He fought to the last
for what he believed in. In his words, “I will just
continue struggling — so long as I live. I have to struggle for what is right …
and get my satisfaction in the fact that I have not relented.” – Charles Roach,
2012
 |
| Photo: C. Ferguson |
Truer words could
not describe this son of the soil. Charles Roach, civil rights lawyer and Activist was a man
with a will of steel and a determination born of strength of conviction. Today
the Afro-Canadaviews team grieves along with the black community at the passing
of this stalwart.
At a recent
community event hosted in his honor, Councillor Michael Thompson presented a
proclamation to Roach for his outstanding and extraordinary contributions to
the city. Part of the proclamation read: “Your work reflects the belief that
building relationships is integral to creating communities that embrace
differences, change, diversity and partnerships that build strong foundations,
promotes dialogue and fosters a sense of community activism that unifies,
inspires and builds strong communities of which we are all proud.” And
continuing, “It’s as a result of (your) efforts that many lives have been
made much easier in this city,”.
Born in Trinidad and Tobago and the son of a trade union organizer,
Roach arrived in Canada in 1955 as an aspiring priest to study at the University of Saskatchewan. He then studied law at the University of Toronto and was called to the bar in 1963. Since then his work in the
black community has centered on defending fundamental human rights and
advocating for equal rights for minorities. He was also a founder of the Caribana Festival,
serving as its first chair. Roach further established the Movement of Minority
Electors in 1978 to encourage non-whites to enter electoral politics and was a
founding member of the Black Action Defence Committee.
The
feat that earned him a defining moment in Afro-Canadian history was his
unrelenting fight to remove the oath to the Queen as a requirement for Canadian
citizenship. Since 1988, the 78-year-old had been fighting, arguing that making
new Canadians pledge their allegiance to the monarchy was unconstitutional.
Roach steadfastly refused to swear allegiance objecting to the monarchy’s past
connection to slavery, maintaining to the last that a system of hereditary
privilege is racist and wrong.
Cruelly ironic that his passing came at a time
when a victory seemed near, for on June 18, 2012 the Ontario Superior Court permitted
the case's continuance, giving new life to the 48 year old fight. Roach’s cause
had suffered numerous defeats in the past, at both the federal and provincial
levels, class action suits and appeals but he persevered despite personal
losses and encroaching illness that finally claimed him on October 2, 2012.
To date the most powerful symbol of his
conviction lies in his own words, “I cannot see myself taking an oath to a
symbol that is racist…. It’s against fundamental freedoms,” Roach, 2012.
Rest in peace fighter…Your tenacity and
strength of conviction will never be forgotten.
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