On this day in 1963: Austin Clarke on Canada's subtler forms of prejudice
Author expands on article 'A black man talks about prejudice in white Canada'
In 1998, celebrated writer Austin Clarke was invited to the Order of Canada, an honour recognizing outstanding achievements by Canadians across various fields. It was a huge feat considering that, not only had the Barbados-born Clarke begun his writing career relatively late in life, but also, at one point he refused to become Canadian.
As a Bajan youth, Clarke moved to Canada with his family to study economics and political science at the University of Toronto. He ultimately chose to become a citizen in 1981, but for years after he became eligible for Canadian citizenship, he was dead set against applying, stating at the time that "I was not keen on becoming a citizen of a society that regarded me as less than a human being." He felt that obtaining a Canadian passport meant "officially I would be a citizen, but I would not be desirable."
In this 1963 conversation with Anna Cameron on CBC's Take 30, the pair dig deeper into Clarke's decision, and the complicated race relations of 1960s Canada. The dialogue is polite in tone but striking in its straightforward nature, as they address an issue that, even today, is tip-toed around.
During the discussion, Clarke calls out the kind of discrimination prevalent in Canada, where "nobody's gonna tell you you can't go anywhere; nobody's gonna tell you can't apply for the job." He compares it with the more overt prejudice of Birmingham, Al. where an African-American "knows where he is," and as a result, "has less of a psychological war within himself."
"This is the whole problem with race, you see. You could say that perhaps I might be too sensitive. But the fact is that I am black, and I have to live in a condition of pseudo-acceptance." For Clarke, that meant always "looking behind the action to see what the man is thinking."