We get into the nuts and bolts of political engagement for Black Canadians and other marginalized communities, including how to stop being connected to government only when something goes wrong.
Velma shares what it looks like to build intentional access at Queen’s Park: bringing new voices into stakeholder meetings, getting community members onto agencies, boards, and commissions, and making sure people even know these paid roles exist.
She also explains why community-led election debates matter when mainstream forums don’t reflect how issues hit differently under systemic racism.
If you feel strongly about systemic racism, listen to or watch this podcast and decide what you can do to change policy.
0:00 Welcome And Guest Introduction
2:02 Confidence Built By Family And Mentors
3:54 Building Inclusion Through Access And Lists
6:56 Operation Black Vote Canada And Training
9:05 Why Policy And Legislation Matter
10:55 Practical Ways To Enter Politics
14:06 Finding Representation Gaps And Fixing Them
21:52 Term Limits And Growing Future Leaders
29:57 Advice, Reflection, And How To Connect