Mr. Speaker, since 2018, the Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association, or NACCA in short, has played a vital role in building a community network based on education and celebration of Black Canadians and neighbours.
It was NACCA's chairperson, Jerisha Grant-Hall, who once told me that in order to have a genuine dialogue with the Black community, we need to be prepared to have some difficult and direct conversations. It is thanks to these conversations with Jerisha that, since becoming the MP for Newmarket—Aurora, I have been able to build a much better understanding of the stories, concerns, contributions and achievements of Black Canadians in our community and in our country.
Today, I want to thank Jerisha and the NACCA team for their leadership and contributions in making our community much more diverse and connected, and I want to remind all that, while February is recognized as Black History Month, it is our collective duty to celebrate Black Canadians by listening and learning all year round.