Protest held outside Peterborough City Hall over Mayor Jeff Leal’s remarks at Trent University

Outside Peterborough City Hall was a bit busier than normal for a regular Monday night meeting.

A sit-in protest was organized by the Trent Central Student Association and supported by the Afrocentric Awareness Network of Peterborough, after Mayor Jeff Leal used the n-word and made racially offensive remarks targeting the Black and Mexican communities while serving as a guest lecturer in a Trent University business class on March 19th.

Audio of the incident surfaced after the incident and was first published in the Peterborough Examiner. In the clip, the mayor can be heard saying:

“Lyndon Johnson was an FDR New Dealer and 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.”

TCSA President Iyiola Alade spoke with PTBOTODAY.ca.

Co-founder of the AANP Charmaine Magumbe was there as well and says the use of this language in inexcusable.

As reported earlier in April, in response to the incident, the TCSA has filed a formal complaint with the Peterborough Integrity Commissioner and is demanding both institutional and municipal accountability.

The student association is calling on Trent University to permanently bar Leal from returning to campus, to ensure future guest speakers undergo diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and anti-Black racism training delivered by BIPOC staff, and to screen and review all guest lectures prior to presentation.

Additionally, the TCSA wants anti-racism and DEI training mandated for all city councillors and staff.

Leal did put out a statement regarding the incident on April 8th:

During a recent guest lecture at Trent University, I quoted a historical remark attributed to former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson from his time as a congressman in the 1930s. In doing so, the quote that I used included a racial slur that is deeply offensive and hurtful.

I sincerely apologize. 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 believe in building a welcoming and inclusive 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.