What they lacked in numbers, they made up for in passion.
Some 50 people gathered outside Peterborough City Hall early Monday evening (April 28) to protest, in the strongest terms, Mayor Jeff Leal’s use of a racial slur while giving a guest lecture at Trent University on March 19.
Organized by the Trent Central Student Association (TCSA), the protest called for Mayor Leal’s resignation, with association president Iyiola Alade saying his “half-ass apology” was too little and came far too late.
“We will use our voices today and make it heard that racism is not welcome in our community, it is not welcome on our campuses and it is not welcome in political seats,” said Alade.
“I am a firm believer that people’s thoughts become their actions. Using a racial slur in a lecture hall where students are seated to be inspired and educated by you (Mayor Leal) at an institution rooted in diversity is not a mistake. That is racism, and to that we say shame. We are demanding that Jeff Leal steps down or be impeached. We will not be silent while the mayor holds office and chooses hate over humanity.”
“Our demands are simple for a city that has ears to listen. A public apology to (city) council and members of the public. And city councillors should declare a vote of no confidence to determine if Jeff Leal continues to be a suitable candidate for the mayor of Peterborough.”
The incident in question occurred while Mayor Leal addressed an evening business administration class at the university. Veering off topic, he began talking about former American president Lyndon B. Johnson.
A recording of Mayor Leal’s lecture made by a student and subsequently published by Arthur, Trent University’s student newspaper, captured him saying “Lyndon Johnson was an F.D.R. New Dealer. He came out of the hills of Texas. He used this language that you would never use today, and he talked about poor n*****s and Mexicans that he taught Sunday school to.”
According to Arthur, the class instructor afterwards apologized to the class for the mayor’s remark and, according to Trent University and the mayor’s office, Mayor Leal also delivered a written apology to the class.
However, it wasn’t until April 8 that his use of the offensive word became widely known when the mayor’s office issued a statement and apology from Mayor Leal. The statement did not reference the racial slur used but Mayor Leal claimed that he used a “quote” from Johnson — which the audio recording shows was not the case.
“I sincerely apologize,” wrote Mayor Leal. “Regardless of the context or intent, using that word was wrong. I recognize the pain it carries, and the responsibility I have to speak with care and respect. I apologize to Trent students and faculty, to Trent University, and to my community.”
“I did not contribute to the betterment of my community when I used that quote — when I said those words. I am committed to listening, learning, and doing better.”
Not nearly good enough, said Alade at Monday’s protest — a sentiment expressed by all in attendance, both vocally and via the many placards they held up.
“This man walked into a lecture hall with almost 400 students and uttered this word,” he said, adding “It cannot be seen as a mistake.”
“Now saying it was a quote to cover your racism … shame, shame.”
In a statement published April 9 at trentcentral.ca, the TCSA called on the City of Peterborough’s integrity commissioner to review Mayor Leal’s ‘conduct’ in relation to the Peterborough City Council Code of Conduct: Conduct Respecting Others.
In addition, the statement asked to the city to ensure all city councillors and staff receive anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) training, and to review and amend its 2023-2050 Strategic Plan “to include anti-racism and race relations as a strategic priority under their Community and Wellbeing pillar.”
In addition, the TCSA made demands of Trent University, including “assurance that Mayor Jeff Leal will not be invited back to campus.”
The group also asked that a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) member of Trent staff conduct DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) training for guest speakers, and guarantee “that future guest lecturers are properly screened, and their content is reviewed before being presented to students.”
Following Monday’s protest, Alade suggested this is far from over.
“We will wait on the integrity commissioner and members of council before we say for sure that we’ve been heard, and if we haven’t, I can assure the City of Peterborough that we will be back,” he said.
“We (TCSA) are having conversations with the university. As far as I know, the university doesn’t have a hand in what everybody is going to say, but they do have a hand in rectifying situations. Whenever we do have situations such as this, we try our best to bring them up with the university, and reach consensus that favours both the university and the students that are harmed.”
Asked if he feels Mayor Leal will actually resign over this matter, Alade said he’s confident city council “will find the mayor breached one of their codes of conduct and, that being said, we will get our demands.”
“To our understanding, the integrity commissioner will start an investigation, hear from our side and the mayor, and then it goes to city council for a conversation and then you get a response. We plan to give this time but not let it die down.”
Meanwhile, the newly formed Coalition for a Better Peterborough has launched an online petition calling for Mayor Leal’s resignation.
As of Monday, 535 people had signed it, according to organizer Charmaine Magumbe, who also spoke at the rally.
“Some people are defending this despicable behaviour … this racist incident,” she told the crowd, adding “Shame, shame, shame on them.”
“I heard the tape (of Mayor Leal’s remarks). On the tape, he even said that this word is unacceptable, and then he says it. Shame. And some people are defending him because he said it was a quote. Why would anyone want to quote an overtly racist U.S. president? He’s a guest speaker at a business lecture. How do you veer off topic? Shame on him.”
Later, Magumbe explained to kawarthaNOW why publicly protesting the mayor’s use of the word is so important.
“People will say ‘It’s just a word.’ It’s not. If you look at the historical context of the word, it comes from a place of violence. It comes from a place of dehumanization of a certain sector of people. It is a very painful word. It should never be used; it should never be uttered.”
As for the notion that Mayor Leal simply made a mistake by using the word, Magumbe isn’t buying it, noting “He said it’s not acceptable but he said it anyhow.”
Noting “Anti-black racism is, unfortunately, alive and well, and it’s here in Peterborough,” Magumbe said that standing together to say “No more” is essential.
“Making your voice heard makes a difference. Showing up makes a difference. Signing the petition. Doing whatever you need to do. This is anti-racism 101. We must stop this hate against blacks and people of colour.”
During the protest, city councillors Joy Lachica and Keith Riel, and later councillor Alex Bierk, showed up to say hello before their city council meeting, but all three declined an invitation to address the crowd. The protest was not acknowledged by council during the meeting.
