Was Canada's response to Black Canadians
during WWI racist?
My perspective:
No.2 construction battalion
As some one that is strongly against racism, I believe that Canada’s response to black Canadians during WWI was racist. If I were there at the time; as a coloured person I would have been extremely offended by the way coloured people were treated. It would have affected me emotionally.
When a person’s emotions are attacked, our state of reasoning is overlooked. Thus, people will start to assume reasons to questions that ponder our minds. The assumption black person made about being rejected from the military due to the colour of their skin was true and not a farfetched reason.
From the white military officers eyes a non-racist way is extremely difficult. All the reason as to why black soldiers couldn’t enlist discriminated the black race. The Officers still had the idea of the 'White Man's War', so no black man were allowed.
'We don't want a checkerboard army,” this was one of the expressions used when black applicants were rejected. These simply words said by a white Canadian can harm a black Canadian greatly. In the perspective of a white person it might just merely seem like a joke. However, when heard through the ears of a black man, it can make them feel like they are unwanted, and there is no more hope left for them.
The only reason as to why black Canadians were not allowed to enlist was because of the colour that wrapped their body. It was a different colour from white, a much more darker tone. The white military officers didn’t want different races in their military unit.
I believe that there shouldn’t have been restrictions as to who can join the army and who cannot, because everyone should have the rights and should be treated equally. The only exception as to why people should be rejected is if they were under aged, or if they were not physically or mentally fit. The colour of you skin, the type of religion, linguistic, and ethnic structure shouldn’t matter. These are just characteristics that make you an individual, these features do not affect your ability of being a solider.
Hence, this is why I believe that Canada’s response to black soldiers during world war one was racist.
When a person’s emotions are attacked, our state of reasoning is overlooked. Thus, people will start to assume reasons to questions that ponder our minds. The assumption black person made about being rejected from the military due to the colour of their skin was true and not a farfetched reason.
From the white military officers eyes a non-racist way is extremely difficult. All the reason as to why black soldiers couldn’t enlist discriminated the black race. The Officers still had the idea of the 'White Man's War', so no black man were allowed.
'We don't want a checkerboard army,” this was one of the expressions used when black applicants were rejected. These simply words said by a white Canadian can harm a black Canadian greatly. In the perspective of a white person it might just merely seem like a joke. However, when heard through the ears of a black man, it can make them feel like they are unwanted, and there is no more hope left for them.
The only reason as to why black Canadians were not allowed to enlist was because of the colour that wrapped their body. It was a different colour from white, a much more darker tone. The white military officers didn’t want different races in their military unit.
I believe that there shouldn’t have been restrictions as to who can join the army and who cannot, because everyone should have the rights and should be treated equally. The only exception as to why people should be rejected is if they were under aged, or if they were not physically or mentally fit. The colour of you skin, the type of religion, linguistic, and ethnic structure shouldn’t matter. These are just characteristics that make you an individual, these features do not affect your ability of being a solider.
Hence, this is why I believe that Canada’s response to black soldiers during world war one was racist.