Being black is not always a handicap - the departing Speaker of the Ontario legislature was helped by it. Alvin Curling, who was born in Jamaica, has resigned after only two years in the post to wind down his career in sunnier comfort as ambassador to the Dominican Republic. He is being praised for overcoming the ?burden? of being a black in politics.
Blacks still are treated unfairly in many areas of life, but being black did not hinder Curling in politics.
His biggest task, and he deserves credit for it, was persuading the Liberals to nominate him as a candidate in 1985, because few blacks had the backgrounds and resources to be nominated in seats they had a chance of winning.
When David Peterson?s Liberals won government, Curling was the first black MPP in a governing party and a marked man almost as sure of getting in cabinet as Peterson himself.
The only previous black MPP was another Liberal, Leonard Braithwaite, in the 1960s when their party was in opposition, who is remembered mostly
for two events, both related to race.
A small clique of rowdy Progressive Conservative backbenchers yelled ?watermelons? while he was making a speech, showing some politicians
had surprising insensitivity toward visible minorities comparatively recently.
Braithwaite also attended the legislature rarely, but news media steered clear of mentioning it, worried they might be seen as racist.
Peterson quickly named Curling minister of housing, a senior post, and boasted he had Ontario?s first black minister and was a great friend of visible
minorities, but also recognized he would offend blacks if he left out one of their own.
But Curling struggled and Peterson demoted him to minister of training and development, where he also was in over his head.
Peterson eventually fired him from cabinet with four other ministers who had involvements, in Curling?s case only minor, with party fundraiser Patti Starr, who broke election law
Curling clearly had a lack-lustre ministerial career, but Peterson showed a spot of courage, because minorities were increasingly vocal and some believed Curling as a black could never be dropped from cabinet.
When Dalton McGuinty regained government for the Liberals in 2003, Curling got word he planned to put a newly elected black, Mary Anne Chambers, in cabinet and scrambled to be first to announce he would run for Speaker, often a consolation prize for those who fail to get in cabinet.
Several other MPPs, Liberals and Conservatives, would have liked the post, but a coalition of blacks said it was time Ontario had a black Speaker and it would symbolize a more tolerant province. It could also assist the growing debates on gang warfare and racial profiling, and no MPP could be
seen trying to block the appointment of Ontario?s first black Speaker.
The post is mostly ceremonial, but Speakers traditionally have to prevent MPPs calling each other nasty names including liars and frauds, because it
inflames passions and slows down the legislature.
But Curling went too far. Among many examples, he ordered a Conservative MPP to withdraw a charge McGuinty ?betrayed the public trust? by breaking a promise.
Curling disallowed a question by another Conservative who charged the government ?suppressed? a report on drinking and driving, but after the Tories walked out of the legislature changed his mind and allowed it.
When a New Democrat held up a document he said supported his argument, Curling called it a ?prop? that was prohibited by legislature rules, but often permitted Liberal ministers to flourish papers.
NDP house leader Peter Kormos introduced a motion to remove Curling as Speaker on the grounds he lacked judgement and favoured the Liberals, but it was never debated.
An organization of blacks hushed up critics by warning it was an attack on both Curling and the black community as a whole and few MPPs would have risked voting for it.
Getting started in politics is tougher for blacks, but once they are in the path can be smooth.
