Quebec anti-racism minister apologizes after saying Black artist was dead at awards

A Quebec provincial cabinet minister has apologized after mistakenly saying at an awards ceremony Saturday that a renowned Black artist was dead.

Benoit Charette, the minister responsible for the fight against racism, was speaking at the Dynastie Gala, which celebrates Black artists and performers, when the mistake was made.

Charette was paying tribute to Black artists who had died in the past year when he incorrectly included Lamine Touré's name to the list.

Touré, who owns famed Montreal venue the Balattou and founded the Nuits d'Afrique festival, was very much alive and in attendance — and was set to be honoured for his work.

Touré and those around him began to stand up and point to him, calling out that he was alive. Charette continued to offer his sympathies, before appearing to realize his mistake, saying he did not have his glasses and could not read his speech well.

In a statement released Monday, the minister's office apologized, saying the speech was written in an "ambiguous" way and that "in trying to get out the speech, he misinterpreted it."

"Contrary to what some report, the incident became a bit of a joke to most of the participants, including Mr. Touré, with whom the minister spoke later in the evening," it concluded.

But many aren't laughing, saying it shows the lack of care the Quebec government takes when approaching relations with the province's Black communities.

In a statement posted to Facebook Monday afternoon, the Dynastie Gala said the comments by the minister "certainly created unease."

"This incident is a reminder of the unacceptable gap that still separates our communities," the statement read. "It demonstrates the urgent need for the government to forge real ties with the various communities it serves, to listen to them and to recognize their excellence."

Fabrice Vil, a lawyer and social entrepreneur, was attending the gala and watched the mistake happen live. He said Charette's only job was to show up and not take away from the Black communities who were there to celebrate, but he didn't even manage that.

"There is no mistake as huge as saying that someone is dead in front of that person being alive," he said. "It's a symbol of how little consideration this government has for Black communities in the way it deals not only in symbols, but also in so many decisions."

Vil pointed to the fact that Charette was introduced by parliamentary assistant Christopher Skeete as the "minister of racism," as opposed to the proper title, of minister responsible for the fight against racism.

"And that mistake in this specific case is particularly important, because we should remind ourselves that the Quebec government does not acknowledge the existence of systemic racism," he said.