A candidate hoping to represent Mount Scio for the New Democrats says she wants to change how politics represents Newfoundland and Labrador’s population.
Laurabel Mba, a 33-year old mother, anti-racism educator and television host, is the first Black woman to run in a provincial election in the province.
“The diversity of Newfoundland and Labrador is vast. You have people from many different cultures that call this place [home],” Mba told CBC News on Wednesday.
“Me being Black is just one aspect of the many things that make me up. I am a woman. I am a business owner. I am a mom. I am an everyday Newfoundlander and Labradorian.”
The last sitting of the House of Assembly was predominantly white, with some Indigenous representation.
Conversations with voters have been overwhelmingly positive for the most part, Mba said, but she has also faced some instances of racism.
It’s changed how volunteers are canvassing doors with candidates, she said.
“It was a small incident where people were just not prepared to have us at their door,” she said.
“[We’re] just making sure that they were ready to see faces that were in their community already.”
Dolores Mullins, a professor of social work at Memorial University, said she’s excited by the fact that a Black person is running in the election.
When asked if instances of racism could become a deterrent for future candidates of colour, she said she doesn’t believe it will keep people from fighting for inclusion.
“Black people come from a long line of fighters right here in Canada. And so experiencing racism, or discrimination, has never stopped us from pursuing goals,” Mullins said.
“When those many voices are missing from the table, you have, sometimes, a one-dimensional approach to all kinds of things.”
Mba told CBC News she’s running on a campaign of inclusion, while also focusing on the issues of affordability and health care.
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She believes NDP Leader Jim Dinn will come through on his promises to expand services while cutting taxes, and believes bringing more lived experience into the House of Assembly will help push the province ahead.
“Our provincial government seems so far removed from the everyday lives of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. When we talk about cost of living issues and cost of living increases, they get to sit in a position of privilege where they do not have to be on the receiving end of a lot of the policies and programs they’re putting forward,” she said.
“I’ve sat there with income support papers on my table trying to decide ‘Can I afford to stay in the province that I love so dearly?'”
Mba is challenging Liberal incumbent Sarah Stoodley to represent Mount Scio. The Progressive Conservative candidate is Darrell Hynes.
