Ear Hustle

Canadian Woman Receives $10,200 Compensation After Being Fired From Black Teachers Group ‘For Not Being Black Enough’

Canadian Woman Receives $10,200 Compensation After Being Fired From Black Teachers Group 'For Not Being Black Enough'

 

A biracial woman has won an $10,200 payout after she was fired from her job at the Black Educators Association (BEA) in Nova Scotia, Canada because she ‘wasn’t black enough’.

Rachel Brothers, was awarded the sum last week after Donald Murray, the Chairman of the Board of Inquiry at the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, ruled that she was discriminated against because of the color of her skin.

According to a report published by the board, Brothers was singled out by a subordinate at the association, Catherine Collier, who undermined her because ‘she was younger than, and not as black, as Ms Collier thought Ms, Brothers should be.’

Evidence was given to the board that claimed Collier told Brothers her biracial skin color was a ‘barrier’ to black people and that she was ‘too light skinned to ‘officially represent them because she wasn’t black enough’.

Another staff member at the BEA told Brothers she ‘should go work for whitey’.

Murray claimed that Brothers was fired from her job in 2006, after less than a year as a regional educator at the association’s Annapolis Valley regional office in Kentville, because her decisions were viewed through the BEA’s ‘colorist thinking’ and behavior.

According to the Chronicle Herald, colorist thinking occurs to ‘someone who believes the closer a person’s skin tone comes to pure white, the better the chances of getting jobs, accommodations and other opportunities available to “actual ‘white’ people.’

According to Murray’s report, Collier, who had applied for the same job as Brothers, would make comments that made Brothers job untenable at the BEA.

Murray said that Brothers was fired from her job because of work decisions the BEA made in which skin color was paramount and ‘the problems that her skin color had created in her office for another employee.’

The board also ruled that acting executive director of the BEA was aware of ‘colorist and ageist comments being made’ and did nothing to stop them.

Despite being dismissed in 2006, it wasn’t until 2008 that Brothers filed her complaint and it has taken six years for it to be heard.

Murray claimed in evidence Collier obviously still hated Brothers and displayed ‘a continuing, petty vindictiveness towards Ms. Brothers’ that ‘was, frankly, appalling.’

Indeed, while executives from the BEA said Brothers was fired for financial irregularities, Murray found no evidence.

He believes she was fired because Collier, who took Brothers job, was better placed to work with the BEA’s head office.

The Black Educators Association was founded in 1969 to help African Nova Scotian communities.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

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