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“As a brown woman, do not move too quickly or suddenly, do not raise your voice, do not make a scene, maintain eye contact, and don’t hide your hands.”
I’m haunted by these lessons from personal experience, shared by Nunavut MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq. They bear a striking resemblance to “the talk” many African-American parents give their kids on surviving traffic stops. In her farewell message, Qaqqaq described being stopped by security regularly, and having guards jog down the hallway after her, as she entered her workplace: the House of Commons.
Qaqqaq’s parting words were delivered with those of other MPs not planning to run in the next election. How tragic and altogether unsurprising that this duly elected representative does not feel welcome in the halls of power. It is a heartbreaking indictment of a federal institution she believes is not incapable of change, merely unwilling.