File: TTInterview02172017
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[Music]

Q: It being

Black History Month this month, why do

you think it's important for people to

understand the issues that like the

black community faces today?

A: I think it's important for everybody not

just

outside of the black culture but also

within, because what I've noticed is

there's some

type of divide even within the black

community and if we seem divided as

a culture and a community then the

outside not the outside but other

cultures are going to look at us as

divided also.

So we have to start back to the roots,

see where it all started.

See like the founding fathers where

things actually came from because

a lot of it's just ignorance people just

don't know where things started. So it's

really important to have a month

of just knowledge where we can share

things that have happened in the history.

Things that are

progressing into the future and it's

just really important for

all cultures. Not even just the black

community or

or anybody outside of the black

community, because black culture is so

prevalent

all over, especially in popular society

today so.

Q: So then why do you think movements like

Black Lives Matter,

Black Lives Matter movement is so

important to have today?

A:Same idea. There is some sort of divide.

It comes all the way from back centuries

ago

and so it's important for, I think, a lot

of people

misunderstand that Black Lives Matter

doesn't just mean

black lives only matter. It's a way to

stand up and say

we've been oppressed for so long and

this is our time to shine.

We matter just as much as anybody else.

So it's not saying nobody else matters,

but it's saying we also matter. So I

think

that message is so, so important and it

really sucks that it gets misinterpreted

sometimes.

But for the most part just for knowledge,

just for people to recognize there are

issues going on

even outside of what's just shown on the

news. So for groups like that to exist,

not just for the black culture, for any

culture really. It's very, very important

for somebody to stand up and say here's

my message, here's our message, and really

have a voice for the community.

Q: So then, what is the biggest

misconception with black people today

in your opinion? A: I think

I would say for a lot of the part even

like in media, black people are often

portrayed as like angry or aggressive

and

people just see these images and then

when you run into somebody of color

in person you kind of already have a

misconception in your head

that oh they're going to act a certain

way. I've had so many people say, oh my

gosh you're so nice, I didn't expect that

from you and it's like....

but why? And so there's some sort of

stereotype, some sort of stigma that's

been attached to the black culture

and I'm not sure how we can erase it.

Because it's just

to paint everybody with the same paint

brush is just it's not fair at all and

so I

just think those stereotypes that have

been around just for years

are the biggest misconception that,

the anger, the aggression.

I mean, of course, some of comes

from

what we've been through in the past but

at the end of the day we're just as

happy as any

as any other culture. So for people to

say, oh I didn't expect you to be that

way, it's like

why not? I think that's one of the main

black women, yeah.

Q: Absolutely. A: So I think that's one of the

biggest misconceptions. We are not

not weak, or angry, or  aggressive, all

the time. Like we are the same loving,

nurturing, like happy-go-lucky people,

and you'll find that like I've

said before among many different

cultures so it's not just

pertaining to black but that's one of

the biggest stigmas

to the black culture. Q: So with racial

tensions growing today in North America

with you know President Trump and his

travel ban and stuff like that,

what do you think are the next steps to

move forward?

A: Back to what I was saying about the

divide. It's all about coming together.

Since we are separate, this is reasons

why Donald Trump can put up bans like

this because there are

half of us standing behind him and then

the other half standing

way away. So we all have to come together

within our own communities, outside of

our communities, we all have to stand

together.

That way things like this cannot happen.

We have to show support for one another,

not just within our community, outside of

our community.

Literally that's just it- that

divide has to close. I'm not sure on my

own how we can do that, but movements

such as Black Lives Matter and that kind

of idea,

it's a start. But that divide has to be

closed or else Donald Trump can just run

and do whatever

and whoever precedes him afterwards can

just do whatever they feel.

Q: So we have less than 30 seconds left and

I just want you to tell us

what message you're trying to send

with the Caribbean Student Association.

A: Yeah I think the Caribbean

gets really smooshed into a little cup

of just Jamaicans or just Trinidadians,

and people just forget that this island

is so diverse.

There's so many different cultures, So

many different traditions, and  things

that are within the Caribbean and we

just really want to express

that. So it's a small region

but

huge culture and it influences Canadians,

Americans all over the world and so

I just feel like a group like us is

really important. Again to say here's our

message,

share it with us. Take a look at it. Enjoy

it with us. Q: Okay so

thank you so much for being with us

today.