'Let's call it what it is:' Black New Brunswickers reflect on racism then and now

Growing up in 1930s Fredericton, Greta Fequa didn't take anything for granted.

Because she was black, she couldn't sleep at the Lord Beaverbrook Hotel, had to watch movies from the theatre balcony, and couldn't work at the five-and-dimewhere she shopped.

"Several years later, they hired one black person," Fequa said in an interview as Black History Month came to an end. "But she was very light-skinned."

Fequawas called names at school and was turned away when she looked for apartments. Herbrother could not join the RCMP because of the colour of his skin.

A lot has changed since, says the 91-year-old Fequa, who now lives in New York state.

But that doesn't mean racial profiling and stereotyping are gone. It's just less obvious, she says.

The biggest difference between then and now is younger people todaywon't put up with racism, Fequasays.

"When I was growing up, I wasn't questioning anything," she said."And if it was prejudice, then I guess it didn't bother me like it does now.

"It bothers me now that I'm older."

Long way to go

Black History Month, dedicated to educating people about the history and contributions of black Canadians, is also areminder thatequality still hasn't been achieved in Canada,says Mary McCarthy, president of the New Brunswick Black History Society.

McCarthy recently proved she was racially profiled when wrongfully accused of shoplifting in Toronto in 2011. She won a human rights case in the matter.

• Fredericton woman wins racial profiling case

"I say to my son, 'hold your head high, take a step back and not be a hundred per cent reactive,'" McCarthy said. "But to also not ignore the negative fluff that comes at you. I guess it's not even fluff, it's racism. Let's call it what it is."

Micro-aggressions

Natasha Renee Yard has experienced micro-aggressions.

The third-year law student at the University of New Brunswick says people have told her to straighten her naturally curly hair more often and that she's a surprisingly good speakercomments that seem minor but feel much more personal when you're a minority.

She's also seen positive change.

Yard, who grew up in Toronto, says she found New Brunswickers more open to hiring minorities because they add a different perspective to a predominantly white work environment.

People of her generation, who are in their 20s, feel they can openly question racial stereotyping.

"I think it's important for that reason to have black people, especially young black people, in positions where they are leading or they are speaking in public," she says.

"Because it gives them the opportunity to really dispel some of these myths or stereotypes."

Speak up

Black people were still considered inferior when James (Skip) Talbot grew up in Saint John in the 1930s.

He was well aware of racism, he says, although he never had trouble finding work or making friends.

He justknew when to hold back. He wouldn'tdeclare himself a visible minority on work surveys, "because we knew then we would be on a special list," he says.

"Some of the experiences some of us had were distasteful but it wasn't something that wasn't expected."

People did not learn about black history then, he says,and he's not sure it's taught enough today. Racism has just become harder to spot.

Sometimes Talbot, who now lives in Riverview, walks into a store or restaurant and feels the predominantly white clientele look at him in a strange way. And he still hears ofyoung people struggling to find jobs because of their colour.

"It's obviously less overt because there are rules against discriminating against people, but it's here and it's hidden," he says.

At the same time, Talbot believes most Canadians think racism is wrong.

"People realize it's wrong but they don't know how to deal with it, and they just hope that if you don't deal with it, maybe it will disappear," he says."But that will never happen."

Positive news

Iris Hessoua 25-year-old from Benin, in West Africa, says dispelling racial stereotypes starts with the news.

Hessou, who now lives in Fredericton, says that during Black History Month, she's seen a lot of inspiring articles about the contributions of black people.

But most of the year, when she listens to the news, reports involving black people are less positive.

"When I was watching TV yesterday, I saw a report of some black women here," she says."It was inspiring. But you need to look for it. It won't come to you."