Chilliwack/Victoria – Recently an 11-year-old student from Chilliwack-Kent named Eevah Macdonald was experiencing bullying and racism at school, shortly before her birthday.
Chilliwack-Kent MLA Kelli Paddon gathered some of her colleagues to share some birthday messages with Eevah, and invited her to come visit Victoria and the legislature and to write some words from her own experience to be shared in a 2-minute statement.
Paddon Said: “It was certainly powerful to meet Eevah and hear her words”
NOTE CONTENT – This is hard to listen to but it did happen at school and to Eevah’s face.
Both FVN and chillTV have reached out to Eevah and MLA Paddon.
Written Transcipt:
“I rise today to amplify the voice of a young constituent, Eevah MacDonald. I became aware of Eva through Facebook posts made by her mother, Marina. First, a post expressing her heartbreak at watching her young daughter deal with racist bullying at school and then, a few days later, a post saying that Eevah was 11 years old.
“My heart stuttered as I realized how young Eva is and how damaging this could be if there were no other voices. I did two things. First I invited my colleagues, women of colour from this House, to send Eevah birthday messages so that she could see and hear that racism is not winning. I thank them for the real difference that they made to this young girl in Chilliwack-Kent. Then we invited her here so that we could show her that her voice can be a powerful vehicle for change. She can’t speak here yet, and so I’m honoured to share her words with you all:
“They said because I am Black, I should go kill myself, that I should be an example for other Black people to do the same. They said that I am like a dog. It’s kind of like when a tree gets cut down and just left there and forgotten. That’s how I felt. Left there with damage, by myself.
“It’s like some people think that because I’m Black, because I’m not white, I am just something. An object. But what’s real is that it doesn’t matter what your skin looks like. You’re beautiful just the way you are. The most important things about me are my funniness and my kindness. I’m proud that I stick up for people. I speak up for people. I’m a safe place for someone.
“Someday, I’m going to dance en pointe. Someday people are going to see me — that I’m brave and I’m smart and I’m good and I’m strong, that I’m a sister and a daughter, that I’m sensitive and I’m funny, that I like to laugh, and I like to make people laugh. That I’m more than Black. But there’s nothing wrong with being Black. I’m happy that maybe this doesn’t happen as much anymore, that maybe some people
that I’m brave, and I’m smart, and I’m good, and I’m strong. That I’m a sister and a daughter. That I’m sensitive, and I’m funny. That I like to laugh, and I like to make people laugh. That I’m more than Black, but there’s nothing wrong with being Black.
“I’m happy that maybe this doesn’t happen as much anymore, that maybe some people don’t know it still happens. It’s not funny. It doesn’t matter where you heard it or who said it or if you read it on the Internet. It doesn’t matter how they meant it. It’s racism. It hurts. I’m a person, and I matter.”
