Premier John Horgan has issued the following statement commemorating Black History Month:

“From our first governor, James Douglas, to the first black woman elected to a legislature in Canada, Rosemary Brown, to the first black speaker in Canada, Emery Barnes, British Columbia’s history is black history.

“The important and lasting contributions people of African and Caribbean descent have made to our province deserve to be recognized and celebrated. Black British Columbians built our province from the very beginning.

“At a time when so many across the world preach intolerance, and seek to drive people apart, it has never been more important to remember that we are stronger when we stand together.

“This Black History Month I urge everyone in British Columbia to take the time to consider how our province has been changed for the better through the efforts of black British Columbians, and to reflect on how our communities are made stronger by diversity.”