surprise-appointment Thursday of Michaelle Jean, a decorated 48-year-old broadcaster and filmmaker. Ms. Jean will replace the outgoing Adrienne Clarkson after an exhaustive search that focused almost exclusively on candidates from Quebec.

She will become Canada's first black governor-general and the third journalist (broadcaster) in a row to be selected after Romeo Leblanc and Ms. Clarkson. She also follows in the steps of Ms. Clarkson in that she is an immigrant and a non-politician.

“Canadians are going to fall in love with this woman,” said a source. “There is no other word to describe her than inspirational. She is extraordinary.”

She is best-known in Quebec as a television journalist on Radio-Canada and was also the host in the English-language CBC Newsworld of the Passionate Eye and Rough Cuts. She has also made a number of award-winning documentaries.

Sources described her life as a “success story” in spite of some difficult odds. Born in Port-au-Prince, Ms. Jean came to Canada in 1968 as an 11-year-old child of parents fleeing the persecution of dictator François “Papa Doc” Duvalier.

In a profile for The Globe and Mail five years ago, Ms. Jean recalled the occasional racist taunts she was forced to absorb as a child in Quebec.

Ms. Jean is married to documentary film-maker Jean-Daniel Lafond and has a six-year-old adopted daughter, Marie-eden, meaning that a family with children will reside at Rideau Hall for the first time since Edward Schreyer took up residence there in 1979.

[halfwaytree]

Re: Black Governor General for Canada?

Never heard of her, but she has a pleasant smile. Smile and the whole world smiles with you as the saying goes.

[Guest]

Re: Black Governor General for Canada?

Since black and Indian people may not be as visible as they should be, as elected officials and such, either one would have been a good choice for the GG post.

Has there ever been a native Canadian GG?

[mountaingal]

Re: Black Governor General for Canada?

no, there's not been a native G-G, though the cuurent lieutenant governor for the province of Ontario is native.

leaders of native people (or First Nations, as they like to be called) prefer to consider themselves peers of the federal government. i'm not sure they think being the Queen's representative would be any real honour.

[yardy]

Re: Black Governor General for Canada?

Actually their was an Indian, too bad he wasn't native he was from Bombay

Sir John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar, 2nd Bart

Governor General: 1869 - 1872
Appointed: December 29, 1868
Sworn in: February 2, 1869, Montreal, Quebec
Born: August 31, 1807, Bombay, India
Died: October 6, 1876

As Mg said they wouldn't like to be involved with the Queen...

too bad, you should really see how some of these natives live [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img] I didn't know that in this time and age people in North America would still be using pit toilets

[Guest]

Re: Black Governor General for Canada?

The position wouldn't be so much for the dubious honor of representing the Queen, but give native Canadians a(nother?) platform for raising their visibility and consequentially exposing their causes.

[Guest]

Re: Black Governor General for Canada?

Originally posted by Style Diva:
[qb] Actually their was an Indian, too bad he wasn't native he was from Bombay

Sir John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar, 2nd Bart

Governor General: 1869 - 1872
Appointed: December 29, 1868
Sworn in: February 2, 1869, Montreal, Quebec
Born: August 31, 1807, Bombay, India
Died: October 6, 1876

[/qb]

Was he an Indian-born white man?

[mountaingal]

Re: Black Governor General for Canada?

Style, I think that baron was most likely white, but just born in India during the British occupation.

BlackStar - the GG position is a patronage position, made at the discretion of the prime minister. i doubt that the PM would appoint any person who would use the post to politicize causes (or by being in the post, draw attention to such causes) that would be be embarrassing for the Canadian government (and there's plenty to be embarrassed about in Canada's relations with native folk). that risk is why perhaps no native person has yet been tapped for GG (i'm speculating, of course).

[dahjah]

Re: Black Governor General for Canada?

good fe har mek wi si who an wah shi a guh represent now [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[SistahD]

Re: Black Governor General for Canada?

Originally posted by mountaingal:
[qb] Style, I think that baron was most likely white, but just born in India during the British occupation.

[/qb]

[Reggae plus]

Re: Black Governor General for Canada?

She's fluent in 5 languages...and young. A GREAT choice. I'm looking forward to her tenure. It'll be LARGE for Canada. Those hailing from different geographical origins will feel a stronger sense of inclusion/representation. That is GOOD. But...perhaps the concept of a governor-general has become dated. Moving forward...maybe we can begin to talk about leaving this colonial symbolism behind. In reality we need a representative of the queen here like we need an earthquake.

[Bawnayaad]

Re: Black Governor General for Canada?

Originally posted by ReggaePlus:
[qb] She's fluent in 5 languages...and young. A GREAT choice. I'm looking forward to her tenure. It'll be LARGE for Canada. Those hailing from different geographical origins will feel a stronger sense of inclusion/representation. That is GOOD. But...perhaps the concept of a governor-general has become dated. Moving forward...maybe we can begin to talk about leaving this colonial symbolism behind. In reality we need a representative of the queen here like we need an earthquake. [/qb]

[mountaingal]

Re: Black Governor General for Canada?

Originally posted by ReggaePlus:
[qb] She's fluent in 5 languages...and young. A GREAT choice. I'm looking forward to her tenure. It'll be LARGE for Canada. Those hailing from different geographical origins will feel a stronger sense of inclusion/representation. That is GOOD.[/qb]

i agree.

[Guest]

Re: Black Governor General for Canada?

Originally posted by Emperah dahJah:
[qb] good fe har mek wi si who an wah shi a guh represent now [img]/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img] [/qb]

Yuh noh hear weh Mtngyal seh, di PM would nat appint anybody who gwine stan fi anyting nor any causes daz why she was appointed.
FIGUREHEAD !!! so gweh...bout Condi

But chroo she a Kanuck is ahrite...mo fyah pon dat [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]